Hello,
Today I am 36; more closer to 40 then to 30. It took a lot to say that… LOL
I am blessed to be in the best shape of my life. I am finally learning how to do it smart etc.
My new goal is to turn this 4 pack into a 6 pack. It seems that a person would have to cut their carbs to a very low amount in order to do this.
How am I suppose to do this when I am doing endurance stuff 5-6 times a week? I need CARBS to train!
Thanks for you feedback!
Gall
You could just try doing weighted ab exercises to build up the muscle itself. Having the six pack is a two-step process – having low-enough body fat to see it, and having the muscle to see.
Getting 6 pack abs is partly genetic. However, it is much more difficult for women to get abdominal muscles to show in a 6 pack than it is for men. For those that are not genetically inclined, you’d almost have to starve yourself to get a 6 pack. It’s not worth the trade off because you’d have little or no energy to train.
Forget carbs, think calories.
Having abs that show is about having a low bodyfat (and partially about those muscles as well). Get your bodyfat low enough and they’ll pop out. Also, training your abs like a bodybuilder (6-10 reps to failure) will make the muscle slightly larger, but won’t make a huge difference.
Everyone responds differently, though just about everyone I have come across would benefit more from reduced body fat than training the muscle if they want abs that “pop”.
Along with endurance training you should also do speed work.
The best exercise I have come across to burn fat is 8 second sprints. Or!
You could add some local 5k/10k races to your training which helps because you push yourself a lot more than in training which will burn more fat.
edit: the other guys are right on target too though, it is a matter of BF% and size. Though it may be a sacrifice, you also drop 2seconds/lb/mile (according to runners magazine) so if you are doing an olympic distance and you drop your BF% from say 10 to 7% and you weigh 160 pounds 3% is approximately 5 pounds which is 60 seconds in the run.
Ah, so you’ve got the inner tube around your lower abs? No joke, add general resistance training to compliment the weight loss that the others have suggested. Without doing so, your genetic predisposition is going to take over and your body tries to maintain what it feels is an ideal BF%. Adding resistance training forces your anabolic rate to be elevated and necessitates your body make up the calorie deficit from fat stores.
I am 27 and you can kinda see mine. I am 9% body fat and don’t have the build of a triathlete. I have short legs, long torso, and wide shoulders. I think it has to do a lot with your build. If your tall and lanky like a true runner I would think it would be more difficult. Hell what do I know. You need those carbs to train and if you don’t take them in, you start cutting into lean mass. Be careful there.
Forget the 6-pack, you might get yourself by, but you’re forgetting about others, go for the “keg”.
To get the keg, you’ll have to down a number of 6 packs.
Micro, mini, half, or full barrel?
In the words of Warren Miller, “Go big or go home”
Full.
Stop eating the carbs and you may even see the skeletal structure underneath. Why has carbs gotten this stigma? I think all the evils of the world can be traced back to the carb molecule.
In light of the carbs idea, best be a full barrel of lite beer then. Beck’s, perhaps?
Unfortunately, U have to suffer for the 6 pack. 6 packs show a certain body fat percentage. U have to get a low % to get them to show.
Jimmy
It seems that a person would have to cut their carbs to a very low amount in order to do this.
In the last week my six has become visible with a little flexing. A little less fat and it will be an eight pack, hopefully by spring/summer. Here is how I got there:
The first thing I do every morning are near-max set of pullups, a near max set of pushups, and then I get on my decline slant board, put a 25 lbs plate on my chest, and do between 80 and 100 crunches. Soon that 25 lbs plate will be 30, then 35, etc.
I go to the gym three days on, one day off. On one of the days, I do slow, half-way down and hold for 5 secs crunches on the decline bench (3x5) with around 45+ lbs on my chest.
I also have started using R-Alpha Lipoic Acid with Biotin, specifically the Glocorell-R brand. This allows me to eat carbs without them turning into fat. It’s not a carb blocker, it just changes your body’s insulin response. I can document it working with a blood glucose meter. It also has some other significant benefits, scientifically demonstrated and is a reasonably potent anti-oxident.
I eat between 150 and 200g of protein a day, mostly from whey isolate but also cassien (milk), chicken, and some fish. I rarely eat junk. 75% of my daily calories come from whey protein, skim milk, and oats. I also eat a banana, an apple, and an orange every day.
Liposuction! 
Unfortunately, from what I understand, it is impossible to target specific areas to burn fat. If your body wants to draw fuel from your thighs and buttocks first then it will have to empty those tanks before it starts to reduce at the waist.
Haven’t you seen the commercials…Michelob Ultra = Sports Beer…maybe a mini to be mounted like a HydroTail?
Note to self: discuss w/Michelob and HydroTail possible joint venture in sponsorship.
Note Note to self: discuss w/Columbia druglords about joint joint effort.
You should cut out all calories and stop drinking water. You’ll have that 6 pack in no time. Training might get difficult after a few days and you might die after a little while, but, man, you’ll be ripped.
The others who have said it’s genetic and build are right. I’m 28, less than 5% body fat, but do not have a six pack.
I 2nd the r-lipoic acid. I started using it a couple of months ago and think it provides some value.
What brand do you use?