6 pack abs
 

i have been trying to get a 6 pack for quite a while. I have added lots of protein to my diet but i still cannot get the 6 pack abs u see in the movies. They are visable but the lines going across me abs are not as viasble as i want them. I swim 6 times a week with a 50minute weight session once per week. Anyone got any tips to help me?

Do you do any actual ab/core work? Since your abs are visible, that means your body fat is fairly low, you don't need to lose much more weight. Depends on how visible you want them. For men, the upper abs become visible at 12% bodyfat. To see the lower abs, you'll need to get below 10%. It will also depend on exactly where and how you store fat at the waist.

Jillian Michaels - 6 Weeks Six Pack

My lower abs are not visible at all but the upper abs are visible. At the moment i have a 4 pack with not much of a line down the middle

to be honest i dont particularly want to buy anything that will help me apart from nutrition

First off, sorry for crashing the guy's forum. If you stick around long enough, you'll see that we tend to not really pay strict attention to the men's and women's distinction.

Anyway, my first thought was that your post reminded me that I've seen some articles, etc. about the swimmer's body fat mystery...that despite the exertion and calories expended, swimmers have a higher body fat percentage than most other athletes and AFAIK no one's explained it with certainty. But it's not something that I've really dug into, so maybe someone else has some more insight or knowledge.

That being said, maybe swapping in some "land-based" cardio, and increasing your weight work, might get you the results you're looking for.

Some people will NEVER get the bottom two "abs" to show. The abdominal muscle is actually just one long muscle with separation to give the appearance of six smaller ones.

Anyway, back on point. You may need to lower your body fat, or, depending on your genetics, you could get down to 7% body fat and still only have a "4 pack" visible.



Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

Thanks im working on my diet i consume around 150g of protein on a good day.

Protein is just part of the equation. Are your Carbs and Fat in balance? What is your daily calorie deficit? As those above suggested you will need to lose some bodyfat % to make your abs pop. What are you doing for weights? I suggest you do core movements like squats and deadlifts as well as hanging leg lifts to work your core. I have read of bodybuilders that never specifically work abs because they get worked when doing other core movements.

put things in perslective =] i'd envy the fact that you've got a 4 pack, and i just have a chunk of lard, protecting my abs from exposure to the world...

I don't know how it's done, but if you can share how you've gotten your 4pack, please let everyone know.

6 packs aren't made in the gym...
 

They're made in the kitchen.

Take a look at the Abercrombie and Fich model guys - they all have six packs, but muscle-wise, they don't look like they could pick up a wet towel without grunting. So they're obviously not going to the gym. They're getting it by starving themselves.

If you are seeing a blurry four pack, then you are on the right track. You just need to tighten up your diet a bit more - get 500 cals below maintenance and stay there every day for a few weeks. Don't make the classic mistake of binging one day a week and ruining your progress.

Also, if you drink, cut out alcohol - this will bloat you and make abs less visible.

Check out your sodium levels too - high levels of sodium will make you retain more water and blur those lines up.

My final tip should go without saying, but some people may not have heard it before. If you don't drink enough water, then your body will try to store as much water as it can - usually in or around adipose tissue.

So if you're not drinking about a gallon a day, then your body is storing a lot of water weight. Crank up the amount of water you drink, and over a week or two, your body will relax its deathgrip on water resources. It will start using more as well - you may notice yourself sweating more, and you will definitely be going to the bathroom more.

Adding proteins to your diet is effective when you help your body with some workout routines that enhance abdominal muscle. Swimming is a total body exerice. When partnered with specific workout program to target your abdominals, it becomes more effective. Check some workout routines at or you can search the web for more workout routines that can help you.

Sorry to crash the guys locker room ;)

I frequent low carb dieting tips because cutting carbs cuts ab fat to show muscle...

Try this article....
Bodybuilding.com - Cutting Down & Leaning Up!

I have also seen videos on you tube for "cutting" diets that are pretty good.

Good luck!

You can keep doing crunches until you are blue in the face, but if you are not lean enough to show them you are never going to have the six-pack that you are after. My personal suggestion? Go back and measure your bodyfat percentage. Can you see the outline of your abs? What about your other muscles? If not, you need to reevaluate your diet and see where changes are necessary. The one way to lean up and lose fat is to be at a caloric deficit.

Dont worry be HAPPY
 

If you worries are over a 4 pack then smile cause those if us who are challenged with a ONE pack you are way ahead. Unless your a model and being photographed some of them are airbrushed photo shopped. It is unhealthy to dehydrate, but that is one way you can get to see that last 2 pack you desire. just be happy with yourself now and be glad your not like me and a Santa stand in.:rolleyes:

Do some more core work, sit ups etc, takes time but you'll get there

Abs like in movies are not possible to sustain. They have those kind of ABs because they loose phenomenal amount of body weight by a process called "cutting". They do it one week before photo shoot and then go back to normal weight. Either that have body fat percentage below 10%.

I hope you managed to get an 8-pack by now!! Any tips how did you get to even the four pack?

What do you mean by "quite a while"? It is also important to really be tracking your calories--not just a general idea of how much you're eating.