Is my weekly routine ok for abs and building muscle?

[Sachi259]

I am female. 25 years old. 5”0. Started off 47 kilos, 20% body fat. Now I am 45 kilos (99lbs) and 19.5% body fat.

I am really wanting abs - this is my main goal. I aim to achieve this by getting 17% body fat or less. My secondary (but equally important) goal is to get visibly strong glutes.

Here is my weekly training routine. If you notice anything wrong or if it could be improved in any way please let me know.

Everyday I use the stationary bike for 30 mins when I wake up, in heart rate zone 2.

5 days a week I do a 30 min workout using dumbbells/bands, working on glutes or arms or abs.

1 day a week I do heavy lifting with deadlifts, squats etc followed by 20 min intense run ending on stairs.

I run three times a week. 1 day is long run, other is short and intense. Last one is speed or hills.

So far I have lost 1% body fat. I eat 1500 calories a day. Less if it is a rest day and 1500 exactly if it is training day (with protein powder).

Is there any way I can improve this routine for my goals? Or is it okay and I just need to be patient?

[smokinal]

How long have you been doing this program with that amount of cals?

[xsquid99]

Abs are like any other muscle, they have to be developed first and once they're sufficiently developed then transitioning to a fat loss phase will allow them to show definition. The issue is that we have no idea whether or not your abs are developed enough for them to be visible without you having to get very, very thin. 20% bodyfat for a female is starting to get pretty lean, so if they outline of your core/abs is not currently showing at least faintly, then odds are they are likely not built up enough yet, and of course building muscle generally requires at least a small calorie surplus (gaining weight).

That all being said, without a photo its hard to do an assessment of where you currently sit. But my intuition tells me you would be better served by more strength training, less cardio, and probably some more calories.