Normally I would not bother asking such an over-asked question but I had much better visibility about 3 years ago, now I have 7.9% bodyfat so they should be very good, but are not. I do not take any supplements currently, I eat very low calorie more by chance than effort, and I walk every day and exercise moderately (recently I have been on crutches, even more of a workout than walking.) What am I doing wrong?
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05-06-2010, 04:50 AM #1
Increasing Rectus Abdominis visibility
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05-06-2010, 07:28 AM #2
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05-06-2010, 08:02 AM #3
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05-06-2010, 08:58 AM #4
Post a pic of your abs. Can't really offer any advice without seeing your current condition.
No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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05-16-2010, 07:05 AM #5
I am thinking it may be mostly water, I drink a lot throughout the day though so what are some other good ways to flush it out? Also could me not eating enough calories somehow play a role?
I sometimes have less than 1000 a day with college and the cost of food and everything.
I cannot take a picture because I don't have a digital camera anymore but I probably have about an inch (give or take a couple of centimeters) over the muscle and yet it somehow substantially affects visibility.
What foods should I try to focus on getting into my diet specifically and do spot training exercises really work?
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05-16-2010, 07:58 AM #6
- Join Date: May 2009
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 37
- Posts: 566
- Rep Power: 256
i dont compete against you. i compete against myself yesterday, last week, last year
No one system of training is better than all of the other systems. However, proper training always involves common elements. These are hard work, abbreviated training programs, progression, good form, and motivation - Brooks Kubik
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05-17-2010, 03:22 AM #7
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05-17-2010, 04:10 AM #8
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05-17-2010, 04:13 AM #9
Bollocks.
Not possible to measure BF to an accurracy of =/- 0.1%.
Call it 8%. Now most methods short of a total body CatScan, or an autopsy(not advised) can't do better than =/- 3%.
So call it 5%-11%.
5% is extremely unhealthy. You won't be able to make enough test for a teenage girl. You likely have been sick and are losing strength rapidly. You won't be able to absorb vitamins A, D, E, or minerals like Calcium and the like. Your brain is affected to the extent that you have a totally unrealistic interpretation of what you see in the mirror, like an anorexic girl.
11% is a good low level for performance oriented strength athletes. It is perfectly healthy, so is 15%.
Methods like calipers don't take account of intra-abdominal(visceral) fat at all. So they get much less accurate the leaner you become.
Until we see pics, or your actual waist and weight measurements, you could be twice the quoted BF percent, which would explain why it is difficult to see your abs.
You should train your abs for strength anyway. They stabilize your spine while doing anything strenuous, like squats, working in the garden, or even heavy curls. And if you ever pursue a career in bellringing, or or wood chopping, you'll be ahead of the gameLast edited by jgreystoke; 05-17-2010 at 04:16 AM.
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05-18-2010, 04:54 AM #10
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05-18-2010, 05:37 AM #11
- Join Date: Jan 2007
- Location: Suffolk, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Posts: 54,512
- Rep Power: 1338186
When I measure my suprailiac with calipers, I am actually measuring a doubled over skin/fat sample. Currently I am between 8 and 9mm - about 12% fat for a 38yr old. You can't really see my abs.
I am not sure how this translates to your situation but the key takehome is that your skin/fat layer has to be pretty damn thin before you get any definition.
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05-18-2010, 06:36 AM #12I am not sure how this translates to your situation but the key takehome is that your skin/fat layer has to be pretty damn thin before you get any definition.
Honestly, weighted ab exercises are how you develop deep abs, not 100's of crunches.
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05-18-2010, 06:39 AM #13
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05-18-2010, 10:02 AM #14or an autopsy(not advised)
I cannot take a picture because I don't have a digital camera anymore--There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
--Are you eating while you are reading this? You should be... --hrdgain81
--The proper plural form of the Latin adjective biceps is bicipites, a form not in general English use. Instead, biceps is used in both singular and plural (i.e., when referring to both arms). The form bicep [sic], although common even in professional contexts, is considered incorrect. (from Wikipedia)
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05-21-2010, 12:58 AM #15
I am morally opposed to being one of those people who stands in front of their bathroom mirror with a cell phone, that to me represents the narcissistic degradation of society! And most of my friends are too broke to have computers or cameras or any of them fancy things, we walk places instead of driving and buy clothes that are on sale and do all sorts of detestable un-wasp-y things.
It is actually funny that now that you mention it other than the people who I have not talked to since highschool or farther back, no one I know has a camera, I feel like you have given me insight into who I am. Halfway to Zen!
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05-21-2010, 02:30 AM #16
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05-21-2010, 04:12 AM #17To guys starting out - please understand: when you can deadlift 450lb for 10 reps your back, hamstrings & traps will reflect THAT not which program you used to get there. When you can curl 150 for 10, your biceps will reflect THAT, not which program, rep range or method you used to get there. There is no voodoo independent of poundage progression, just faster and slower ways of getting to your next pit stop.
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05-21-2010, 04:38 AM #18
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05-21-2010, 06:04 AM #19
So how did you get your avatar picture?
And standing in front of a mirror taking pictures to show off may be narcissistic. However, when you are doing it to illustrate a point your are trying to make in a forum asking for help, it is not.
You are in college and your friends can't afford a computer? I thought you were required to have one these days.
Do any of them have a cell phone?
If you are so poor, how did you get that "reliable" body fat calc? I wouldn't think that would be covered under any health plan a poor kid might have.
Do you have any friends who are girls? I don't think I've ever run into a group of girls where at least one of them didn't have a small digital camera or at least a cell phone camera.
And if you really are that poor, might I suggest getting a job instead of working out.
And if you're not, go troll someplace else...--There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
--Are you eating while you are reading this? You should be... --hrdgain81
--The proper plural form of the Latin adjective biceps is bicipites, a form not in general English use. Instead, biceps is used in both singular and plural (i.e., when referring to both arms). The form bicep [sic], although common even in professional contexts, is considered incorrect. (from Wikipedia)
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05-21-2010, 02:41 PM #20
I did not say that I do not have a computer, I said that they don't, most of my friends are not in college, my college has no dorm because I am in a community college (boy, can't wait to hear all the clever remarks that the usual gang of *******s will have about that) so my friends are mainly people from adjoining apartments or around where I live.
And perhaps you should reread as you appear to have misunderstood about 90 percent of what I wrote or the ironic intentions of some of my statements.
It is interesting how I am labeled as a teenager even though I am by every standard no longer in my teen years, the "girls" in my age group and either way to ask "may I use your phone and/or camera to take a picture of my chest and upload it to the internet?" would probably serve more to embarrass me than it would to help.
So basically the bottom line here would be that I am working on it and there is no reason to be a dick, nothing in this thread has harmed you in any way that would justify you bleeding your period all over it. Don't draw assumptions, you know what they say, "when you assume you make yourself look like a dumbass" (I am not very good at remembering idioms, but I think I got that one right.)
Smile and stay positive.
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05-22-2010, 09:34 AM #21
--Hey, Suzy. You know how I've been going to the gym a lot? Oh, you've noticed, cool. Well, I'm really trying to get good at it so I can get [bigger, stronger, whatever, you choose]. Some guys on a weightlifting website want to help, but they need to see the "before" pics.
--And since I refuse to participate in the WASP-dominated area of using cell phones, can I walk over to your place to use your camera phone to take some pics so they can help me out?
-- Huh? Great! In about an hour, is that ok? Need anything on my way over?
You may want to edit that second paragraph a bit, but I wouldn't be embarrassed one bit about asking this. From a random stranger, perhaps. But someone whom I'm friendly with? Not a bit.
And, PS on the "narcissistic degradation of society!" How did you think most people got their avatars on here? Are 90% of the people here narcissistic and contributing to the degradation of society?Last edited by BG5150; 05-22-2010 at 01:20 PM.
--There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
--Are you eating while you are reading this? You should be... --hrdgain81
--The proper plural form of the Latin adjective biceps is bicipites, a form not in general English use. Instead, biceps is used in both singular and plural (i.e., when referring to both arms). The form bicep [sic], although common even in professional contexts, is considered incorrect. (from Wikipedia)
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05-22-2010, 09:50 AM #22
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05-22-2010, 08:10 PM #23
You are still missing the fact that it was not a serious statement, which is odd because I stated it implicitly making it more than just an implied statement.
I will in fact post them when I get a way to do so but in the mean time there is no need to be pedantic and annoying. I have a camera phone but it is old and less than 1 megapixel and I am still working on getting a new one with better features in general.
I
f you want to help in this respect then you can suggest a verizon phone for me that is free to ten dollars after 2 year contract, one that you or someone you know have had experience with would be best.
In the meantime I am working on it but it would really help if you would not be so focused on semantics and trivialities.
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05-22-2010, 10:12 PM #24
Bro your first problem is your calorie intake, 1000 or less a day is really bs. If you really are at that low of a bf and you do not have abs showing, then your bf is most likely not fuken even close to what your saying. If you are* at 7.5% bf, then your just young and skinny with no muscle... If it were I, I would do a few bulk cycles to gain some muscle mass, than cut back down... But really bro, your diet is horrible, and I dont even want to ask what it is that you eat for those 1000 calories, (Bag of chips) LOL....
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05-23-2010, 01:11 AM #25
I don't eat junk food, I just don't get a chance to eat until after I get home from college, 11pm or so, by that time I eat until I am full and repeat. I try to eat lean meat every night, sometimes I supplement it with a pb&j sandwich or whatever and occasionally a cookie or whatever. You may "not want to ask" what I eat, but that makes your contribution worthless in respect to this thread unless you were going to add something to it, thanks though.
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05-23-2010, 01:18 AM #26
- Join Date: Jan 2007
- Location: Suffolk, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Posts: 54,512
- Rep Power: 1338186
If you were a proper hippie, you shouldn't even need any food at all
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8652837.stm
I bet this guy has a great 6 pack. He just won't show it off because that's feeding the ailment of modern society.
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05-24-2010, 06:18 AM #27
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05-24-2010, 06:23 AM #28
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05-24-2010, 06:30 AM #29
That's crap. If you have access to a piece of Tupperware or two and a paper (or plastic) bag, you can eat whenever you want.
Unless you are in an operating room for 8-10 hours every day, there's no excuse not to eat something.
At one point, I was taking 21 credits, and still found time to eat 5-6 times a day. Make a couple sandwiches in the morning. Put some chili in a Thermos(tm). Keep some MRB's in the car.
Pain in the ass taking bites of a sandwich at red lites? Yep. Inconvenient eating a protein bar while crossing the drill field and need to be in class in 4 mins? You betcha. Looks a little goofy eating chili out of a Thermos(tm) on the bus? Certainly.
But doable.--There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
--Are you eating while you are reading this? You should be... --hrdgain81
--The proper plural form of the Latin adjective biceps is bicipites, a form not in general English use. Instead, biceps is used in both singular and plural (i.e., when referring to both arms). The form bicep [sic], although common even in professional contexts, is considered incorrect. (from Wikipedia)
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05-24-2010, 08:44 AM #30
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