Making Progress but Abs are Lacking (W/Photos)


Hey guys, first post on here but been lurking on and off for a little while. Great site.

I started properly training at the beginning of January this year. Had been doing it on and off for a while, but January was when I started going hardcore. Since then I’ve missed a bit of time through injury, university exams, holiday etc, but I’m back on it harcore atm.

I’m doing a 3day split Chest/Back Legs Biceps/Shoulders Triceps.

I’m doing Abs every other day. One exercise upper, one oblique, one lower. 3 sets of each, one strength exercise (10 reps), one exercise of 15 reps, and ane stamina building exercise of 20 reps.

I’ve been doing an hour cardio 5 days a week and bf percentage is down to around 13%. I’m still not seeing my abs though, and I’m not sure whether I need to lose more fat, or whether I’m just not training them hard enough??

I included some pictures.

As you can see I’ve progressed since January. Chest and shoulders etc are coming along well, it’s just the abs.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Jamie

June '08

first of all i deagree with your split …you want abs split your days up individually

heavy squats are great for increasing abs
heavy dead lifts too

split your days up individually and if you dont wana do that do a chest n tri ,back n bi ,leg ,arm ,shoulder trap in whatever order you want to(id do legs monday)

also limit the cardio now that you leaned out a little… stop following muscle n fitness and flex magazine ab routines…

do lots of weighted compound lifts and weighted abs 3-4 times a week and trust me youll see them

What are your goals?

Honestly - you don’t have enough size to be worrying about 5 hours of cardio a week.

Are you just going for a nice six pack? If so - there is no need to try and train hardcore.

If you put on more muscle, you will have somewhere to go when you want to cut down.

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny.

[quote]toohungry wrote:
first of all i deagree with your split …you want abs split your days up individually

heavy squats are great for increasing abs
heavy dead lifts too

split your days up individually and if you dont wana do that do a chest n tri ,back n bi ,leg ,arm ,shoulder trap in whatever order you want to(id do legs monday)

also limit the cardio now that you leaned out a little… stop following muscle n fitness and flex magazine ab routines…

do lots of weighted compound lifts and weighted abs 3-4 times a week and trust me youll see them[/quote]

I definitly agree with you, I started a abs routine 3 months ago, my abs were growing but my belly was taking a rounded shape (it looks like the tim allen abdominal area). I stoped. Later I shift to the big lifts (20rep squat, deadlift) and now, i have more visible abs, BUT, my belly looks flat, very flat, with just the obliques marks, etc. also, I am loosing my remaining fat around my belly button at an slow but steady pace, just for shifting to that two excercises as my core excercises. Nice routing for a great set of abs.

Here’s a slightly better pic.

[quote]rainjack wrote:
What are your goals?

Honestly - you don’t have enough size to be worrying about 5 hours of cardio a week.

Are you just going for a nice six pack? If so - there is no need to try and train hardcore.

If you put on more muscle, you will have somewhere to go when you want to cut down.

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny. [/quote]

I don’t agree, I think that he has the most important thing to start: the will.

Now, it depend on what you want, abs need a frame to insert into. if your whole body is not conditioned enough, they will not look good. Start by lifting at your pace, just to learn the excercises, start doing the big lifts when you feel you can handle and always left your ego out when you choose the weight. the fat will start to melt, you have enough not to worry about trimming, just let it melt, 6 months or so, this summer, not possible. You are young, if you work hard, maybe next year you will look awesome comparing to now. and that, will be a change.

This site is obviously not even appearing to be about bodybuilding at all anymore to these guys.

“The will” to remain really skinny and diet even further so the only thing that stands out on you is your ab muscles?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
This site is obviously not even appearing to be about bodybuilding at all anymore to these guys.

“The will” to remain really skinny and diet even further so the only thing that stands out on you is your ab muscles?[/quote]

So all the girls will love your hot beach body.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen my abs, but I don’t really care as long as my overall body is growing.

[quote]juanjromero wrote:
I don’t agree, I think that he has the most important thing to start: the will.

Now, it depend on what you want, abs need a frame to insert into. if your whole body is not conditioned enough, they will not look good. Start by lifting at your pace, just to learn the excercises, start doing the big lifts when you feel you can handle and always left your ego out when you choose the weight. the fat will start to melt, you have enough not to worry about trimming, just let it melt, 6 months or so, this summer, not possible. You are young, if you work hard, maybe next year you will look awesome comparing to now. and that, will be a change.[/quote]

Who is questioning the kid’s will?

You have no idea what his goals are - so how can you tell him what the best thing to do is?

If his goal is to have a six pack - there is no need for him to be training “hardcore”. I think I said that already.

If his goal is to be big - there is no need for him to worry about abs until he is big.

He is too skinny to be taking your advice, and burning more fat.

This is the bodybuilding forum. It is not the heroine chic forum.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
This site is obviously not even appearing to be about bodybuilding at all anymore to these guys.

“The will” to remain really skinny and diet even further so the only thing that stands out on you is your ab muscles?[/quote]

Man I was reaallly skinny, if you see my before pics, you would be really dissapointed of this place. anyway, give to the boy some advice to become like you, and by improving him, improve the site.

:wink:

[quote]rainjack wrote:
juanjromero wrote:
I don’t agree, I think that he has the most important thing to start: the will.

Now, it depend on what you want, abs need a frame to insert into. if your whole body is not conditioned enough, they will not look good. Start by lifting at your pace, just to learn the excercises, start doing the big lifts when you feel you can handle and always left your ego out when you choose the weight. the fat will start to melt, you have enough not to worry about trimming, just let it melt, 6 months or so, this summer, not possible. You are young, if you work hard, maybe next year you will look awesome comparing to now. and that, will be a change.

Who is questioning the kid’s will?

You have no idea what his goals are - so how can you tell him what the best thing to do is?

If his goal is to have a six pack - there is no need for him to be training “hardcore”. I think I said that already.

If his goal is to be big - there is no need for him to worry about abs until he is big.

He is too skinny to be taking your advice, and burning more fat.

This is the bodybuilding forum. It is not the heroine chic forum. [/quote]

No one is questioning, we ignore his goal, he has no profile. Give him advice, dont put down to others. if you know something, share it. IT IS a bodybuilding forum. If you know something, share it. don’t judge, this is not rate my opinion forum. this is for advice. give one.

[quote]rainjack wrote:

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny. [/quote]

if we make an statistics, this is the most frequent sentence on this site: “you are too skinny”.

it is a bodybuilding place, not bodybuilt.

You also are skinny compared to Ronnie Coleman.

[quote]juanjromero wrote:

No one is questioning, we ignore his goal, he has no profile. Give him advice, dont put down to others. if you know something, share it. IT IS a bodybuilding forum. If you know something, share it. don’t judge, this is not rate my opinion forum. this is for advice. give one.
[/quote]

Who’s putting anyone down?

I gave advice. You disagreed. You gave advice. I disagreed with you.

You did not give bodybuilding advice. You gave find-your-abs advice.

[quote]juanjromero wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny.

if we make an statistics, this is the most frequent sentence on this site: “you are too skinny”.

it is a bodybuilding place, not bodybuilt.

You also are skinny compared to Ronnie Coleman.[/quote]

What the fuck are you even talking about? When did a 150 pounder become part of the “we”?

You are no part of any “we” I am associated with. ’

[quote]juanjromero wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny.

if we make an statistics, this is the most frequent sentence on this site: “you are too skinny”.

it is a bodybuilding place, not bodybuilt.

You also are skinny compared to Ronnie Coleman.[/quote]

He has not gotten bad advice on this thread. To get well-developed abs, he needs more developed muscles. That entails eating, heavy lifting with compounds, and proper ab training. He would not have chisleed abs if he tried to diet down more now. He would just look scrawnier and probably spin his wheels without the mass to support low bodyfat and make dieting easier.

Honestly man, you need to worry about putting some meat on, abs should be the LAST thing on your mind. You’re already skinny as hell, EAT.

Like everyone else mentioned, squats, deads, etc. will build you up. I only dick around on the HS crunch once a month in my spare time, primarily to flirt with the girls (separate room/area filled with women).

[quote]rainjack wrote:

You are no part of any “we” I am associated with. ’

[/quote]

Rofl. Awesome.

OP, your abs are not gonna be impressive until their thick. And their not gonna be thick until you are thick. And you are not gonna be thick until you put some semblance of muscle on your frame. And you are not gonna do that until you eat more and lift harder.

[quote]rainjack wrote:
juanjromero wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Right now, you have no where to go - you are too skinny.

if we make an statistics, this is the most frequent sentence on this site: “you are too skinny”.

it is a bodybuilding place, not bodybuilt.

You also are skinny compared to Ronnie Coleman.

What the fuck are you even talking about? When did a 150 pounder become part of the “we”?

You are no part of any “we” I am associated with. ’

[/quote]
LOL

calm down guy. this is an unknown guy wich is calm laughig at us.

We disagree because you see people down from your huge body, seated on your cloud, where skinnies like me has no place. Did you born that muscular? were you skinny before? do you know how a person feel when someone rejects him for what he said or how he looks?, look all those adds full of skinny guys with abs, in our society that is the way that sales, is normal the kid wants to be like that. He asked advice on abs, help him to find his way, if that way is not on your way, leave him alone.

Reconsidering the word “we” that I use standing for humans or men, really I don’t want to considere it associated with you if you don’t want to.

[quote]GetSwole wrote:
rainjack wrote:

You are no part of any “we” I am associated with. ’

Rofl. Awesome.

OP, your abs are not gonna be impressive until their thick. And their not gonna be thick until you are thick. And you are not gonna be thick until you put some semblance of muscle on your frame. And you are not gonna do that until you eat more and lift harder.

[/quote]

This is a clever advice: pay attention. Wise words.