I have this very thin fat layer that blocks my lower abs from showing which has been pissing me off. All the years i’ve been training that one area seems to makes no improvements so instead of a six pack I have a five pack.
My body fat range varies from 7.2% to 8.5% from time to time. To the average person I would have a great stomach but to somebody sculpting there body its crap. It’s just a thin fat sheet that won’t disappear. Nobody in real life has been of any help with this so I seek guidance from the T-Nation.
Sorry this isn’t going to help but i just wanted to say i have a similar problem. That is also where the last of my fat seems to stay and the first place where it accumulates
Boo-hooh, I’ve only got a 5 pack (?). There are plenty who would let Satan bugger their bung holes daily to have that 5 pack, ya’ wankers!(jk)…If it irks you so much, just pay the flippin 5 large and get the laser liposuction!..If it’s just a small amount, why hesitate?..
Different people get different levels of definition. It’s a matter of genetics. If those %'s are accurate, you aren’t going to get and hold bodyfat levels much lower than that. Sometimes you have to live with the cards your dealt.
What was your highest weight and estimated BF% at that time? I’m a FFB and I was ~8% BF last spring, but I still had a layer of fat over my lower abs and love handles. I’m not sure it’ll go away without surgery, but then again I haven’t been down to crazy low BF percentages either.
The only condition I can think of that would NOT go away is if you loss a LOT of weight very fast and have excess skin. If you happen to be one of these people who does have excess skin you have to go to a doctor to get it removed.
[quote]Fitnessdiva wrote:
Different people get different levels of definition. It’s a matter of genetics. If those %'s are accurate, you aren’t going to get and hold bodyfat levels much lower than that. Sometimes you have to live with the cards your dealt.[/quote]
In my opinion the young lady here has it right. Maybe, but trying to maintain much lower isn’t going to be fun.
[quote]Fitnessdiva wrote:
Different people get different levels of definition. It’s a matter of genetics. If those %'s are accurate, you aren’t going to get and hold bodyfat levels much lower than that. Sometimes you have to live with the cards your dealt.[/quote]
Excess skin? What is this? He’s not losing 50 pounds or anything.
If you can’t see all of your abs, your bodyfat is too high. I think your bodyfat is probably higher than you think it is. Just because you have shoulder striations and pec striations doesn’t mean you’re lean enough to have a 6 pack.
Some people have 6 packs, some people have 8 packs, and some have 6 packs that are off center where 1 column of their ab packs (for lack of a better term) is higher than the other column.
Maintaining a 6 pack and the body fat % that goes along with that is probably the best zone to gain mass in…or at least the healthiest.
There are no lower abs. This region is just the first place for fat to store. There’s no exercise that can tone up that area and melt the fat away in that particular space. You just need to lose a small amount of weight. The best way to lose weight is to lift weights. Squat variations, Chins, and Rowing Variations are the best lifts for fat loss since they use lots of muscle mass and they can be done more frequently than Deadlifts.
Do a shitload of hanging leg raises, and Flat Bench Leg Raises, and also Abdominal Hyperextensions (on a back hyperextension machine) and that should help a little bit.
The bodyfat % is the varition between my yearly pysicals that I have my doctor do for me.
Basiclly is babyfat in that one area that proably isn’t even 1/2lb. I can see all me abs very clearly and even the sides of my abs it’s just that little slit in the middle of the lower abs by my belly button has this baby fat that just won’t leave.
Little background about me to make things less confusing. I’ve been underweight all my life because i’m one of those unlucky people that has to consume 5 times that amount of food as a normal human being it seems. That being said I gained 35lbs and finally became average weight. 5’10 and 160lbs yea yea I know people are like bulk up your to thin. No i’m not one of those people that wants to be built like spiderman. I will say Bruce Lee has best body to me and gymnast. If there was anybody I would want to model myself after it would be Bruce Lee.
Now I gain weight very slowly as I found with gaining weight fast decreases my speed which hurts me in sports. However when I gain weight slowly it seems I develop my muscles better and I actually increase my speed slightly. Bacilly I care more about power, speed, endurance, agility, and thoughness. Looks are second just this one thing has always urked me because everywhere else I see imporvements constantly be it preformance or looks except never there.
[quote]A-Dizz wrote:
Blacken wrote:
Looks are second
but you’re making a thread bitching about the fat on your lower abs?
-dizzle[/quote]
Yea second I didn’t say it doesn’t manner at all. Whose bitching i’m looking for help on a way to better myself. Some people have given solid advice. Now if I was bitching I would say it’s so hard I can’t take it slit my wrist go into a corner and listen to some emo music. I desire nothing more then toppling new hurdles it gets my rocks off to put it simple.
After all we always strive to become better at something we love and once we get to that goal we make up a new goal and the cycle never ends. To me thats what makes life fun. This is just something I haven’t been able to figure out and I need to go about it with a new strategy obviously rather then the typical routine. Figure this is the best place to look for new ideas.
I used to have the same problem. What I did was rub pantene pro-v on my lower abdominals every time I got in the shower. I let it on there for about 10 minutes and then washed it off. After about 3 weeks of doing this on a daily basis, that little problem area went away.
The reason this works is that when you are at such low bodyfat levels, those couple of ounces of fat are guarded by damaged folicles from your happy trail. By repairing these follicles, your epidermis thins out and allows the fat to reach the blood stream when your body is in a catabolic state.
Perhaps you’re holding water. I have the same issue but my lower abs and love handles look much tighter after a night of drinking scotch. The dehydrated look obviously goes away later in the day after a few carb heavy meals and plenty of fluids.
I’ve never gone past 6 days without a cheat meal or cheat day. I think if I dialed in my nutrition and do something like the Get Shredded Diet, I could drop some of the fat around the lower abdomen.
