All those with six packs, what is your height and waist size?

[SnipeItLikePro]

Obviously waist size in genetically influenced, but also height is part of that influence also. A taller person is most likely going to have a larger waist size at the same bf% than a shorter person.

Thing is my waist is 30.75in at 5’11” and my abs aren’t sharp yet. I can see like 4 lines of abs but not the best separation. Also when I lie down my abs are gone. I’m like 13% bf.

So drop your details please.

[hardyboysare]

Obviously waist size in genetically influenced, but also height is part of that influence also. A taller person is most likely going to have a larger waist size at the same bf% than a shorter person.

Thing is my waist is 30.75in at 5’11” and my abs aren’t sharp yet. I can see like 4 lines of abs but not the best separation. Also when I lie down my abs are gone. I’m like 13% bf.

So drop your details please.

6ft 2 and around 30-32 inches depending on where you are taking the measurements.

I can see all my abs but not by definition of sharp as I imagine you are suggesting from models.

For best advice post a pic so we can assess if it is muscle lacking issue or too much fat for the sharpness you wish. It is most likely going to be both anyway but one maybe more prominent for your short term goal.

As for height and waist size from my experience generally it does make much difference its more influenced by individuals strength vs experience training plus of course as you stated genetics.

Tall people just look skinnier getting abs due to the amount of muscle mass required to look big whilst lean.

As for laying down I personally believe everyone's abs do as they are now relaxed unlike supporting when standing.

[SnipeItLikePro]

6ft 2 and around 30-32 inches depending on where you are taking the measurements.

I can see all my abs but not by definition of sharp as I imagine you are suggesting from models.

For best advice post a pic so we can assess if it is muscle lacking issue or too much fat for the sharpness you wish. It is most likely going to be both anyway but one maybe more prominent for your short term goal.

As for height and waist size from my experience generally it does make much difference its more influenced by individuals strength vs experience training plus of course as you stated genetics.

Tall people just look skinnier getting abs due to the amount of muscle mass required to look big whilst lean.

As for laying down I personally believe everyone's abs do as they are now relaxed unlike supporting when standing.

Well thanks for the extensive reply. But I don’t believe that I’m lacking that much muscle. I can bench press 100kg x 1 and I can perform 75kgs x 10 on the rowing machine. Also, I can do about 19 dips with just my body weight at the beginning of my workout.

Notice how I didn’t mention squat and dead. It’s because I don’t train those. I need to work on my flexibility first because I struggle to squat down while keeping my back straight with my heels on the ground.

[SuffolkPunch]

Notice how I didn’t mention squat and dead. It’s because I don’t train those. I need to work on my flexibility first because I struggle to squat down while keeping my back straight with my heels on the ground.

They probably have more influence on your midsection than upper body lifts.

The best way to work on your flexibility is to actually squat and deadlift. Deadlift doesn't require that much flexibility. Depth of the squat is best worked on by squatting, even if you have to start light.

TBH, it sounds more like a coordination issue than flexibility. Again, you learn this by doing.

Even your upper body lifts don't tell us that much; a 1RM of 100kg on the bench can be achieved by lots of guys without even building much muscle. There are natural leverages and neural efficiency at play in determining 1RMs.

Now if you could work your way up to 10 reps at 100kg that would be much more in the realms of hypertrophy for the chest and triceps (which doesn't affect the midsection BTW...)

[faithbrah]

I need to work on my flexibility first because I struggle to squat down while keeping my back straight with my heels on the ground.

2 years of lifting and i still use a wooden plank under my heels during squats...

[SnipeItLikePro]

They probably have more influence on your midsection than upper body lifts.

The best way to work on your flexibility is to actually squat and deadlift. Deadlift doesn't require that much flexibility. Depth of the squat is best worked on by squatting, even if you have to start light.

TBH, it sounds more like a coordination issue than flexibility. Again, you learn this by doing.

Even your upper body lifts don't tell us that much; a 1RM of 100kg on the bench can be achieved by lots of guys without even building much muscle. There are natural leverages and neural efficiency at play in determining 1RMs.

Now if you could work your way up to 10 reps at 100kg that would be much more in the realms of hypertrophy for the chest and triceps (which doesn't affect the midsection BTW...)

I understand, I’m not that strong or big. But then again, I don’t see it affecting my midsection so greatly. Like as long as I’m not underweight. Tbf I’m only 75kgs, but as I gained muscle from 62kgs from when I first started gym and my abs have actually gone down lol.

Even people way skinner than me have those solid defined abs with a sharp v-line and veins. They rarely train abs and don’t take gaining weight or muscle very seriously. They’re just regular gym goers or athletes.

[SuffolkPunch]

You probably gained some fat along with muscle when you went from 62 -> 75kg.

You actually need quite a lot of lean mass to have good definition at 75kg. So the answer is either more muscle gain or more fat loss.

Better not to compare yourself with others because genetics determine where fat is distributed on your body - but all else being equal, if you see someone who has a six pack, they are probably either lighter than you or more muscular, it's that simple really.

[hardyboysare]

As SuffolkPunch highlighted if you aren't training lower body with main compound lifts this can overall effect core density

Generally someone who can do a variation of squats and deadlifts at a soild weight for an decent amount of volume will have a strong thick core.

It's not always the case but certainly helps. Having a strong upper body will do minimal for your core except possible acting as a stabiliser.

But as stated post a pic will answer all the question.

[SnipeItLikePro]

You probably gained some fat along with muscle when you went from 62 -> 75kg.

You actually need quite a lot of lean mass to have good definition at 75kg. So the answer is either more muscle gain or more fat loss.

Better not to compare yourself with others because genetics determine where fat is distributed on your body - but all else being equal, if you see someone who has a six pack, they are probably either lighter than you or more muscular, it's that simple really.

Okay, but isn’t it possible to have a six pack at 75kg? During lockdown at one point I got down to a 29 1/4 inch waist. For someone that’s not super short, that’s quite a small waist. And my six pack still wasn’t popping. Are you telling me that in order to get the abs I want, I need to get to a 27 inch waist? It’s kinda too much tbh.

I do however think the building muscle route is better for now atleast. It’s the simplest option. What do you think of actually training the abs with weight directly? Will that make a difference?

[SnipeItLikePro]

As SuffolkPunch highlighted if you aren't training lower body with main compound lifts this can overall effect core density

Generally someone who can do a variation of squats and deadlifts at a soild weight for an decent amount of volume will have a strong thick core.

It's not always the case but certainly helps. Having a strong upper body will do minimal for your core except possible acting as a stabiliser.

But as stated post a pic will answer all the question.

I’ll definitely try building a stronger core. Whether it’s through lower body lifts or by hitting them directly.

However I cannot currently post a pic. I need atleast 50 posts do to so. Lemme see if I can spam rq and I’ll be back.

[hendrixfreak70]

6’ 32” waist, maybe even 31”.

[SuffolkPunch]

I’ll definitely try building a stronger core. Whether it’s through lower body lifts or by hitting them directly.

However I cannot currently post a pic. I need atleast 50 posts do to so. Lemme see if I can spam rq and I’ll be back.

Don't spam anything please.

You can upload pictures to your bodyspace.

[wave_length]

30‘ waist, 5‘9

[SnipeItLikePro]

Don't spam anything please.

You can upload pictures to your bodyspace.

Okay I’ve uploaded an image to my body space. If you press on my name and scroll down to progress photos you’ll see it.

[MrCarrot]

I'm afraid I don't belong here because I don't have a six pack. I never have, and I fear I never will. When people see how vascular my arms are they assume I have a six pack, which couldn't be further from the truth. My abs are that chitty, if there was such a thing as an ab job, I would have one. It could be worse though - at least I have decent arms which is what people see 90% of the time.

[TolerantLactose]

Okay, but isn’t it possible to have a six pack at 75kg? During lockdown at one point I got down to a 29 1/4 inch waist. For someone that’s not super short, that’s quite a small waist. And my six pack still wasn’t popping. Are you telling me that in order to get the abs I want, I need to get to a 27 inch waist? It’s kinda too much tbh.

I do however think the building muscle route is better for now atleast. It’s the simplest option. What do you think of actually training the abs with weight directly? Will that make a difference?

I had a 27in waist at 80 kg and still was nowhere near a 6-pack. I didn't work my legs back then. I was able to get a 6-pack with a 30in waist once I started working lower body and build lean mass all over.

[1stCoachJoe]

Okay I’ve uploaded an image to my body space. If you press on my name and scroll down to progress photos you’ll see it.

The ability to see well-defined abs is largely a function of having a low enough percentage of body fat. Waist circumference is not the driving factor at all. Your pic reveals a significant level of body fat still present.

As a notable aside, the ideal waist circumference (measured totally relaxed at the widest part of the waist just above the belly button) as a general rule of thumb, should be no more than 50% of one's height. I.e. if you are 72" tall, your ideal waist size (measured as described above) should be 36" or less.

PS
Since I just figured out how to get a picture posted here, I thought I'd add an image for visual reference.

[SnipeItLikePro]

I had a 27in waist at 80 kg and still was nowhere near a 6-pack. I didn't work my legs back then. I was able to get a 6-pack with a 30in waist once I started working lower body and build lean mass all over.

How tall are you? If I may ask.

[SnipeItLikePro]

The ability to see well-defined abs is largely a function of having a low enough percentage of body fat. Waist circumference is not the driving factor at all. Your pic reveals a significant level of body fat still present.

As a notable aside, the ideal waist circumference (measured totally relaxed at the widest part of the waist just above the belly button) as a general rule of thumb, should be no more than 50% of one's height. I.e. if you are 72" tall, your ideal waist size (measured as described above) should be 36" or less.

So even if my waist is .43 of my height I should cut until I can see the full six pack? The thing is I’ve never seen someone with such weird measurements (besides the poster below). Everyone with six packs, even skinny people have a waist of 29-32. In some cases where the person is tall, it’s around 33-34. I’ve been down to 29 1/4 and my abs didn’t even get much better at all.

[TolerantLactose]

How tall are you? If I may ask.

5'6"

[hardyboysare]

Okay I’ve uploaded an image to my body space. If you press on my name and scroll down to progress photos you’ll see it.

A full body would help more but based on your pic I would say in order to see full abs you would need to go sub-70kg. To see really sharp abs you would probably be looking at between 60-65kg.

Technically your bf% is too high to see your abs fully, but I am reluctant to advise too much fat loss as I don't believe being nearly 6ft and cutting much beyond 70kg would not be advised as it will effect muscle development in other areas.

If you did decide to go for full abs then cutting down to 70kg would be the limit before focusing on a bulk to build more mass with more focus on lower compound lifts and some extra ab exercises for good measure (1-2 sets of abs on your lower days would be fine).

Looking at your pic you are past the stage of attempting a recomp due to your leanness.

Personally I would focus on a small caloric surplus bulk and aim to hit some decent numbers on your lower compound lifts aiming to gain around 1-1.5lb a month, I would keep going until hitting around 80kg (so around 5-8 months) before cutting down to 72-75kg and review the progress.

[sunsean]

I'm 5'8/5'9 and when lean about a 30/31" waist.

As indicated it's less about waist measurement and more about body fat level. Waist size is genetic to a degree, but everyone will need to get down to 10ish% body fat to get abs.

[SnipeItLikePro]

A full body would help more but based on your pic I would say in order to see full abs you would need to go sub-70kg. To see really sharp abs you would probably be looking at between 60-65kg.

Technically your bf% is too high to see your abs fully, but I am reluctant to advise too much fat loss as I don't believe being nearly 6ft and cutting much beyond 70kg would not be advised as it will effect muscle development in other areas.

If you did decide to go for full abs then cutting down to 70kg would be the limit before focusing on a bulk to build more mass with more focus on lower compound lifts and some extra ab exercises for good measure (1-2 sets of abs on your lower days would be fine).

Looking at your pic you are past the stage of attempting a recomp due to your leanness.

Personally I would focus on a small caloric surplus bulk and aim to hit some decent numbers on your lower compound lifts aiming to gain around 1-1.5lb a month, I would keep going until hitting around 80kg (so around 5-8 months) before cutting down to 72-75kg and review the progress.

Yeah I’m gonna bulk up. But I’m gonna try and do ab exercises first. And see if that changes anything. The thing is I’m not even going for 7% body fat. I’m just not satisfied with the softish-firm look of my midsection. I want to be like 11% bf. Not anything crazy.

[SnipeItLikePro]

I'm 5'8/5'9 and when lean about a 30/31" waist.

As indicated it's less about waist measurement and more about body fat level. Waist size is genetic to a degree, but everyone will need to get down to 10ish% body fat to get abs.

The thing is, I can’t really cut calories. See I’ve always been the same body composition. Just 2% bf away from my goal. When I’d try to cut calories I’d have to use my willpower to stay away from food. It’s weird because I struggle to put on weight also. My body just tries hard to stay the way it is. Lean, but lean enough.

Since it’s only 2% bf that I have to drop. Maybe I could just add cardio to achieve that effect. Accompanied with ab training, do you think there would a difference in terms of visibility of a six pack.

[SnipeItLikePro]

What I’m gonna do is:

1. Add cardio to my routine
2. Add ab training

After 1 week I’ll get back to everyone and see.

If there’s no visible difference, then I’ll start bulking up while doing lower body lifts.

[Ghawk21]

What I’m gonna do is:

1. Add cardio to my routine
2. Add ab training

After 1 week I’ll get back to everyone and see.

If there’s no visible difference, then I’ll start bulking up while doing lower body lifts.

1 week is not enough time to make any kind of decision. All cardio will do is contribute to your deficit and help cut a little weight. At best you might drop another pound in 1 week and that won't be noticeable. You look to be in good shape to start a slow bulk now, that would be my suggestion.

[jlsnyderTypeR]

30‘ waist, 5‘9

Same ^^^ maybe 31' if I break from my diet

[wave_length]

Same ^^^ maybe 31' if I break from my diet

Yeah but you have a good 30+ lbs on me. Always amazed when I see your avi.

[pondman]

You could also turn it on it's head, and say higher %s of muscles will make the abs more pronounced. If you look at the big men in Pro building, they do not have narrow waists.

5 ft 11 doesn't mean anything. You could be 160 pounds are 220 pounds. 10% body fat on a 5 ft 11 male that weighed 220 is going to show much more than abs on a 160 pound male.

[SnipeItLikePro]

You could also turn it on it's head, and say higher %s of muscles will make the abs more pronounced. If you look at the big men in Pro building, they do not have narrow waists.

5 ft 11 doesn't mean anything. You could be 160 pounds are 220 pounds. 10% body fat on a 5 ft 11 male that weighed 220 is going to show much more than abs on a 160 pound male.

Yeah increasing muscle is my 2nd option