Thread: Question About Trimming Waist ("pop belly")

Hey Ehlp,

After reading in the nutrition section of this site lastnight for a few hours, i would reccommend having a read in there too. There is one sticky about cutting and maintenance in there that can probably help you get rid of the last bit of fat on your abs. That is, if your abs are where the last bit of fat is on your body. It seems like getting your total bodyfat % down low enough to show your abs is the only way to achive it.

From what ive read in the past, the abdomen is the last place on the body that fat usually goes from, so unfortunately no amount of situp's, crunches etc are going to make your abs show, it will only strengthen them under the layer of fat that is there.

Also for your cardio work, you said you do about 45mins-1hr, 3 times a week. You could (depending on how intense you train with weights, and how much recovery time you need) do cardio more often and possibly try some different methods like HIIT, hill sprints etc to maximise the fat burn.

Im definately no expert on this subject and dont know the science behind it etc, so hopefully someone else can give you a more detailed or exact approach to take.

Training legs is probably one of the most effective ways to acheive anything because leg movements generally use large amounts of muscle. They are the most difficult movements, therefore use up the most energy, therefore will produce greater effect.

You're seriously limiting yourself by not including them. Even if you do them once a week in a push/pull/legs routine. Youll soon get used to it.

I would also rethink your training and focus on splitting it up in terms of movement types (push/pull, upper/lower) rather than body parts. Make sure you focus on big compound movements rather than isolation or machine work.

I would also cut down the length of each cardio session. 3x a week cardio after each weight session is great, but keep it to 20-30 minutes tops. Instead of a long duration, cut that in half and work harder in the time allowed.

I would do what Mclovin said and go check out the topics in the nutrition section, and also take a look at the stuff here in the training section on how to put together a balanced weight training program.

Thanks for the responses.

At the moment I have 4-5% body fat everywhere except my lower abs which are sitting around 8-9%. When you say "Training legs is probably one of the most effective ways to acheive anything", do you mean that this would help me attain my goal of lowering that body fat %?

If so what would you recommend as a few important legs exercises that I could do, given that I haven't done many before?

I was thinking that my modified schedule would look something like:

mon - push
tues - pull/abs
wed - rest
thurs - push
fri - pull/abs
sat - legs
sun - rest

What do you think?

Oh, and I'll look more into diet tonight when I have a chance, is there anything in particular that I should look for?

Beer belly or pot belly is visceral fat. It's the worst kind. Is this what you really have? It'd inside around your organs not outside.

Originally Posted by Hoglander

Beer belly or pot belly is visceral fat. It's the worst kind. Is this what you really have? It'd inside around your organs not outside.

No. I'm pretty sure it's called a "pop belly" when the fat is clearly on the outside (I could be wrong here). As I mentioned earlier I am around 8-9% fat on my abs.

Originally Posted by elhp

Thanks for the responses.

At the moment I have 4-5% body fat everywhere except my lower abs which are sitting around 8-9%. When you say "Training legs is probably one of the most effective ways to acheive anything", do you mean that this would help me attain my goal of lowering that body fat %?

Yup! Legs are the biggest muscles in the body, so training them uses the most calories, and invokes the greatest adaptation response. They are the most difficult movements to do (which is why most people leave them out).

Originally Posted by elhp

If so what would you recommend as a few important legs exercises that I could do, given that I haven't done many before?

Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, and Hyperextensions.

For the first few weeks id do them with just a bar, or very little weight, or even no weight or bar at all, so you can get the form right. Thats the most important thing.

Barbell Full Squat

Barbell Deadlift

Dumbbell Lunge

Barbell Hyperextension

Originally Posted by elhp

I was thinking that my modified schedule would look something like:

mon - push
tues - pull/abs
wed - rest
thurs - push
fri - pull/abs
sat - legs
sun - rest

What do you think?

I would say thats far too much frequency especially since youll be doing cardio 3x a week aswell. 3-4 days a week is fine. Something like:

Mon - Legs

Wed - Push

Fri - Pull

With all the other days as rest.

Pick 4-6 movements for each session, stick to compounds, maybe 1 isolation movement each day. Then do your cardio after each session.

If you havent already, i highly reccomend you read the stickies on designing training programs.

Originally Posted by elhp

Oh, and I'll look more into diet tonight when I have a chance, is there anything in particular that I should look for?

Its all good. The main point is calorie management, and eating the right things. There are some good articles on everything in there.

If youre not already, i highly reccomend logging your calories. This site makes it a cinch:

FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal

WTF is a "pop" belly? LOL!

Central obesity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Wait a minute. Let me get this straight.....You are @ 8-9% BF and you have a Pop Belly? What are you? A broom handle?

Thanks for the help with the leg work outs.

I thought some people might know the term but I guess it's pretty obvious that people don't. If you look in the article I posted, it explains in greater detail. Basically the problem is that I have a very little bit of fat on my abs (most people wouldn't be able to tell if I had my shirt off). The reason I want to get rid of it is so that the definition of my lower abs is shown better.

FYI I am 175lbs at 6'2" with a total of 5.9% body fat. So, no, I am not even slightly fat.

I've never heard of a "pop" belly but I have heard of a "pot" belly

Originally Posted by elhp

FYI I am 175lbs at 6'2" with a total of 5.9% body fat. So, no, I am not even slightly fat.

If you are at 5.9% BF, and still dealing with a 'pop' belly, then you may want to accept the 'pop' belly as a permanent part of your physique.


Try one of those topical creams from Avant Labs or something.

Depending on how you measured that bf%, im skeptical of it being that low.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

Depending on how you measured that bf%, im skeptical of it being that low.

Me too. That is contest ready for a BB!

It was measured most recently using 2 different methods: stepping on a scale with an electric pulse that basically completes a circuit with your body and another method using 4 different measurements (taken with a device that basically tries to "squeeze" the existing fat) and basically averaging. That last method is the one that I've been using to describe the fat on my lower abs. And yes, I've heard that this fat can be genetic, I was still hoping for a way to overcome it, however. I don't feel that cardio is the answer (my dad runs a few marathons a year, and trains for most of the rest of it; he still complains about the same fat), so I was looking for an alternate solution or at least a second opinion.

Seriously, as Gaz mentioned, your BF, if indeed as low as you say it is, doesn't sound healthy. And believe me, DaMayor knows healthy BF levels.

Competitive BB's are usually in the neighborhood of 2-4%, maybe slightly higher. But this is for competition, and not a permanent state.

Read the stickies:

Guide to Cutting, Bulking & Maintenance

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/di...ere-start.html

Check out Lyle McDonald's books, like this one....




If you have depleted your personal knowledgebase, then tap into someone elses.

Good luck.

5.9 with a pot...or pop

I wanns see pics....

This has been bothering me for a few days now....

Isn't it POT belly? and not POP? haha..

maybe I've been wrong all this time.

Please! Let's settle this...!!!!!!! haha

B

Originally Posted by SnowManSnow

This has been bothering me for a few days now....

Isn't it POT belly? and not POP? haha..

maybe I've been wrong all this time.

Please! Let's settle this...!!!!!!! haha

B

I think you should create a poll