Alright… What would be the best way to burn fat on my abdominal area. I am already doing 30 min of cardio a day and lifting 3 days a week.(instructions given to me by my collage weight trainer) I am taking xenadine along with tribex, creatine, myoplex, and chromium. I am not really lookign to lose weight, just looking to burn the fat on my abs. I am a little over 6ft and i weigh 194. I seem to be gettin more tone in every area except there. I Dont know what to do. O yea i do ab workouts every day to the point of exhaustion. i can see my top 2 abs faintly now and would like to see the rest of them clearly. I have a little under 2 months before a trip to daytona beach. What do you guys recomed supplement and exerciswise? i am guessing more cardio couldnt hurt?
Uh, Dave, do you read the articles at this site?
not really all that often i havent really known about the site for long. a friend showed me it not to long ago and i figured it couldnt hurt to ask.
No problem then, Dave. Start with the “Diet Manifesto” article. You can find it in the previous issues section.
if i may suggest so, After the diet manifesto look up “A bowlfull of Jelly” (German Body Comp), or atleast cut down on ab work and possibly cut down on cardio
Dave…you lucked out, buddy. Chris is a real nice guy and could’ve really hounded you. Just a forewarning: It’s usually a good idea to search the site before putting up a post about diet and exercise. There are a lot of T-Men out there that will just rip you to shreds, or you might not get any responses. If you read the diet articles, you’ll find some really valuable info, as nutrition is really the KEY in fat loss. It’s important to realize you can’t spot reduce, and most guys have the problem area around their waistline. As far as training, you might want to search the archives for German Body Composition. It’s a program based on short rest intervals. Also, on this website, and in training circles in general these days, you will start to see a shift away from the old cardio for fat loss. As far as ab work, there’s also a couple good articles in the previous issues. Do some research, buddy! Oh yeah, good luck in training and have a helluva time on the beach!
Chris...just a quick question out of curiosity. I know the answer most likely differs from individual to individual, but at what % of BF does one start to lose sight of the precious rectus abdominis musculature? Thanks, Chris. Great Atomic Dog, Big Guy.
This is exactly what I’m talking about, I hate people like this!!!
Good advice, Timbo. As for bodyfat %, it differs. For me, I can get a six pack if I wanted, but I have to get unnaturally (for me) lean to do so, as in my face gets gaunt looking and I don’t feel well. I think a lot of people are like this. Unless you’re born with those very lean ‘veins on the stomach’ genetics, you won’t feel at your best if you force your body into that super ripped state. I usually just sport a four pack. I can still add muscle at this bodyfat level. I’ve been down to around 5 or 6% bodyfat to get a six pack, but the rest of me looked and felt like shit. It’s frustrating, but the good thing is I can add weight at will. In other words, if I want to be 220, I can adjust my diet and hit 220 without any problems and only adding a little fat. Those guys with the year 'round six packs usually have problems adding weight, of any kind. So it’s a give and take situation.If you’re super lean, great, but you’ll have a harder time adding muscle. If you can add weight easily, great, but you’ll have a harder time getting and staying ripped. Also keep in mind that adding muscle is tough to do in a super lean situation, at least naturally. Since that’s my main goal, I don’t sweat not having all six abs showing year 'round.
I use a Tanita bodyfat scale, so I can’t accurately give you numbers- those things always read higher than other methods in my experience. I use the mirror mostly these days.
Chris, thanks for the 4-1-1, my man. You’re one cool T-Bro. I guess I’m one of those guys that tries to stay super lean year round and thinks he can add some major mass. Really, it wasn’t until I started reading T-mag that it’s not really possible or feasible to do this naturally. I have been pretty much hovering around the 5-6% range. I like to sport the six-pack (the definition of the serratus anterior is also pretty damn cool) but I know you’re right about the difficulty of adding significant muscle with such a low bodyfat. I’m tweaking the diet more and more and slowly overcoming the fatphobia. I think it’s just a matter of time before I make some significant gains. Actually, I am planning on my first Androsol cycle in the upcoming weeks. I know that the diet must be in order before I can really expect any significant gains. That’s pretty sweet how you can “add muscle at will.” I think as soon as I stop sweatin’ the six pack and make the gains, that the same will be true here. Thanks again, Chris. BTW, I was considering the Tanita scale for consistency purposes. I know they’re not super-accurate for bodybuilders, but I do think it’s a great idea to measure body comp on a consistent basis, whether in fat loss or mass phases. I know you mentioned those digital bodyfat calipers in an upcoming article. Have you given them a test-drive yet? Later, Chris.
Timbo- Well, I can add “weight” with no problem, but it isn’t all muscle. That’s the tricky part of course. Adding a lot of muscle without laying on too much fat is getting easier through better dieting strategies and supplements, but it’s still tough for most people. I’m getting better at it, mainly with a “bulk, maintain, bulk” type of diet.
I know a lot of thin guys who are never going to add muscle because of their diets. I’d say 90% or more of “hardgainers” are simply people who don’t know how to eat. Getting over the fear of adding a little temporary fat is the first step. Sounds like you’re on the right track, though. What’s funny is that no one notices the little extra fat, except you. A while back I hit 215 pounds. I was losing my four pack so I didn’t feel great about myself, but everyone else was freaking out over the noticeable muscle gains in the chest and shoulder area. I even had a total stranger call me after seeing me at a basketball game and asking around who I was. The person wanted to know how I trained. (I just sent him to T-mag, which he didn’t know about, and told him to read up.) So don’t freak over a little fat gain. Given your metabolism, it’s not like you can’t lose it quickly, correct? See, no worries. I see way too many guys that have trained for years and look the exact same. Their problem? Diet.
John K. is reviewing the new calipers. Should be interesting.
Chris, right on about the “hardgainers.” I refuse to consider myself a hardgainer, despite the trouble I seem to have gaining muscle and so on. I see this primarily as a reflection of diet. Sure, some guys can add muscle relatively easily and some guys have better recovery ability than others. But I think that everybody can add muscle with a one-two punch of dieting and training that best suits them. There’s only one way to find that tailor-made suit, and that’s by constantly tweaking the variables at your disposal. That’s why I think this lifestyle is so awesome (yet so discouraging at times) because of the learning process and the people (like yourself) and resources (like T-mag) available. Of course the resources to be tapped are unlimited and often contradictory, but that’s all part of it. That’s a pretty cool and flattering story about the stranger. I’m sure if I ever met you I’d be asking question after question.
I like your idea of bulk, maintain, bulk. Actually that's kind of what I'm planning. Bulk during my accumulation phase and maintain during my intensification phase. Hopefully all goes as planned. As far as minimizing fat gain thru dieting strategies and supplementation, I agree that things are clearing up somewhat. However, I greatly anticipate Dr. Berardi's upcoming article on massive eating, as a fellow T-magger has mentioned it several times since the seminar (which I was not able to attend). I think meal timing and nutrient makeup is very important, but I am still looking for more guidance in this direction. It is evident to me that different situations call for varying amounts of calories as well as the makeup of meals in terms of protein, carbs and fats. Thanks for the feedback, Chris. You better believe that I'm serious about getting huge. I will keep you posted on my progress.
good work all of you guys for really helping him out on this. We all probably had the same reaction when we first read this question, but I’m glad to see you all set him straight and put him on the right path. It’s nice to see new names here now and then. I think this site generally has a good following and it’s pretty cool that people here just know each other through this one page. The info (not 4-1-1…that’s rep tempo, guys) has been really great and I’m like a sponge soaking it all up. Keep up the good work.