A Little Help?

[FoxHound]

Hey guys, first post here. Now I want abs, but who doesn't? Here's my problem: the only way I know to get them is to have a low body fat ratio but I don't think I can lose any more body fat without looking downright...odd. I have a REALLY broad chest/rib cage so if I lose anything more my stomach will literally look caved in. Anything I can do to get the look I want without having to lose more fat =\?

[pinkie]

Could you give a little more info about yourself?

Weight, height, BFI?

What's your WO routine?

M? F?

[stevie667]

I have the same issue with a large bone structure. It's a pain in the ass at times when you want to lower b/f percentages.
The only way to look good is to get more muscle im afraid, so get in the gym and the fridge.

[FoxHound]

Male, 5ft. 5inch., about 120-125 but I still have too much body fat (no clue the percentage, but it's there). I figure that I gotta really eat more and gain weight to turn into muscle but I'm not so sure. Thing is that I used to be around 180, but I've lost a ton of weight in the past year or year and a half. But since I used to be overweight there is still some "layers of fat" on me that I can't seem to rid myself of. An after effect? No idea.

And my work out session:

- Every other day
- Lift weights (20 pounds) in each arm, 40 times
- Do curls with the same weights, 40 times
- Duck Walks (don't know the distance but I do it back and forth four times)
- 40 sit ups

And I do that four times a day, so multiply it all by four. Frankly I don't know how affective it is because I just started a week or two ago and it's obviously not likely to show results overnight (though I'm seeing results in my arms already). I've never really worked out before this so I have no clue at all here. Any help would be appreciated =\.

[rockzilla]

Just keep plugging away in the gym. You're not going to be able to grate cheese on your abs after just one week.
At least half of your progress will be made in the kitchen with your diet. Make sure you get a lot of protein, about 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, try to keep your fat intake around 20% of your total calories per day.
Try doing crunches on an excercise ball (or a Swiss ball, as they're sometimes called). It's harder to keep your balance on it, which brings a lot of your smaller stabilizer muscles into the motion. You can also do your crunches while holding a weight plate to your chest or behind your head to add to the resistance. Just keep working away and you'll have a six-pack before you know it.

[frogza]

Originally Posted by rockzilla

Just keep plugging away in the gym. You're not going to be able to grate cheese on your abs after just one week.
At least half of your progress will be made in the kitchen with your diet. Make sure you get a lot of protein, about 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, try to keep your fat intake around 20% of your total calories per day.
Try doing crunches on an excercise ball (or a Swiss ball, as they're sometimes called). It's harder to keep your balance on it, which brings a lot of your smaller stabilizer muscles into the motion. You can also do your crunches while holding a weight plate to your chest or behind your head to add to the resistance. Just keep working away and you'll have a six-pack before you know it.

Echo that. Your abs are like any other muscle, when you work them they will get bigger. As you build them and burn any fat covering them up, eventually they will stand out enough to be seen.

[FoxHound]

I guess you guys are right, all I need is patience. I'm just a little worried that I've come this far (the weight loss) but won't be able to overcome the last few problems I have (i.e. a few fatty spots here and there ).

[Titan_Uranus]

abs are muscle too and can grow just like any other.PUMP THEM UP!!!!