The SIX PACK ABS/bikini-ready bodies CLUB!
 

Is anyone else here fixated on getting really nice, sexy, visible abs?

I think it would be a pretty neat idea to get some chicks wanting abs together. We can post exercise/diet tips, discuss ways to reduce %body fat, give each other support, and brag about (and show off) our victories!

So, if you're interested, introduce yourself and post your goals along with how you're going to get there (if possible). :)

I'll start.

Hi. I'm Aidyn :wave: I hit my goal weight recently (pics and story in sig if you're curious) and am now getting told increasingly that I look slim and slender, but I'm dissatisfied with my body because it's definitely not what I would call bikini ready due to a combination of cellulite and loose skin on my lower stomach. I really want to be rid of the cellulite by this summer, even if the loose skin will stay a little longer (hopefully not forever - since I am 21 years old, I have a chance of it snapping back with time).

I'm trying to kick my diet up a notch by eating at least 40% protein, no more than 30% fat, and 30%ish give or take of carbs. I still eat refined sugars and starches, though I am trying to eat less since I heard they hinder ab progress.

Other things? I'm into music, acting, writing, rock shows, bars (even though I rarely drink anymore :lol:), computers, fitness, and being social. I live in a boring college town with my girlfriend of 2.5 years. I'm always laughing and cracking jokes, despite the fact that I rarely smile in pictures because I think my picture smile is fake and forced. I did some modeling in the past and plan to do it again once my body is bikini ready.

So, uh, anyone else? :D

What about if we have a muffin top or just want to slenderize a soft torso?

Same principles, yes?

I could certainly use a kick-in-the-pants type accountability thread.

Let me think on some goals. I'll get back to ya.

Absolutely, Susan - it all goes along the same lines... losing ab flab, building muscle, looking better in your clothes... Post here any time! :D

I'm game. And, since you said we could show off, I even have a picture, thanks to Meg's thread "from muffin tops to six-packs." (See here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126818).

Here's one I took this morning. Sorry about the goofy angle -- it's hard to take pictures of your own abs, at least if your camera doesn't have a timer and it's too dark to take a picture in the mirror sans flash.

I'm getting there!

Holy cow, Kim! You're not "getting there" ... you ARE there!!! Wow!! :eek:

Ooops, sorry. Judging by the pictures, I've come to the wrong place :shrug:

Is there a beginners section here somewhere?:lol:

I know ... time, effort and the dreaded perserverance.


On a more optimistic note ... I had a protein shake for brkfst. First one I've had in ages.

Oh yes, I'm supposed to have a plan.
Today ... 126 lbs. 28" waist. 25.2% body fat

I'm going to muddle through a couple of days seeing how much protein I'm getting fairly easily and work from there. Under my chiropractors tutelage, I'm not lifting until at least Monday. But I can sweat without kinking my neck.

I plan to see progress within the first two weeks.

Susan: Of course you're not in the wrong place. You're such a positive influence wherever you post, any new forum is lucky to have you!

As for the protein question, I don't worry about hitting 1 g/lb of bodyweight. In order to do this and still stay within my target calories, I'd have to limit my fruit intake, and I lurvvv fruit, especially apples. (That's why I like fall. Leaves, schmeaves: it's all about the apples!)

I do try to eat protein with every meal, and "on plan" for me is 100g of protein per day, give or take. To get there I usually have a protein shake, but only because this is an easy and convenient way (whey? ha ha ha) to get a goodly amount of protein without adding many non-protein calories. It's not a majik bullit, by any means.

Kim

OHMYGAWSH, KIM!!! :eek: you are SOOOO there. Girrrrl, you have an EIGHT pack!! I didn't know it was POSSIBLE for women to get abs like that without being some kind of professional bodybuilder... you look AMAZING!

Susan, I'm a beginner at this whole 6 pack abs thing, too!

I bought whey protein today in hopes that it will help me get better abs. And yes, Susan, I heard they take time, too ;)

Here are a couple pictures of my... errrr... work in progress. I can't say I didn't warn you about the cellulite and loose skin :lol: Click the pics to enlarge, if you dare.

Attachment 27582 Attachment 27583

Ok... goals.

Right now, I'm 135 lbs (content with this weight for now), have a 28" waist, and something like a two pack.

I want a 4-6 pack. I'm not looking to get SUPER ripped; I just want nice abdominal definition with no visible or pinch-able fat. I want to keep my soft, feminine curves (T&A:D) and have no intentions on getting a female bodybuilder-veins-popping-out-you-can-see-every-single-muscle type body - just a lean, fit, and reasonably firm one. Those of you who DO have the aforementioned body are highly commended by me... it takes SO much dedication, determination, hard training and clean eating to get a body like that, so congrats, girls!! I don't think it's "disgusting" and I do not have any bias against the super-hardcore-UBERmuscular-bodybuilder-type body -- I just don't want one for myself.

Does anyone know who Jackie Warner from Work Out is? She's my inspiration, as she is prety much exactly what I want my body to look like. One exception, though: my boobs are and will be much bigger :lol: :
http://www.bravotv.com/_content/work...ut_cast_01.jpg

Ya, this is what I've been working towards myself. Well, I should say aspiring too. I know that amazing abs are mostly in the diet and low body fat and I KNOW what I should and shouldn't be eating to get them...I just can't seem to consistently eat clean. Maybe if I work together with you guys it will make me more accountable.

I don't know that a 4 or 6 pack is necessarily my goal..I don't like math and don't want to count my packs...ROFL...I do know I want it FIRM, not giggly and I want my entire midsection leaner and smaller overall. I'd like to have a 23" or 24" waist that is solid. If I get a 4-6 pack out of the deal great, if not, no biggy, maybe at that point I'd decide to take it further.

Shane, Oxygen has a really super good special edition dedicated entirely to the abs. It's super informative and I highly recommend it. Now, if I could just make myself actually DO the stuff it says too, I'd be doing well.

And Kim may I say...HOLY RIPPED ABS BATMAN!!! WHOA!!! You rock!!!!

I'll attach a goal pic and a current pic. Ugh, can't believe how embarrassing the current is. Yuck...talk about flab. Definitely makes me not want to eat anything bad today, that's for sure!!

I'm currently 114lbs (yes, I've gained since I updated my ticker and profile :o) and have a 27.5" waist. Not sure what my body fat is, anyone know a good online calculator that's fairly accurate?

Goinforthegold, I am the same way... I KNOW I need to eat VERY clean to have nice abs, and I just slip up so often! I exercise a lot, but my diet still needs improvement.

Your stomach is NOT yucky! I see the definition forming and I can tell that it is pretty firm. You're definitely on your way. And don't be embarrassed about posting it, ****, I posted mine and mine isn't looking as fab as, say, Kim or Jackie Warner yet either! ;)

I really like the goal abs picture you posted, because she still has breasts (:lol: I hope they are natural!) and a well-defined waist; two things I have and hope to keep once I get my nice abs - ever noticed how a lot of fitness professionals practically lose their breasts while reducing their % body fat until they get implants? I know it makes sense, as breasts are FAT, too, but I'm going to try my best to make sure that does NOT happen!

I want a 24" waist, too, but I don't know if that is possible on my body structure (I'm sort of big boned, like for real). I'll settle for a 25" or 26" as long as I have nice abs, of course. ;)

Oh honeys, I dunno about a picture. This is a 3-csection-47-year-old torso!
I'll think about that tomorrow when I'm home alone with the camera.

I'm trying out dailyplate.com so I'm stumbling and fiddling with percentages. I think I'm eating too much although yesterday I did do a good job of protein. And I seem to have an overall calorie deficit.
The protein shake really made a difference to my hunger throughout the day thing.
I'm toying with the idea of sandwiches which can be BFL-ish if I'm careful ... and they're portable.

Ya Shane, I doubt they're real...they look a little too perfect and perky...though it's hard to see since there's not much showing in the pic.

I'm not sure if my waist size goal is realistic either b/c although I'm so little, I have NO curves or defined waist at all...I'm shaped more like a boy than anything. So, we'll see. First I have to stop eating so much crap and start eating clean...ALL THE TIME.

So should we post progress pics ...maybe every two weeks?? That might keep me motivated.

And Susan, if I got the nerve to post my 33 yr old stretch mark covered post-baby belly, (and directly beside my goal photo mind you just for a little extra humiliation :lol3:) you can too.

I may as well come clean with a little confession too...I was sucking in the stupid thing in the picture. :o:o Do I get disqualified now? :lol3::lol3::lol3:

Yah, progress pics every 2 weeks sounds like a GREAT idea! :D

Susan, you don't have to post a pic if you don't want to... but I promise no one will be mean if you do ;)

goinforthegold - nah, you're not disqualified :lol: In one of the pics I took, I might have been able to get a slight bit of a slimming effect because I was holding the camera away from my stomach (to take a picture), so my body was naturally stretched a little. AND even if you ARE sucking in, you STILL have a little bit of definition, which I sure as **** didn't have a few months ago even if I DID suck in.

As for the breasts, I agree... but some people really do have large, perky, real boobs.

If you weren't looking for progress pics, I'd join you ;) I'm pretty sure the flash would cause any pictures of my bare skin to show as glowing white.

I was so excited the other day when I saw my honest-to-god waist in the mirror so I am a beginner, too. I've at least graduated from a keg to being within reach of a six-pack.

I do not "do" sunlight so a bikini goal is out, but I want to have a nice, tight stomach for some serioulsy sexy lingerie. I have a honeymoon coming up soon!

What exercises are you guys doing?!?

Lafayette, you don't NEED progress pics; it's all optional. Join join join! :D

Congrats on finding a waist. The biggest and most difficult steps to finding your abs is just removing the layer of fat. Now that you have accomplished that, yup, abs are within your reach! :) When is your honeymoon?

April 2008- one week in Paris and one week in Dublin, so no risk of bare skin in public. I'm sure the French restaurants and Irish pubs will jack up my previous good deeds! We decided there is a certain logic to visiting the place where PDA is perfectly acceptable and the place where staying consistently drunk for days is acceptable. Yes, as a matter of fact, my fiance and I are well matched ;)

I just ate a whole bag of Birdeye Steam in the Bag brussels sprouts so I'm delaying my gym time while that settles. I can't believe I just used veggies as an excuse...

Your before and after pics look great! What ever happened to your radio show?

Thinking about pictures, I did a bit of posing in the bathroom this morning. If I stretch and suck it in ... I am hollow under my ribs. I wonder if this means I have very little muscle mass in my abdomen.
I do realise that setting your abs is different from sucking them in but ... any ideas?
I wonder if the chiropractor can help me with that notion. I'll let you know if he has any words of wisdom.

I'm going to send you off to have a peek at the anatomy of your abdomen, here :
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/abs.htm

And then I'll try to explain what the chiropractor explained to me. Since I'm not sure that a chiropractor is the same thing world-wide, I'll make a sidenote here that Dr Tom has a subspecialty in sports kinesiology. He's semiretired ... the reason we are sooo blessed to have him in our small town.

We struggled a little wrt his understanding what I meant. He came to the conclusion that I wanted to know if my abs were ... normal, healthy, there at all ;) and/or workable.

He had me lay on my back with my left leg raised with my right hand on that knee ... like a bent leg raise sorta. Tuck your chin but it doesn't need to be right on your chest.

With my left hand, he helped me search for integrity at the origin and insertion of the rectus abdominus (common spots for weak spots and hernias). No lumps, no bumps, no deep, weak hollows.
We checked for symmetry. Asymmetry can indicate weak spots too.

His tip for before and after pictures was to set, not suck in.

He likes leg lifts.
Either start with your feet on a stool no lower than 18 inches -or- start from the top and lower your legs.
Plant your lumbar spine! If it lifts even a smidge ... ease off!
Set your abs before you use them.
Tuck your chin.
Gracefully, slowly and hold.
Quivering is fine. When it starts, ease off slightly and try again.

Bent knees are fine. A fairly shallow arc from your highest to your lowest is fine too. From flat on the floor to straight up is very advance and dangerous for old backs like mine.
If I could achieve a nice comfortable lift, he said I could do some oblique curls ... if ... I could maintain the chin tuck and lumbar spine plant.

And ... lest we forget ... I have to get rid of some fat that's covering those abs.

For what it's worth ... there's my babble of the day.

I would try that right now Susan, but I'm at work... busy day obviously. ;)

My physical therapist friend (I recently had major abdominal surgery and have gotten all sorts of advice, both solicited and unsolicited) also pushes for lower back strengthening to counter-balance the abdominal area. He told me that the big push for great abs has caused an increase in lower back problems.

I have visions of an embarrassed employee being summoned to her bosses office after a report that she was lying on the floor of her office. She tried to explain "Well you see there are these three fat chicks. Oh and I'm sorry about the skirt ... er ... I have some ... um ... loser friends who ... or ... it's really important to have integrity and symmetry in your abdominus rectus ... oh never mind. It won't happen again."

Ok, dumb question alert! How do you "set" your abs?

I'm not really doing a lot of ab exercises yet b/c I still have a lot of fat on my stomach that needs to go before I'd even see the muscles anyway. I'm still working really hard on cardio to rid myself of the fat, working on overall body conditioning, including lots of core work and finally...which has actually been the hardest, I'm EATING CLEAN!

I'll have to work on that pose you described Susan, maybe I really have a 6 pack I'm just not standing right when I look at them. ROFL

I think it's just a matter of holding your stomach muscles taut, not sucking them in, with your back straight, your shoulders squared and your head up. I'm am a champion sloucher and I look 10 pounds thinner if I just use good posture.

My boss would be laughing, too. I'm not sure how the rest of the office woudl view it, though! Then again, I've probably done worse...

I think I learned the set thing from one of those SpecialK pilates DVD's. It's hard to explain. If you lay on your back with your knees up and lower back pressed into the floor ... you should be able to feel that your abs are taut. It's waaay harder when you're standing up. Try placing your hand on your belly and pressing your abs against it ... pushing out, sort of gently.

I have a friend who is a physiotherapist too. His bugaboo about lifting is folks who bulk up all the front stuff you can see and ignore the backs. A recipe for injury! Just like Lafayette's friend has found.

Lafayette - sounds like you will have an awesome time on your honeymoon! :D French restaurants actually serve much smaller portions than American ones do, though the Irish pubs will definitely do you in ;) but pssssht, it's a HONEYMOON... forget dieting for a few seconds! :lol:

As for my radio show, my friend flaked out on me. :mad: I was pretty upset, but that's another story. OH, and thank you for the compliment on my before/after pics :D

You are also right about posture! Great posture can subtract ten pounds for sure!

SusanB, that is interesting about your chiropractor. Leg lifts *are* a good idea, by the way. All the abs-i-fied fitness people I know highly recommend them.

However, I've come to the conclusion that a clean diet high in protein may be the most important thing when it comes to abs development... well... for the ones who aren't so lucky ;) I see these college guys with 6 packs and they eat CRAP like pizza and beer... all they do is go to the gym... but once they get older, that 6 pack will turn into a keg if they don't change their eating habits! Ha... BUT... most WOMEN I know with abs DO actually work very hard for them.

Morning!
Abs are made in the kitchen, yup, I've heard that before.
I've done some reading around the internet ... personal pages of fitness models et al ... quite a few of them say they never specifically do abs. But I have never been in good shape so I think my core can use the help. Besides that ... abs are a big muscle group that uses lots of calories.
I need them to use the popcorn I ate last night ;)

I did ab exercises last night (which included loading and unloading the dishwasher!) and checked the mirror this morning. I know, it's too early to tell! As long as brandy cream sauce is protein, I should fare well in Paris ;)

CRUNCH!

I had two days in a row of EATING CLEAN!! YAY ME!! My only problem now is I'm not eating enough. ARGH.

I'm still not really sure that I understand the difference between holding them taut and sucking them in b/c what I do when "sucking in" is hold them taut...but they automatically go in when I do that, so wouldn't it be sucking in? I mean I'm not really "sucking" them I guess, it's more tightening the muscles...or maybe a little of both. I don't know, I'll have to practice the description you gave Susan. I'll practice it until I don't have to anymore. *grin*

Ok ... is anybody looking? Are you sitting in a chair?

Sit up tall and act like you need to ... um ... pass wind? push wind? There ... your abs are set.

We should go hunting to see how fitness models pose their abs.

I ate clean yesterday and will do so again today! I also got 3 hours of biking in (I had a lot of things to do and errands to run ,and I did them all on my bike:D)

I'm trying to make some serious efforts to get as much protein in my diet as possible, so I bought designer whey... which tastes like butt mixed in anything, so I'm now just eating it plain! :lol:

Here are some possibly useful articles:
http://www.mamashealth.com/book/abs.asp

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercis...s/six-pack-abs <---pretty informative :)

http://www.sixpacknow.com/cutabs.html <---this was written by a man :lol: (and I usually like ones that are focused on women) but it does have somewhat decent (even if very simple) tips.



goinforthegold - when you "eat clean" you really can feel like you ate a lot more even if you are not meeting your daily caloric requirements. Yesterday, I didn't eat enough calories either (1,126 - I was close to the mandatory 1,200, but didn't quite make it) and today, I've been eating every 2-3 hours, so I feel like I''m constantly eating, BUT I'll only be having 1,400ish by the end. At this rate, I might even get back into losing mode. I'm not trying to lose intentionally anymore, but if a little more comes off, GREAT! :) That's an AWESOME benefit of eating clean, though... getting to eat A LOT more for the same amount of calories. Enjoy it and eat eat eat! :D

Got a posing tip from Mel here http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...=126226&page=6

I'm going to go check out those links now. Thanks Aidyn!

HA, well, when I get a chance, I am now going to have to "set" my abs and take new, more flattering pictures :lol: I did make a point not to slouch (if you stand up straight and tall, you look thinner, I think) so perhaps I was already halfway "set"? ;)

As for this: "But I dunno ... my abs are considerably older than them gals." <----do you have a lot of loose skin? I know loose skin does not snap back as readily as you get older, so that's why I ask. Look at kaw for inspiration - she's closer to your age and has nicer abs than ANY of us :)

I think it's fat. To be perfectly honest, I've never been thin enough to know for sure. It might be time for the rubber to meet the road. Instead of moaning about having some smush left around the middle, I should just whittle it down and see what's really there.
Oi! that sounds like work.

That explains it well, thanks Susan. :D Though, it kinda feels like I'm pushing them out a little when I do that. Am I a weirdo? :o

OMG, I lol'd at that...tastes like butt...*rofl* ewwwwww.... I've been taking a whey supplement too, I just ran out today actually, gotta get more tomorrow. Can't remember what the brand was but it most definitely did NOT taste like butt. I got the vanilla milkshake flavour instead, it wasn't great but not too bad. I'll be sure to avoid the butt flavoured ones when I get more. :lol: I'm also going to get a casein supplement or a blend maybe to take just before bedtime.

Great job on the eating and biking! I was biking last week but the gears on my bike are busted now somehow and my dh is er...kinda useless so they haven't gotten fixed yet. :mad:

Thanks for the links. And yes, my calories have been WAY, WAY down too the past two or three days which worries me b/c I don't want to be cannabalizing my lean tissue, what little of it I have. I don't even think I hit 1000 today. I'm just struggling with increasing it without binging. Hopefully it will get easier for me. The problem is the more I eat, the more I want to eat. So the thought of eating mroe scares the daylights out of me. Plus, like you said, it feels like I'm eating a lot already.

I'm wondering the same thing, how much of my rolls is loose skin and how much is fat. I'm hoping it's all fat so that it will eventually go away...but I'm like you, just whittle it away and see what happens. It's kind of exciting not knowing what I'm going to unveil as I lose more. :D

I made my Thanksgiving weight goal this morning! 145! I'm very small boned so I'm still looking pretty lumpy but not anywhere near as bad as when I started. The mirror check has not yet yielded results. Crunch! Maybe 140 will help? I, too, can't wait to see what lies beneath ;)

Shane- my friends and I took a vegetarian cooking class last winter. My friend James kindly thanked the teacher for "some great chicken recipes." I converted to soy milk but I was too grossed out at the water conservation/bleach is bad for the environment (I thought that was the point) approach to cleaning the kitchen at the nature center where the class was held. For the record, I am not eating BUTT, no matter how badly I want to see my abs. A meal of tofu cooked in a nasty kitchen was my limit.

I think I'm getting a handle on my food gals. If I have a cup of cottage cheese, a can of fish, a protein shake every day and a nice lean meat at supper ... fruit, salad and watch my extra's ... I think I'm good.

I'm adding in more cardio.

Let's see what lies beneath!

Day 3 of clean eating for me... I can only focus on this thing one day at a time, really. But thoughts like, "I can't WAIT to look good in almost ANYTHING!," "I can't WAIT for that photo shoot!," "I can't WAIT to show off my HOT BOD at the beach," and "I can't WAIT to FINALLY be REALLY fit and as healthy as possible!" really keep me going.

Rock on Susan, good job - that sounds very clean and high in protein! :) Cardio is great for getting better abs, since diminishing that layer of fat is the first step towards great abs anyway.

:lol: Lafayette @ "For the record, I am not eating BUTT, no matter how badly I want to see my abs." I'll do whatever I can do... this BUTT stuff has a lot of protein in it! ;) I just close my eyes and eat the butt powder! 145? Awesome. How tall are you?
I've always thought small boned people were lucky, in the fact that they have the potential of truly looking slender. I'm medium-large myself, so I'll never have that opportunity. However, I guess it's a two-sided coin, since small boned people have to weigh less to achieve that slender look and properly fill out their bone structure. Nobody wins, eh?

BTW, as someone who is currently at your goal weight (and I remember what I looked like at 145), you will actually see a potentially surprising difference. Check this out:

http://www.custom-international.com/weightloss/14.jpg http://www.custom-international.com/weightloss/13.jpg

I'm not sure if you can tell, but my waist is better defined at 135. It's not the most obvious thing in the world, as by the time I hit 145, most of my non-abdominal fat was gone.

goinforthegold - if that icon pic is you, then you have PLENTY of lean tissue :) if it's not... uhhhh.... well... I feel stupid :o You need to start remembering the brand and let me know, because I'd love a whey supplement that isn't butt flavored. ;)

I think you look better in the second pic Shane, more curves. I'm jealous. lol Though, it could just be the clothes, the shirt in the second pic is more form fitting. Course, you look awesome in both of them! I never would have guessed there was 10lbs in the difference between the two pics.

Yes, the avatar picture is me...but my back is my best side. I know, I'm a freak of nature. LOL It's just that you can't see my flabby belly from the back and for some reason from behind I actually have curves defining my waist, from the front I don't. I honestly don't understand how that's possible but again, I'm definitely a freak. *sigh* Oh, and plus the picture was taken by a professional with some very creative lighting and that works WONDERS. *rofl*