Training for Years, Can't get Six Pack!

[dan11749]

Hello, I am Daniel. I have been lifting for about four years. I am very serious about lifting and eating. I started eating very clean (oats, chicken, vegetables) about two years ago. I never eat sweets, and I make sure everything I eat is clean. My goal since the end of football season has been to get a six pack. I am currently the same weight as I was, but I have cut down on the fat (caliper measurements: chest 3mm, abs 12mm, leg 14mm, approx. 8-9% BF, 185 lbs, 5'11"). The thing is, I have been stuck at these measurements for at least two months now. I eat very healthy and lift 3-4 times a week with daily cardio/HIIT. I tried a keto diet, but there was not very much success with that. I lift, do cardio, and have an excellent diet. I am now trying carb cycling with 2200 cals every day and refeeding at 2800 cals with lots of carbs every 4th day. I don't know what to do, I can not seem to get a six pack. Can you please help?

[nlite2000]

You are 5'11" 185, 8% bodyfat and you don't have a six pack?


Are you a wizard?

[TheMerch]

Eat less and post a pic. Also check iut Lyle Mcdonalds 'Ultimate Diet 2.0'

[Brklyns_Finest]

You are 5'11" 185, 8% bodyfat and you don't have a six pack?


Are you a wizard?

LOL. 5'11" 185 lbs, 8% body fat. No abs.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here.





You're nowhere near 8% body fat

[dan11749]

I used Scooby's body fat calculator and with my measurements it says 8%. And I'm uploading a pic now.

[brook.t]

1. If your abs are not visible you are no where near 8-9% bf
2. You probably need to lower your calorie intake, I'm 5'8 and around 175-180 my maintenance calories are probably around 2500. You're probably slightly higher or maybe not so drop to around 2000ish rather than what you're doing now.
3. Lift harder if you're not already, you say you've been training for years so you probably should have a decent core but you may have to train it more to make it bigger (squat, deadlift, weighted ab excercises, 1000's of crunches doesn't really work as well.)
4. More protein if necessary, really what you intake doesn't matter as much since your goal right now is just fat loss. You just have to be below your maintenance.

[Molec]

lifting for 4 years means you should have visible abs at 10% bf...me thinks you're still >10%

[dan11749]

Here's a pic.

[AlwaysTryin]

You are 5'11" 185, 8% bodyfat and you don't have a six pack?


Are you a wizard?

This lol

[Ocelot87]

LOL dyel? That's not 8%

[KoHuskie]

Like others have said, don't think you could have been lifting for 4 years, have those stats, and still not have a 6 pack. I personally disagree with the "abs are made in the kitchen" saying. Yes you will have some ab definition, but bigger, more blocky abs that I prefer are made in the gym. I personally train my abs once a week which is plenty combined with squats and deadlifts. Try some weighted ab workouts to make them pop.

[dan11749]

I know I can work hard in the gym, that's not a problem for me. The mystery to me is the kitchen. Not exactly the "what foods are good part", I know that. It's how much to eat. I have seen estimations anywhere from 2000-4000 calories for my daily needs. I have always had around 2200 a day, this carb cycling is recent. I might try going lower.

[Pronobis]

Here's a pic.

Impressive 4 years of dedication...

[Serpentarius]

around 16% bf maybe. 8% is ripped with a good amount of muscle showing (or skinny with no muscle).

[nlite2000]

you have some good mass. If you lose ~10lbs of fat you will definitely have a six pack.

[TheMerch]

I know I can work hard in the gym, that's not a problem for me. The mystery to me is the kitchen. Not exactly the "what foods are good part", I know that. It's how much to eat. I have seen estimations anywhere from 2000-4000 calories for my daily needs. I have always had around 2200 a day, this carb cycling is recent. I might try going lower.

Estimates are just that, they will never be perfect. Pick a number you think is reasonable based on your activity level stick to it for 2-3 weeks and adjust if you are not losing weight.

What is your lifting routine and your current squat/bench/dead?

[dan11749]

Here's a little better picture. What is a good amount of calories? And what do you think of the carb cycling? On the lower carb days I have 258 pro, 175 carb, 60 fat totaling 2330 cals. On the high carb day (every 4th day) I have 210 pro, 350 carb, 60 fat totaling 2850 cals.

[ak3580]

I hope ur trolling u look like u lifted for 4 weeks off and on and are 18% bf ans weigh 150. Look through his site for a week then make another post

[TheMerch]

Here's a little better picture. What is a good amount of calories? And what do you think of the carb cycling? On the lower carb days I have 258 pro, 175 carb, 60 fat totaling 2330 cals. On the high carb day (every 4th day) I have 210 pro, 350 carb, 60 fat totaling 2850 cals.

How much non-exercise activity do you do daily? You likely should be eating between 1800-2500 but its impossible to tell without knowing how active you are. Just pick a number and start tracking.

[dan11749]

Lift MWT and HIIT every day for 25-30 mins, sometimes take off sat or sun. I do chest/triceps monday, biceps/back/abs wednesday, and legs friday. I recently recovered from a back injury from football which didn't let me squat, but I could still do lunges. I just did 225x20 on lunges a few days ago. I DB bench 100s 6 times, squat 315 6 times. I havent been able to to Deadlift because of my back.

[dan11749]

I hope ur trolling u look like u lifted for 4 weeks off and on and are 18% bf ans weigh 150. Look through his site for a week then make another post

Not looking for hate, dude. Just looking for some advice. Keep the little jokes to yourself.

[ak3580]

There not jokes there facts and no one is hating get ovEr yourself and get a reality check ur not 8% and getting abs is the last thing u should be worried about.

[2wilight]

I can't tell you how much to eat to lose fat you are going to have to track it for yourself but keep this in mind just because you eat clean like you stated above doesn't mean you are going to lose fat. Its calories in vs. calories out.

Pick a calorie total, eat it for a week or two and see if your weight drops if not decrease your calories.

[aterrigno]

Not looking for hate, dude. Just looking for some advice. Keep the little jokes to yourself.

Understandable.



Start counting calories... Everything you put in your mouth... After a week of tracking lower calories by 250-500 calories per day to preserve muscle... You'll have a 6 pack in a few months

[dan11749]

Is there any advantage to switching things up every few days like cycling? And what macro %s do you all recommend?

[ghattanj]

lol!!!!

[Serpentarius]

HIIT every day for 25-30 mins

sustainable HIIT for that long? Thats olympic competitor conditioning

[pi1ot]

You need to lose body fat. You aren't 8%. If you want to see your abs, start cutting.

[Brklyns_Finest]

sustainable HIIT for that long? Thats olympic competitor conditioning

Would rep for George Costanza, but I gotta spread some.

[nemesix]

I did ab ripper x almost everyday for weeks.. no luck.

As Kris Gethin puts it "abs are made in the kitchen"

1. Eat healthy, burn calories, increase amount of meals you eat (smaller portions), green tea helps a bit too (I got some pills cause brewing tea every few hours gets annoying).
2. For cardio do 25 minutes a day. On the days that you lift weights do 25 minutes before you lift in the morning after breakfast, and 25 minutes after you lift. Every time I do cardio I burn approximately 300 calories. I eat a lottttt during my meals so it really makes a difference and adds up by the end of the week.
3. Ab ripper x. Boom baby. This **** kills your abs.
4. Start by doing abs only once a week and in a month or two try increasing it to twice a week.


You'll get some abs :d I went from 141 with a belly at the start of xmas break to 134.5 now. Thats 10 weeks from when I started and I'm pretty cut now with some decent looking abs (kris gethin's 12 week program)