Hi!
I’m simply curious. How many 50 —this was a typo—>60+ ….FIFTY yo men here have abs? Was the intended question, sorry!
It’s my intent to have them this year. Currently on W Coast vacation, returning home tonight….planning for adjustments to accomplish this goal.
Now I don’t and can’t lift heavy due to disabilities beyond my control. However, I can and do use light weights, can do cardio etc.
I’ve business to handle next 2 days, so let’s say Saturday I’ll have myself back on daily exercises.
But wat I know for fact is my nutrition will be as or more important….discipline over time with ‘spoon traffic’
While I still can, before another health issue blows up on me, I by God wanna sport 6 pack abs. But then I have to wonder if I’m wholly willing to invest wat is needed to get that ROI. That’s to be seen. It seems some resolve needs to be made, or not.
Regardless, do any of u over 50 dudes here have 6 pack abs or not?
Thx for an answer to that. The other stuff I mentioned, well I’ll figure it out myself…
I do not have abs. But I’ve always been more concerned with how well I could use them than how well others can see them.
I’m also way past being able to gain any sexual market value from having them.
We used to have a guy here called Old Navy who was a 60+ bodybuilder and he had abs. I’m kinda lean but have softness around the midsection. Over the past couple years I’ve adjusted diet and it’s helped, but would take a concerted effort to get a six pack. Would probably lose lots of weight in the process and would rather get big.
I train half the time in a tennis club where the average age is 57 and maybe like once a year i see a guy with 6 pack abs. Saying that the top 10% of guys have flat stomach/tiiiny outline of abs which I think is entirely doable
Basically its a tough goal but possible. Do what you can in high rep ranges with the weights and will have to get after conditioning work VERY hard.
Diet will need to be 90%+ clean also.
I was in Santa Monica with wife last week, downtown LA prior. Told myself when I got home nutrition would be 1st thing. So far so good. Doing biotest protein alone or with 0’5 cups mixed berries for early, then for dinner bout to have some cheesy potato soup & salmon bruschetta. Yeh, the bruschetta has carbs. I’ve had under 20g thus far so ok.
Tmw at wake up it’ll be a cup of oats + protein shake that includes 8oz coffee. Surge after, then an hour til exercise. IMO, repeating daily for at least 6 months will cut more body fat.
I’m gonna turn up cardio a little in addition to typical resistance stuff, which ain’t a big bunch.
In my mind I’m going to be exercising similar to boot camp eons ago….not near the time+intensity of course, but similar style.
I’ll see how things are in 4 weeks go from there. Will def report results, or even lack thereof God forbid.
The ONE thing I got going for me is being stubborn as a Fn mule
Oh, while on west coast I toured 4.2 miles average/day. Happy. 3 years ago I literally could not walk 420m/day. Some progress better than stagnation
Take care ya all
Diet and Diet and more diet.
Then Make your training fit that goal
I have been on a strict eating plan since September.
I went down four holes on my work belts and have a flat stomach with a hint of two pack when Tense up
Things have stalled so I am getting back to my goal of 8k steps a day which requires a lunchtime walk and switching to circuit training.
I have never been a really lean person and at 51 this is lowest my body fat has ever been. This is also the longest I have ever stuck to a fat loss diet as I usually quit when my shirts got loose out of fear of,losing muscle.
The unexpected good side is how healthy I feel and I am seeing benefits of more conditioning and clean eating on my overall health
So I do think a six pack is doable for an over 50 person and the path is probably no different then for a 30 year old just a tad more dedication and adherence.
Thing for me is, IS a six pack abs my goal?
It’s a desire no doubt. I gotta think tho, my truest top goal is to be fit enough to do a ton of walking while touring different places with my wife. We just di a week in Ca, where I walked avg 4.2 mi./day. 2 years ago I’d have had to been wheeled…. So yes I def DO want a six pack, and the training needed to be fit enough for city touring on foot may result in one, but as an actual goal, I just don’t think it is presently.
All that said, nice to think it still possible, and it damn well step up to a priority at some point :).
I think I’ve now realized what my real goal is - to continue traversing city streets without my legs tiring or sucking wind, or to simply do it even better than now.
A six pack may well happen while prepping for this.
In past years, my nutrition has changed a ton, and is not much a challenge to maintain discipline. Just have to have on hand and eat the desired foods.
Imma shut up. Tired n not thinking straight. Jet lag I guess.
Not sure if these qualify, but I was 58 at the time, and am now 62 and look the same. This is as good as I can do. Before you invest the time focused on abs, make sure you are realistic about the possible result given the condition of your skin. Looser skin is a reality as you age and a limiting factor for me. Visible abs are actually not a goal of mine but a side benefit of training for and enjoying various sports: alpine skiing, ski touring (serious core workout), snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking and golf.
The name of the game is avoiding injury and modifying your workouts to reflect your flexibility and energy level. As I am very active outside, I only target two full body lifting days a week, using a joint-friendly program called MX4 - basically lighter with more reps: no more than bodyweight for deadlifts (which I do sumo and only take down hands below knees to reflect reduced flexibility); 75% of bodyweight for dumbbell squats (bars on shoulders are not good for older spines subject to compression); 75% of bodyweight for dumbbell chest presses (no point in risking shoulder issues); 3x10 bodyweight legit pullups (retired the weight belt); bi & tri curls; one-legged bosu squats (good for stabilizer muscles). The only ab-specific moves I do are weighted pulley crunches (75% of bodyweight); ab-wheel rollouts & incline reverse crunches.
I know these weight levels sound pretty wimpy to younger guys, but I am not a younger guy and if over 50 neither are you. As you push heavier you invite injury and it takes a lot longer to heal over 50 or 60. I also try to throw in a one-mile non-stop swim once a week as a good low-impact workout.
As to eating, try to be clean but don’t miss out on life either. Don’t skip carbs: you need the energy. I don’t know what condition you are starting from, but you might actually need to gain (muscle and fat) weight at first to get your system burning. I’ve never added muscle without fat coming along for awhile. The stronger you are the more endurance you should develop and a virtual circle can take hold and the fat will come off. All this said, my program of course reflects my priorities and may not be right for you. Ski touring or hiking 12 miles and 4,000 vertical in a day requires strength and endurance and as a side benefit burns a ton of calories. I hope some of this is of help and good luck on your journey!
What’s the driver of that?
Is it hormonal?
I have same issue. It seems to blow up out of no where as well.
I wonder if stress is playing a huge factor.
In my case I think is more genetic that hormonal… father same, his father same as is my mother. Her parents were small and mostly lean. I have one younger sibling and she seems to store it everywhere, so it’s impossible to tell in her case!
I think everyone has one particular place that is typically the first place it goes on and the last place it leaves. Same as lean mass - when I don’t train for an extended period, my delts and quads shrink first and they seem to come back first.
30+ years ago I did have them all visible for a time, but that was more of an experiment to see if I could do it and what they looked like. Doubt if I could have sustained it though…. fun, but felt I like utter garbage. Now, I’m more than happy with 4 and tanking everything just to get the others to pop is very low on my list of desirable things to do again.
I’m no expert on this, but I think it’s 100 percent important (for me) to make sure I train really fuking hard first no matter what, and this can be done with lighter weights.
I say this because training really fuking hard drives me not to stuff my face post workout (before is somewhat ok, because I’ll be using those calories). If my training is shit than I have no desire to control what I eat afterwards.
Training is the pre-curser to how I’m gonna eat.
I used to be a stuff my face dude post workout, but I’ve learned if I eat heavier pre-workout it’s not nearly as bad, even the sugar gets burned during intense training (so I’ve read) I just better make that training count.
