[Closed] Sit ups / crunches / ab excercises - is there any point.........?

Ride.Your.Bike.

cut the carbs 😉

No don't ride your bike, go for a run, much more effective at burning lard on a stomach

what's that adage something like: "Six-packs are made in the kitchen, not the gym"

"cut the carbs"

Ah yes follow the i thing.... or if you want to still enjoy life just be careful what you eat 🙂

"A six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

EDIT : too late 🙁

But anyway, having strong core muscles is a big help in other ways, for example supporting your back so you don't get nasty injuries like slipped discs and whatnot.

cut the carbs

article in mens health I read yesterday saying study showed that those cutting carbs totally lost less weight/fat than those having carbs no more than twice a week. So it seems cutting them totally isnt as effective as mr atkins would lead you to believe?

Move more, eat less. Take cold showers. Also, run with your stomach out - your body prefers to burn fat from the coldest areas on your bdoy.

Nothing more painful than a slipped whatnot.

ride your bike hard, really hard
do some weights + core exercises

you guys did see the winky icon...?

also make sure you strengthen the muscles on your back and not just on the front or you will get back problems.

You can't decide where to lose fat from, it's an overall thing. Keep dropping the bodyfat and your abs will show. People forget that your abs get a serious workout just by doing the things you do day to day, sitting down, standing up etc etc. Someone told me as a general rule if you're under 10% bodyfat you should be well on the way to having your abs show. At 8.9% mine are definitely showing, but I''m doing some extra core work to help push them through properly.

Move more, eat less. Take cold showers. Also, run with your stomach out - your body prefers to burn fat from the coldest areas on your bdoy.

Sunday is April fools day.

be careful what you eat

check

do some weights + core exercises

check

I am gessing the next one will be dont drink beer?

bugger.

can you have a sick pack and still drink beer?.. waits for the witty replies

organic355 - Member

article in mens health I read yesterday saying study showed that those cutting carbs totally lost less weight/fat than those having carbs no more than twice a week. So it seems cutting them totally isnt as effective as mr atkins would lead you to believe?

Dunno about cutting them out totally but by going low carb and cutting out processed food my fat loss has been epic.

in terms of having abs and being able to see them, sit ups etc seem pretty pointless unless you are also doing something else to burn the fat youve got sitting on top of them?

Well I suppose it depends if your aim is to have a visible 6 pack - if that really is your objective, you know you can get tattoos? Otherwise all sorts of point - core stability as you mention, but it does also make your stomach more solid, and actually make your stomach smaller as it doesn't sag so much (within limits - probably won't do much for a 40"+ waist).

I used to have a 6-pack, but have put on too much weight for that now - still have the abs, which gives me a far flatter stomach than I'd likely have otherwise. Also means I can cope with my kids standing on my tummy! Not that I do sit-ups - I have far less boring ways of working my abs (paddling and XC skiing).

Eat fat to lose fat!

Sorry, its still friday....

Eat *the right* fat to lose fat!

This.

walk round the supermarket with basket full of wine & beer. although don't forget to swap arms for an even workout, but only when nobody is watching.

Kev

Have you tried the DeLorean diet?

It's the only one that'll work for me. Going back in time to when I was 30 is the only way I'm going to lose stomach flab.

Also, run with your stomach out - your body prefers to burn fat from the coldest areas on your bdoy.

You just want to see the OP in a crop top!

[i] can you have a sick pack and still drink beer?.. waits for the witty replies [/i]

no witty reply, just a yes.

Kev

walk round the supermarket with basket full of wine & beer. although don't forget to swap arms for an even workout, but only when nobody is watching.

that used to be my top tip.

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is getting some traction in the popular press / books nowadays for fat loss - based on some striking results on how it impacts fat storage published over the past 10 years. Basically the 'move more' cliche but with movement being non-exercise, general day-to-day activities. Fidgeting even. Not sat at a desk for 8 hrs like a boulder (like I do 🙁 )

Exercise can be minimal if the diet is nailed, I think that's the obvious key to the whole thing.

....... until you lose the belly fat on top of your abs?

Not if you want to look like the cover of Mens Fitness

Yes, if you want core strength to help with your riding.

You can't decide where to lose fat from, it's an overall thing.

Stress hormones cause you to lay it down around your organs and core. Not sure if destressing helps lose it from there. But hey, it's as good an excuse as any to Chill The F*** Out

having carbs no more than twice a week

So idave then? Unless you don't do any excercise and therefore don't get to eat carbs and don't take a day off?

I've always been able to see mine regardless of diet and exercise. Saying that I've never really eaten junk food, take aways, or drank cans of coke, tango and etc. Bread, pasta and wine & beer etc yes.

Kev

[i]So how do you burn belly fat?

move more eat less, yadda yadda, but moving more how? is it slow and steady excercise that burns fat, or is it short high intensity bursts?

Slow 10k jog, or a fast 1-2k run at max pace you can manage? [/i]

all of the above, with the goal of running a fast 10k at the max pace you manage.

Kev

i'm totally useless at doing stregnth excercises, my core muscles are really weak, i can hardly do any sit ups, and i suffer with a sore lower back now and again. a few years ago i did get into a routine of sit ups, push ups and stretching daily. for the few months i did it i had no back issues at all. similarly a few years ago a only surfed a stand up paddle board, those things are amazing for core workouts, and again no back issues.

Liposuction. Surely the next big thing on STW.

Regarding the OP's core question (pardon the pun), I proffer the following tenuous analogy: if you bought a car and intended to make it perform better on a budget, would you start with new paint and bodywork or would you sort out the tyres/chassis/engine first?

As has been mentioned, core strength is key in many sports. Having strong abs will also help you look thinner like aracer says. I have about 15-20lbs to lose to get my 'visible' six pack back, but it's there under the flab. I have mates who also have a similar amount of extra weight, but their bellies are more pronounced.

"cut the carbs"

Ah yes follow the i thing.... or if you want to still enjoy life just be careful what you eat

"or if you want to still enjoy life just be careful what you eat"

I eat rich tasty fatty food, drink wine, ride my bike and am slim. There are very few things I don't eat. Any other way I should be 'enjoying life', can you give me an example from your own average week where I might be losing out?

Liposuction. Surely the next big thing on STW.

I reckon it would be massive!

Anyway - 6 packs take a lot of hard work and then some more IMO.

Does not eating bread mean you don't enjoy life? Personally i wouldn't follow a lifestyle if I didn't enjoy it, I love the food I eat. I also love a lot of food that my stomach doesn't, so I've stopped eating that.

I would like to know how drinking Coke and eating cheesecake is going to affect my six pack?