Hi all. Have a couple of questions that I’m hoping some others might be able to help me out with. I need significant work on abs, and am at a loss as to why nothing so far is working. I’ve done all of Ian King’s workouts, and CT’s workout too. I eat a very clean diet too (save for a couple of cheat meals on a cheat day). So, what I am thinking is possibly two reasons. One, age and genetics. I’m 43 years old and maybe I just have to accept that at my age I won’t see a well defined mid section. While I know it is not impossible for people my age to have a well defined mid section, perhaps genetics is what is preventing this from happening.
The other thing might be a high volume of cardio that I do. Not owning a car, I cycle everywhere, so I’m wondering if that degree of cardio is both hampering my abdominal routine AND mass gaining in general.
Any suggestions or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks to all who respond.
Wow, all that and you didn’t mention your bodyfat percentage once.
Nice and blunt Ike…but absolutely correct!
You need a body fat less than 10-12% in order to start seeing your abs (12% is bordering on the high side for most people).
Ooops!! sorry guys, for not providing the most important information of all…my percent body fat. IT is indeed around 12%,which is as you’ve mentioned, borderline for seeing ab results. I guess that is why I am frustrated. I have not been able to get past 12% in what feels like forever. I wonder if it’s because I’m not supplmenting enough. Due to some tight financial constraints right now ( i.e. unemployment), I can’t afford anything beyond creatine and whey powder. So, dont’ know if this would change if I added more supplements. Anyway, any helpful replies would be greatly appreciated Thanks to those who answer.
I think it’s all that pork you’ve been eating 
Are you still on the diet/routine that Herb gave you?
Lorne,
You need to concentrate on your diet before you can even worry about what supplements you need to buy!!! To quote Shugart…“its your diet stupid!” I’ve seen you on the forum for awhile, so I am assuming that you know what article to read. Do you need a list, cause I am sure we can suggest a plethora of stuff to read. Dial in that diet and get the straight before you worry about supplementation. Also, I would recommend adding some HIIT sessions during the week. Check out CT’s “Running Man” article from a few weeks ago. Take care…Tony G
Lorne, as someone who’s about your age and who has approximately the same BF % right at the moment, I can say that -assuming you have any muscle at all under there - 12% should be enough to see some abs.
If you’re not seeing them, it may be that you have a layer of fascia over them that will obscure them no matter what you do. This is genetic, and there isn’t much you can do about it. (Boyer Coe, one of the great bbers of the 80’s, had such a layer, and you could never see his abs even though he’d get ripped to shreds otherwise.)
Still, this is a pretty rare condition, and I think that it’s more likely that maybe your BF readings are off. What are you using to measure with?