Abs! Grrrr....

[Talia]

I am 22, lead a very healthy lifestyle, and go to the gym about 4 - 5 times a week. I have worked hard to attain the shape I want but it seems that no matter what I do I cannot get a flat stomach!! My upper abs are rock hard but the lower ones remain flabby. My normal routine is 3 sets of 20 once or twice 4 times a week, and I vary my ab workout to include different exercises. I have recently started doing what I think might be called reverse crunches - lying on my back, holding onto a bar and lifting my feet above my head. This does seem to be isolating the area but I haven't seen any worthwhile results.

 

Is there a secret to shaping the lower abs, or am I doomed to carry around that hideous deposit of fat forever??

[Ryan]

go to the gym about 4 - 5 times a week

 

That's excessive.

 

My upper abs are rock hard but the lower ones remain flabby. My normal routine is 3 sets of 20 once or twice 4 times a week, and I vary my ab workout to include different exercises. I have recently started doing what I think might be called reverse crunches - lying on my back, holding onto a bar and lifting my feet above my head. This does seem to be isolating the area but I haven't seen any worthwhile results.

 

Is there a secret to shaping the lower abs, or am I doomed to carry around that hideous deposit of fat forever??

 

Excellent....we can discuss a few more of the common fitness myths.

 

First - spot reduction.There is NO WAY (and I repeat NO WAY) to remove bodyfat from a specific area of your body (aside from surgery). Bodyfat is removed systemically in a genetically predetermined pattern that you have NO means of controlling. The only way to lose bodyfat in a given area is to lose it all over your body and accept what happens.

 

Second - shaping muscle. There is NO WAY (and I repeat NO WAY) to notably change the shape of one's musculature. Muscle tissue grows in a fairly genetically fixed manner. Proper (and I repeat PROPER) training is geared towards improving strength, which will in turn increase size. There is no consideration for adjusting shape, since it is futile.

 

Third - abdominal physiology. I often hear people talking about training their upper abs, lower abs, and sometimes even middle abs. The truth is....there are NO (and I repeat NO) upper, middle, or lower abs. The muscle that forms the "six pack" is called the rectus abdominis. You have 2 of them - one on each side of your body.

 

http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/MedEd/GrossAnatomy/dissector/mml/reca.htm

 

Each one runs from below your chest down to your pelvis. They do not cross at the hip joint. The horizontal "pack" division is due to fibrous bands that cross the abdomen, but these do not divide the muscle in any fashion.

 

Fourth - abdominal training. The musculature in the abdominal area is no different than anywhere else in your body. Yet, most people have been convinced that they should train their abs with high reps/sets and light weight. Abdominal training need not be any different than any other movements: brief, intense, and safe. Many people also perform various leg lifting movements for the "lower abs." The musculature in question does not cross the hip joint, so it cannot be involved in movement of your legs. The hip flexors do this. The rectus abdominis act in the movement of your spine only. A simple set or two of weighted crunches will train them fine.

 

 

I wonder why you are so concerned about this anyway? If you have some degree of abdominal firmness and definition, you do not need to worry about your bodyfat level. The quest for the "six pack," be it men or women, is unnecessary.

[Talia]

You clearly are more enlightened than most in matters of fitness and health, and I have taken your comments on board.

 

You did not, however, really answer my question. I already do "a simple set or two of weighted crunches" and I'm not happy with the results. Can you recommend a more intense regime at all? Surely I do not have to put up with lower stomach pudge when I work so hard to look decent.

 

You ask why I am concerned - I work in an industry in which my looks are vital; the state of my stomach could make or break my career. More than that though, I would feel much better about myself if I didn't have this problem area. I've only ever been able to maintain a flat stomach when I starve myself or worse, and I don't want to fall back into that cycle.

 

So many other women I know also have this problem with the lower part of their abdominals. My question is: how can I overcome it??

[Ryan]

You did not, however, really answer my question.

 

Actually I did....but it may have gotten lost in the degree of a response I provided.

 

I already do "a simple set or two of weighted crunches" and I'm not happy with the results.

 

Your routine is far more than one or two sets of weighted crunches. My point was that no other training is required for that area of the body.

 

Can you recommend a more intense regime at all? Surely I do not have to put up with lower stomach pudge when I work so hard to look decent.

 

Intensity is about the effort you put into the work you do....not how much you do. Regardless, no abdominal routine is going to change the amount of bodyfat you have stored OVER the muscles in question.

 

I work in an industry in which my looks are vital; the state of my stomach could make or break my career.

 

Yikes.

 

I've only ever been able to maintain a flat stomach when I starve myself or worse, and I don't want to fall back into that cycle.

 

No...eating disorder is not the answer.

 

So many other women I know also have this problem with the lower part of their abdominals. My question is: how can I overcome it??

 

First, you have to realize this isn't a PROBLEM. A problem is something that negatively impacts your fitness level. This is an insecurity.

 

Now, the only thing you can do to reduce bodyfat in your lower abdominal area is to reduce bodyfat in your WHOLE BODY. This is why you were able to do it when you were actively anorexic/bulimic...you forced your body to cannibalize bodyfat (and muscle/organ tissue). Reducing one's bodyfat can be done in a much safer way with minimal loss of lean body mass...but I honestly don't know if that is a wise thing for you to start doing.

 

I'm also suspect that you never really kicked the eating disorder problem. You just shifted it to excessive gym time. If you're at the gym more than an hour (and I bet you are) 4-5 times a week....that's manifesting as another way for you to try to control yourself. Society generally doesn't recognize this because people believe that amount of time in the gym is fine....but it's not. It's totally irrational.

 

I'm very hesitant to encourage you (by way of informing) to reduce your bodyfat. I don't think this lifestyle is going to be healthy for you....and none of this addresses the root issues. I'm concerned about your mental health surrounding all of these questions.

[Talia]

I rarely spend less than 2 hours whenever I go to the gym, and I still obsess over everything I eat. I probably have a mild eating disorder problem but doesn't everybody these days? Seriously, who cares. This is not why I posted and I did not expect to be judged for my lifestyle, which is a product of so many different things it is useless to even go there anymore.

 

I have pored over fitness materials and can't seem to find what I'm looking for with regards to shaping my abs. Because of this I will probably end up getting back on the GO to stop myself eating. Can't you just cut out the crap and tell me a healthy and safe way I can get rid of this puppy fat?? (I realise that could probably be a rhetorical question).

[clia]

I probably have a mild eating disorder problem but doesn't everybody these days?

 

I'll answer this for the majority--NO. It is possible to be healthy, wear a size 4 or 6, and not have an eating disorder. Of course, if a size 0 is your goal, I don't have any advice.

 

I'd say if you are already spending 2 hours at the gym 4-5 days a week, this is what your body shape is. That seems like an excessive amount of exercise. Is your gut really that big? Are you sure you haven't fallen into that anorexic/bulimia viewpoint of seeing your body as larger than it really is?

[Talia]

I'm not American. You people seem to have taken a straightforward question and turned it into a complex. If I wanted to feel sorry for myself I'd go see Dr Phil.

 

Any useful, practical advice on SHAPING THE ABS would be much appreciated.

[Ryan]

You people seem to have taken a straightforward question and turned it into a complex.

 

You already admitted it. We're not saying it's your fault....we're just noticing other issues. It's our job to consider the entire well-being of people who ask questions.

 

Any useful, practical advice on SHAPING THE ABS would be much appreciated.

 

There is no way to shape the abs.

None.

They can grow (albeit minimally) via proper training....and be revealed by general loss of bodyfat.

[km82794]

I have found that "Abs of Steel" by "The Firm" (Purchased at Wal-Mart or Blockbuster), works wonders for the "pooch" area and in very little time.

[Ryan]

I have found that "Abs of Steel" by "The Firm" (Purchased at Wal-Mart or Blockbuster), works wonders for the "pooch" area and in very little time.

 

Sounds like marketing hype....I feel like a broken record here.

 

There is no way to spot reduce bodyfat. You cannot target any area of the body and select fat from it. This is a physiological IMPOSSIBILITY.

[yes]

Perhaps what they mean is ... you work on the abdominal muscles, hence they become bigger, hence the pouch looks smaller, even though the fat is still there. Is this plausible?

 

-yes

[Ryan]

Perhaps what they mean is ... you work on the abdominal muscles, hence they become bigger, hence the pouch looks smaller, even though the fat is still there. Is this plausible?

 

Not really. Abdominal musculature is mostly sheet-like. It doesn't have the potential for significant growth like....oh....a LEG might. This is even more applicable to women, who generally have less overall potential for growth due to hormone levels. Even if you did develop noteworthy abdominal size....it makes your abdomen stick out.

 

Definition anywhere in the body is mainly dependent on bodyfat levels. Muscular size is secondary.

[guest...]

ok, perhaps this will clear things up and make it easier....

http://exercise.about.com/library/weekly/aa072401a.htm

read it, i did... and i understood it... read everything!

and then read the top 10 exercises for the abs... i think the best is the bicycle, i can feel my stomach burning when i do it. and yes LEGMAN is right, spot training doesnt burn the fat from your stomach. the only way to do that is a HEALTHY diet full of carbs, vitamins, whatever, salads, you know... and plenty of exercise.. but remember you need carbs with exercise, so dont starve yourself. i've found that losing weight and doing ab exercises plus other cardiovascular things like road biking have helped me develop my stomach muscles more. it didnt make them much bigger, but it defined it more and showed more. good luck with your stomach... and remember, its not physically possible for some people, its all in the genes... (as you will read in the article from the link..)

oh yeah, and legman, my legs like that too! from biking... but uh.... why do you have like a pothole or dip in your upper quads.... just wondering.....

[Ryan]

The name is Ryan...not "LEGMAN."

 

That article is fairly valid....the only flawed part is in promoting "cardio" as essential for losing bodyfat.

 

oh yeah, and legman, my legs like that too! from biking

 

I don't think it is....otherwise you wouldn't be asking me this:

 

why do you have like a pothole or dip in your upper quads.... just wondering.....

 

What you're seeing is separation between the rectus femoris, sartorius, and adductor longus on the 27-inch right leg of a squatter. Complete training leads to complete development.