Sucking in the Stomach

**Rocco32** · 08-14-2003, 11:28 AM

Do most people suck in their stomachs all day long or do you keep it relaxed. I've lost a lot of weight and sucked in (not vacuumed) my stomach looks good, but if I completely relax it, it sticks out quite a bit. Is that normal or do I need to do some more sit-ups?

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 12:07 PM

I have naturally sucked it in somewhat for years. It feels strange to just "let it all hang out."

I would worry about bodyfat before doing "more situps," what is your BF%?

Prince · 08-14-2003, 01:49 PM

Sit-ups will not help, first of all sit-ups work more of your hip flexors than they do your abs, and secondly it sounds like the problem is bodyfat, therefore diet is the key, not ab training.

**gopro** · 08-14-2003, 02:03 PM

I try to suck my stomach in all day if possible. I also do it as an exercise during ab training. Sucking in the stomach works the transverse abdominals and it can actually help to flatten your tummy over time (No, not if you have a big beer belly).

cjrmack · 08-14-2003, 02:32 PM

I think it is normal. I semi suck my stomach in all the time. I have noticed too that since I drink so much water a lot of it is bloating. There have been days when I do not drink as much water that my stomach is flatter.

Prince · 08-14-2003, 03:12 PM

I bet gopro is one those characters that sucks his stomach in, pushes his chest out, and walks around with his arms stuck out cause his lats are too big for his arms to hang normal.

**gopro** · 08-14-2003, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Prince
I bet gopro is one those characters that sucks his stomach in, pushes his chest out, and walks around with his arms stuck out cause his lats are too big for his arms to hang normal.

LOL, not me bro. I wear sweatpants and a swetshirt or oversized t-shirt to the gym. You never catch me in a tanktop. The only time my shirt is off is in the bedroom, on the beach, or onstage. A more modest person you will never meet!

Prince · 08-14-2003, 03:53 PM

**Fit Freak** · 08-14-2003, 03:56 PM

LMAO...

**Rocco32** · 08-14-2003, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mudge
I have naturally sucked it in somewhat for years. It feels strange to just "let it all hang out."

I would worry about bodyfat before doing "more situps," what is your BF%?

I use the electrical impulse scale. In the morning it's 13-15%. In the evening it's 8-10%. It reads lower the more hydrated you are. I don't know which of those is the real BF.

**OceanDude** · 08-14-2003, 04:23 PM

Well here is a hint rock - if you don't have a 6=pack its probably in the 13-15 range not the 8-10 range.

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
I use the electrical impulse scale. In the morning it's 13-15%. In the evening it's 8-10%. It reads lower the more hydrated you are. I don't know which of those is the real BF.

Which is why these scales are considered semi-worthless, due to thier unreliability. 8-10% would have you looking pretty good, 13-15% is so-so. I can see my upper 4 abs semi decently at 14%.

Ocean, how about those calipers, do they have memory so you can keep measuring each bodypart and not have to write it down? I have heard they are unreliable also but I am not sure why, I would think it would be fairly simple to build something that could measure the mm and not screw it up.

**OceanDude** · 08-14-2003, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mudge
Which is why these scales are considered semi-worthless, due to thier unreliability. 8-10% would have you looking pretty good, 13-15% is so-so. I can see my upper 4 abs semi decently at 14%.

Ocean, how about those calipers, do they have memory so you can keep measuring each bodypart and not have to write it down? I have heard they are unreliable also but I am not sure why, I would think it would be fairly simple to build something that could measure the mm and not screw it up.

Yes they do have a memory and will read out the measurement in mm. But they automatically calculate the % BF based on a standard formula after the last data point is taken. They are reliable. You just got to know how to use them. The commin mistake is grabbing too much skin and getting some flesh or muscle tissue and thinking you are fatter than you are. It's all about technique - and different people can get different readings. The Fat Trac II has a special button that will engage at a preset tension on the skin so you get consistent results. But you still must be careful to not grab muscle or body tissue and only fat. You can of course keep re-taking measurements till you are confident you are repeating the same BF% to get a confidence in the number. I use it to gage relative improvement and don't think in terms of absolutes anyway since they do not measure internal organ fat - which can be high for some people in the 25%+ BF range.

For men the device requres you sample 3 points:
1) Pec region half way between arm pit and nipple.
2) Abdominal area to the right of navel using a vertical pinch
3) Middle of thigh using a vertical pinch

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OceanDude
But they automatically calculate the % BF based on a standard formula after the last data point is taken

Thats what I meant, although I'd really like 7/9 point option, does it have that ability?

Quote:

don't think in terms of absolutes anyway since they do not measure internal organ fat

Visceral/intramuscular fat, asians apperantly have higher amounts of it.

**OceanDude** · 08-14-2003, 06:46 PM

The Fat Track II is a 3 point system. There are a lot of 7 point systems and some 9 point ones but they are very expensive relative to the 3 point ones and I don't know a whole lot of people who feel they are worth the $ increase as well as the hassle of measuring that many body locations. My attitude is the more samples that you take the more chance for sampling error but I guess they figure out a way in the calculations to automatically detect the errors and cross correleate to get a little better % acuracy over 3 point systems. The 3 point system will give you a mm read out but it will only remember 3 locations so you will need to write down the numbers at some point unless you buy a 7 or 9 point version.

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 06:48 PM

If a person distributes fat like a statistically average person then 3 point is somewhat accurate yes.

**OceanDude** · 08-14-2003, 07:01 PM

Well they are claiming to be within 2%of hydrostatic testing. So that's perfectly accurate enough for me.

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 07:08 PM

Realistically I agree, I use the mirror, and the idea is even if you dont believe the bodyfat % you can at least look at the numbers to see if they are changing

**OceanDude** · 08-14-2003, 07:14 PM

exactly...

At this point I am using only one final measurement - 6-pack. I have a center line going and almost a 4 pack so I know my calipers are close when they say about 10%. I am figuring i need to get to 8%...

**Mudge** · 08-14-2003, 07:52 PM

Sweet, yeah 8-10% would be nice, I am not sure how easy it would be for me to hold and maintain under 10% though.

perfecto · 08-15-2003, 12:50 AM

mudge: when you talk about your upper 4 showin at 14% are u talkin about flexed or non flexed?

**Mudge** · 08-15-2003, 02:45 AM

Flexed.

perfecto · 08-15-2003, 02:52 AM

yer see i dont quite understand that, when flexed both my top 4 abs show aswell. however i dunno wat bodyfat % im at and i recon quite abit becaus wen i sit down there is still fat at the bottom of my stomech like pinchable rolls of fat not huge or nuthin but they are there

**Mudge** · 08-15-2003, 03:29 AM

It depends how well you see them, its not like I could not see some sign of abs when fatter. 14% is when they start to come in somewhat encouragingly, for me anyway. As for the lower two... I dont expect to see those for awhile.

**OceanDude** · 08-15-2003, 06:38 AM

Perfecto, this is the fact of life for men. Even at low body fat you will typically have that roll of fat in the lower abdominal area - it's just where the body likes to store fat and you always need "some" fat to be healthy. So evan at 6% body fat (the lower limit on sustained healthy low fat), at a scale weight of 200 lbs that's 12 lbs of fat that has to go somewhere. All we can do is reduce it to the point where it looks the best we can make it look in photo phoses and standing. If you lie down or sit it will always tend to roll up some - but its a hell of a lot batter at 10% bf and less than it is at 15% and above believe me.

perfecto · 08-15-2003, 10:07 AM

yer it would be good to get down to 10%

**Mudge** · 08-15-2003, 10:15 AM

Guy I know with great abs is around 5% bodyfat. I have no idea what his natural metabolism is like, but he never cheats his diet, ever - he is a true "diet nazi."

**Rocco32** · 08-15-2003, 10:31 AM

Can you get down to 10% if you cheat one meal a week?

Nate · 08-15-2003, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
Can you get down to 10% if you cheat one meal a week?

yes

**OceanDude** · 08-15-2003, 11:40 AM

Actually "smart" cheating can be an effective fat loss technique - it's kind of like a zig-zag diet where you confuse the body into thinking you are not in starvation mode. Just try to not go nutz with the cheating and take in a ton of sugar at the same time you are taking in fat.