Thread: Need Help! Want Abs!

Take a look at the link in my signature. The information there will provide a good starting point.

thank you m11. I will be back tonight with a more proper post and comments.

-research
-balanced program (push/pull, upper/lower)
-primarily or exclusively compound lifting
-periodization
-goal setting
-regular self-assessment of physique and performance
-check form
-motivation
-adequate rest
-stretching
-DIET!!!!

diet

squat and diet

I'm trying real hard to get all this so please be patient with me. I don't know the proper techniques, terminology, and whats best. So here is my info:

Height: 5"7
Weight: 152 lbs
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Waist: 34 inches
Hip: 37 inches
Forearm: 10.5 inches
Wrist: 7 inches
Neck: 15 inches

Calculated body fat percent: 19% (the gym calculated 14% ??? )
Target body fat percentage: 11%
Weight at end of cut: 138.3 pounds

Maintenance calories : 2280
lean weight: 123.1 pounds

Diet
Protein 160g
Carb 120g
Fat 80g
Calories 1800g
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know nothing about counting weight or dieting, all i knew was I could only eat oatmeal, fruits, fish/turkey, and water when I was in sports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Workout (I don't want to bulk up so the plan is to do a lot of a little every day and hope this will make me cut before June!)

1-2x a day Abs: 30 Foot to Foot Crunch, 30 Alternating Curls Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Push Through, 30 4 Times Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Arm Reaching Crunch, 30 Cross Arm Crunch, 30 Second Break, 20 Double Crunch.

Monday: (medium)
Bench Press
Barbell Curls
Dips
Chinups
Dumbbells

Tuesday: (light)
1-2 hour cardio (sports)
calves
leg extensions/curls
glutes
Hamstring

Wednesday: (light)
Triceps (Extension + Machine)
Abs, Abs, and Abs

Thursday: (light)
1-2 hour cardio (sports)
Lower Back exercise
Upper Back exercise

Friday: Rest

Saturday: (light)
3+ hour cardio (sports)

Sunday: Rest


What do you guys think about my plan? Will it work, too much, too little? Will I be cut enough to get some looks from the ladies by June?

Great to see nothings changed... :-)

Originally Posted by Persian_Prince

1-2x a day Abs: 30 Foot to Foot Crunch, 30 Alternating Curls Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Push Through, 30 4 Times Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Arm Reaching Crunch, 30 Cross Arm Crunch, 30 Second Break, 20 Double Crunch.

Getting abs isn't about pounding the abs all day long. You treat them like any other muscle group. Hit them a 2-3 times per week. A couple sets at a time. That's all you need.

The rest is diet. You need to strip away the fat to reveal those abs.

Don't be one of those people who spend half their time in the stretching/ab room doing 20 sets of abs...but walking into the gym everyday with the same bodycomposition.

KY

Originally Posted by Persian_Prince

I'm trying real hard to get all this so please be patient with me. I don't know the proper techniques, terminology, and whats best. So here is my info:

Height: 5"7
Weight: 152 lbs
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Waist: 34 inches
Hip: 37 inches
Forearm: 10.5 inches
Wrist: 7 inches
Neck: 15 inches

Calculated body fat percent: 19% (the gym calculated 14% ??? )
Target body fat percentage: 11%
Weight at end of cut: 138.3 pounds

Maintenance calories : 2280
lean weight: 123.1 pounds

Diet
Protein 160g
Carb 120g
Fat 80g
Calories 1800g
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know nothing about counting weight or dieting, all i knew was I could only eat oatmeal, fruits, fish/turkey, and water when I was in sports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Workout (I don't want to bulk up so the plan is to do a lot of a little every day and hope this will make me cut before June!)

1-2x a day Abs: 30 Foot to Foot Crunch, 30 Alternating Curls Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Push Through, 30 4 Times Abs, 30 Second Break, 30 Arm Reaching Crunch, 30 Cross Arm Crunch, 30 Second Break, 20 Double Crunch.

Monday: (medium)
Bench Press
Barbell Curls
Dips
Chinups
Dumbbells

Tuesday: (light)
1-2 hour cardio (sports)
calves
leg extensions/curls
glutes
Hamstring

Wednesday: (light)
Triceps (Extension + Machine)
Abs, Abs, and Abs

Thursday: (light)
1-2 hour cardio (sports)
Lower Back exercise
Upper Back exercise

Friday: Rest

Saturday: (light)
3+ hour cardio (sports)

Sunday: Rest


What do you guys think about my plan? Will it work, too much, too little? Will I be cut enough to get some looks from the ladies by June?

To be blunt, this program is absolutely terrible.

First off, I have to say, I've NEVER heard of someone devoting an entire day's workout to triceps....

Secondly, there is no balance in this program. The only leg work you have is isolation. You don't specify what exercises you're using for back (lower and upper). Generally, your lower back will get worked hard in certain compound lifts (like Good Mornings, for instance, which also hit the hams and glutes brutally hard). Nice to see chins in there, but I have no idea what you mean by "dumbbells".

You don't specify your ab routine, but I bet it's a lot variation of crunches and whatnot. Seriously, man, this a new-age of bodybuilding. You don't necessarily have to work your abs directly, but if you're going to (I just started doing a bit of direct work again, but I do it differently..) you should drop spinal flexion-based movements like situps and put in more stabilization and twisting movements. Exercises like planks are great for this. Try hold a plank for 2-4 minutes, and see how your abs feel after wards.

Nevertheless, SQUAT!!! Get into the power cage, load a BB on yourself, and squat down until your upper legs are parallel to the ground. Control your tempo on the eccentric so that you don't just drop to the floor. Well, whaddya' know!? Your abs are burning! Trust me, dude....intense squats = ab workout of a lifetime. Imagine carrying over your body weight across your shoulders and lowering doing towards the ground while maintaining a straight back and steady flow.....your abs have to work so freaking hard to hold this position.

There are more to great abs than just what you see from the front. A broad rib cage not only accentuates nicely-developed pecs (which also will draw attention to your upper abs) but it'll give depth to your abs -- a trait lacking in all of those pussy magazine models. Powerful obliques from stabilizing your body from lateral movement (as in your torso keeping you from moving sideways when squatting heavy loads) will tighten your abs and give you a more conditioned look from the side. Solid adductors and hip flexors will firm your pelvic region, giving a leaner look to your lower abs. Conscientious lifting on certain vertical pull movements will develop the hard to hit serratus anterior muscle, which provides a nice transition between the obliques, lats, and pecs -- a fuller, overall conditioned torso....not just the "six pack".

If you want truly impressive abs..and this is excluding the complexities of diet and rest...you need to condition your entire torso to be able to handle the heavy loads you SHOULD be handling. Impressive abs aren't just attractive but practical for training purposes.

Originally Posted by Phineas

To be blunt, this program is absolutely terrible.

First off, I have to say, I've NEVER heard of someone devoting an entire day's workout to triceps....

Secondly, there is no balance in this program. The only leg work you have is isolation. You don't specify what exercises you're using for back (lower and upper). Generally, your lower back will get worked hard in certain compound lifts (like Good Mornings, for instance, which also hit the hams and glutes brutally hard). Nice to see chins in there, but I have no idea what you mean by "dumbbells".

You don't specify your ab routine, but I bet it's a lot variation of crunches and whatnot. Seriously, man, this a new-age of bodybuilding. You don't necessarily have to work your abs directly, but if you're going to (I just started doing a bit of direct work again, but I do it differently..) you should drop spinal flexion-based movements like situps and put in more stabilization and twisting movements. Exercises like planks are great for this. Try hold a plank for 2-4 minutes, and see how your abs feel after wards.

Nevertheless, SQUAT!!! Get into the power cage, load a BB on yourself, and squat down until your upper legs are parallel to the ground. Control your tempo on the eccentric so that you don't just drop to the floor. Well, whaddya' know!? Your abs are burning! Trust me, dude....intense squats = ab workout of a lifetime. Imagine carrying over your body weight across your shoulders and lowering doing towards the ground while maintaining a straight back and steady flow.....your abs have to work so freaking hard to hold this position.

There are more to great abs than just what you see from the front. A broad rib cage not only accentuates nicely-developed pecs (which also will draw attention to your upper abs) but it'll give depth to your abs -- a trait lacking in all of those pussy magazine models. Powerful obliques from stabilizing your body from lateral movement (as in your torso keeping you from moving sideways when squatting heavy loads) will tighten your abs and give you a more conditioned look from the side. Solid adductors and hip flexors will firm your pelvic region, giving a leaner look to your lower abs. Conscientious lifting on certain vertical pull movements will develop the hard to hit serratus anterior muscle, which provides a nice transition between the obliques, lats, and pecs -- a fuller, overall conditioned torso....not just the "six pack".

If you want truly impressive abs..and this is excluding the complexities of diet and rest...you need to condition your entire torso to be able to handle the heavy loads you SHOULD be handling. Impressive abs aren't just attractive but practical for training purposes.

Wow, thank you so much. Like I said I know nothing about working out. I wasnt trying to devote a whole day on triceps, it was mostly a day devoted to abs-- but now I have to seriously change things up. I am going to add Squats, research more on compound exercises like "good morning" (first time hearing about this), do planks, and fix my schedule up with probably help from a friend so I wont look completely clueless the next time I post here. Thank you guys (especially Phineas)