Thread: A Solid 8 Pack

no matter what ab work-out you use it still comes down to be leaning enough (5% bf) to see the entire rectus abdominis, but even then most people's rectus abdominis only has six "separations" that we refer to as abs.

see the pic on this page: http://ironmagazine.com/article42.html

To get what you are reffering to as an "8 pack" you need to be extremly lean, as prince said, and maybe have some genetics in your favor.

The rectus abdominus is one muscle and it is split down the middle by the linea alba. It is comonly catagorized as upper and lower (even though it is in fact only one muscle). Typically you can see, on a lean individual what is reffered to as the "6 pack'. This is the rectus abdominus. The other two "muscles" that some people show are not part of the rectus abdominus. Actually they are muscles of respiration, can't remember exactly but I think it is the transverse abdominus, which are coming through. You really need to achive an extreme level of leaness to see these muscles.

Good luck.....diet hard.

Some people only have 4, to even think that you could change the "number of abs" you have is ludicrous. Genetic engineering at home?

For my next trick, I'm going to clone this sheep!

Some people don't have any!! Some people genetically don't have abs. As lean as they get they just have a really flat stomach. It is really weird to see.

So lets see here, and please correct me if I am wrong;

- Diet is key because you need to burn the fat to reveal your abs
- Body fat must be reduced to about 5%
- Your RA muscle divides into 6, and the other 2 are muscles of respiration


I have a couple of questions now...

What kind of diet should I be looking into? no carbs? high protein?
How can I work out these 2 other muscles?
Any recommendations on which exercises to use and how many reps? (i already saw the ones from the site, but which combination should I use and how many reps)

LOL @ Mudge

It is really genetic whether those other 2 muscles will be seen. But to see them, even gentically, you are going to have to be really lean.

The type of diet depends on the person (ie what you respond best to.......I hate low carbs)

Muscle of respiration don't contract when you do things like sit ups. I never had anyone ask how they can work them but here would be two ideas I could give you to try:

1) the vacuum. Breath in such in your stomach as much as possible and hold it. ie controlled breathing

2) Plave a plate (maybe start with a 25lb) across the lower part of your stomach and breath in deeply trying to move the plate up...pause for a second and exhalle.

In all honesty I don't know what type of hypertrophy you can expexct to occur form all this.

if you actually are 23% BF then your goal of a solid "8-pack" is going to take years off diet and there is no point in doing "extreme" ab workouts since you wont clearly see your abs till you get single digit bodyfat levels which will come from the diet.

wont take years if u are very comitted.........if u are very dedicate u should be able to do it in a year and half

You ought to begin to see them modestly well at 13%, 23% is entirely too high and your muscle mass by bodyweight seems pretty low.

Check the stickies in the diet forum, good luck.