Anyone have a 6 pack?

No, I am not referring to beer, cola, batteries, toilet paper or any other thing that is sold in quanities of 6. I am referring to a muscular stomach. Seems from some of the magazines I read, one way to judge your fitness level is by your gut. Of course others are measuring your calf to see if it matches your bicept or being able to touch your knees to your chin.

Anyway, I was wondering, who here has one. Ive yet to meet anyone in person who has one and at those supplement stores lot of the guys are over weight looking or stick skinny. I use to sit next to a guy in an accounting class who had some what muscular looking arms, but was over all skinny. He mainly smoked and sipped diet mt dew.

I myself try my best, but seems my stomach is getting more defined in a curverature and becoming more of a firmer pot belly than a soft one. My arms have some shape to them and legs, but seems despite my best effort I am not getting any smaller and slowly gaining weight.

I fear dieting as its my understanding from the muscle books if you diet, you risk burning muscle you have built inaddition to fat tissue. I got that low blood sugar thing to deal with and seem to need a good 40 grams of protein a day even when not working out.

Its also my understanding from magazines and a few tv shows that most models take laxatives for 2 weeks before the photo shoot. Even the host of fear factor admitted to using a crash diet two weeks before he was photo graphed in a magazine i receive. Then photos in the womens magazines are air brushed or photoshopped.

As myself and the son of the owner at the place where I work compare notes. I seem to be more rounder where as he is more defined. You can start to see his muscle groups in his arms and veins, you just see I am developing larger shoulders and arms are outgrowing my sleeves and legs my pants. Seems I am bulking up where as hes defining. Now hes smaller and uses two times the weight I do, however i work out twice as much.

Just wondering if anyone here works out and or how you judge your shape. I know of the math formulas, but hear they are not always correct. BMI and what not.

BTW, anyone on the beer and lunch meat diet? I understand its something from the UK folks do.I hear it works well.

Ahh yes, to have a he-man ripped stomach is still a goal of mine at age 42 although not a very realstic one.

Like you I have never met a real person that had a ripped stomach. The best I could say is a flat stomach with maybe a little bit of definition showing thru. I've also studied weight lifters at the health club where I belong and in every case, the people who look pretty strong, also have guts of varying degrees.

From what I read in the weight lifting magazines, you cannot gain muscle and lose fat at the same time so this is a contradiction in itself to obtaining a six-pack stomach. Also I read you have to have really low body fat percentages like in the neighborhood of 6-8 percent for your abdomin muscles to show thru. Also from what I read, I guess what a lot of weight lifters do is of course lift and gain muscle as much as possible and then diet like crazy using various methods to hopefully minimize muscle loss to obtain the stomach muscle definition.

It's funny, a few years ago, I read a survey by women on what was most desirable in a guy and it wasn't hunky looks or big muscles but a flat (they didn't say ripped) stomach.

Same here and in agreement with what you've already known via information from magazines and such. From what I understand it is by dieting (cutting out the unnecessary/bad fats, sugars and the like). Also every person differs from the others. Genetics factor?

When I used to work out with my buddies (before they all got married) some 15 years ago, I was a GianniComL8ly with them; whereas they were into their workout routine six (6) months ahead of me before joining in. They were well fit and a lot bigger than I am but 5 to 6 weeks into this routine, my buddies were wondering about me showing more definition than they were. These guys had "chunks" if you will. Just as a comparison, it was more of like me having a gymnast's build and my friends had the Ferrigno(sp?) build. We all ate healthy and exercised together helping each other out and being a source of support.

I guess we all would like to have the perfect build lean and "ripped" and "fit to be tried" looked—reason being is because it's been said that "Image is everything" eh? Hmmm. . .All in all, well balanced and sound dieting and regular excercise helps curb the "bulge" in our gut. As for the defined abs, could be due to genetics to I would guess?

To hell with six-packs, I've got a keg! Having a depressed sternum (chest going in makes gut look going out) doesn't help, either.

cobb said:

I got that low blood sugar thing to deal with and seem to need a good 40 grams of protein a day even when not working out.

Click to expand...

Does protein help with hypoglycemia?

Yeah there was a consumer advocate on a radio talk show that confirmed that a "six-pack" was mainly genetic. The models in the ab-flex and most of the other commercials look that way without doing anything special. They are just made that way. They are paid, of course, to give the credit to the gadget, supplement or diet that they are promoting.

The test of fitness appears to be a proper amount of body fat and the proper amount of muscle and bone density.

The test of correct sex appeal is .... an unknown in my experience.

Nope, never had them even when I used to do more exercises other than walking or cycling. I also think a lot of so-called muscular definition is just genetic rather than a product of working out. I know people who have a lot of muscular definition in their arms who are complete couch potatoes. Other the other hand, I've done loads of digging in the yard, concrete work, weights in college, etc, and my arms are still skinny though strong. You would think my legs would be like tree trunks considering that I could leg press over 1000 pounds in college and have cycled over 55,000 miles. However, they're not. In fact, the only reason they're not skinny like my arms is because of the flab from the 20-25 extra pounds I'm carrying. Never mind a 6-pack. I'll be happy to just go back to a flat stomach at this point.

BTW, I really don't care for the muscular look personally anyway. It just doesn't suit me.

gadget_lover said:

The test of correct sex appeal is .... an unknown in my experience.

Click to expand...

Hey Now! I like that one!

Yeah, I've got a huge six pack, but you just can't see it because it's covered with about 5 inches of fat, but it's there. I'm sure of it.

Well how bout a "close-enought-4-pack?" . . . but that was about 8 - 10 years ago, hehehe. Back during my varsity training in college, it was a source of "manly" pride. Ahhhhh, back when I was young(er) and stupid(er). I'm turning 30 soon though and the bulge around the middle REALLY is getting bigger.

I read something by a leading fitness expert and columnist here stating in print that the idea of "spot reduction" or the idea of working to reduce/sculpt a certian area (i.e. - the abs) was a myth. No matter how many crunches you do, you won't be able to ahieve this state without the benefit of burning calories supplemented thru cardio-training. I believe she was right as this validated what our training was back then. You see, back then I could still do jump-rope and jumping jacks for a full 5 - minutes non-stop and still had some wind to spare for the rest of the warm-up which took almost an hour long.

You may indeed posses those rock-hard, washboards---trouble is, it's under several layers of comfymush.

I made my beer gut dissappear once... but it took a summer of biking 15 miles a day and doing 100 situps each night before bed. I never had a six pack though. Once the school year started again (think heavy drinking, much laziness) all my hard work went to waste.

Everyone has a 6 pack, just that for many, its hiding under a layer of fat thats all.

By the way, wanna discuss how to achieve it? http://forum.bodybuilding.com

SIM37 took the words right out of my mouth I have a great 6-pack, it's just hiding under my energy storage reserves. I have a big box of batteries stored in the fridge against future power outages, I just treat this as my personal energy reserve against an uncertain future

I did loose 10+ pounds last year and got into shape pretty good. But it didn't last, as soon as you start eating normally it all comes back. (and I do mean normally, and healthfully, not just going back to pigging out all the time )It's my opinion that you can shrink the fat cells that you've got, but you can't make them go away, so at the first opportunity they swell back up and you gain it all back. So my more realistic goal at this point it to keep from making any new ones that I wont be able to get rid of. That seems to be working out OK and at 35 I'm only 2 waist sizes up from high school, which isn't too bad really.

Oh..... Glad to see I and others arent in the dark. I know shortly after i posted that, I recall my uncle who died a few years ago and a few guys in shop class in highschool. Their means of measureing how strong you were, was if you could lift the rear of a vw rabbit off the ground. They all could and all were big, and some what fat looking. None looked muscular. I think I have surpassed my uncle in size and weight, however my shorter dad looks fatter than me.

Someone also emailed me some notes. Not a sure fire hard work and exercise method, but it should work given some time to remove the layer of fat.

Yup, got a while to go. I would settle for a flat stomach myself. Supposely my back is curved in and to the left 13 degrees, maybe why it seems to be in the same shape, but firmer than before. I seriously think I am loosing some flab around the middle and entertained the idea of wearing a holster or two for my light and pocket tool. I would not of given that a thought a year ago.

I used to have one, currently it's a more of a 4 pack....
When I had a 6-pack I was either in the field as a soldier/field biologist or playing basketball and working out 2-4 hours a day...

It's hard work for most of us, but I know guys who never get one no matter what they do and guys who never work out and have had 6-packs all their life....

Good luck

i i was friends with a guy in bootcamp that had one, and he didn't work for it...
then there was a suprevisor in my shop on the ship that had one, too.
but he worked out a couple hours a day...

Hmm. When I was younger I had a flat stomach but never built it up. Now after college, a lot of beer, a lot of fast food, and just trying to "out eat" guys way taller/bigger than me (and succeeding!) I have a small amount of fat around my stomach I never had. It's not getting bigger because I resumed my normal eating habbits and don't drink so much now. At first I thought my metabolism had slowed down, but it's just because I binged on so much food that I never have before in my life.

I plan to loose the fat over the winter, and I've been actually considering getting a 6pack. I've been working out the upper part of my body. From the chest up is the only mucsles that are huge now. And it's enough of a difference to make me look weird.. heh. So I plan to work out my legs (which seem to never get big) and my stomach as well as burn fat.

I'll try to burn fat by excersise a good time after I've ate but not starving so I'm not burning what I just digested. Gatorade really helps keep your blood sugar up and you hydrated on long excersize. I'm going to do it at least 4 times a week, and it will help get my lungs & heart in shape so maybe I won't be panting like a dog after doing a set of weights...

I have the potiential to have a 6pack but never really did anything to get it. I think I will now. I gotta concentrate on back, legs, and stomach more now.

BTW I found out that ever person will build muscle differently in how they work out. Also, I found out that different mucles on mybody respond differently too.

Take for example my biceps. I couldn't get them to get bigger at all. My triceps and chest and shoulders were huge, my triceps being bigger than some guys biceps. But my arms looked small because people see biceps first. I do very heavy weight with 3 sets of 10. This works great for everything on me but my biceps.

I though well I might try to tone them if I can't get them to bulk up. So I went to 65lb bar and did 3 sets of 15. Wow, they burned! I did that for 3 weeks and what do ya know, my bicpes are a good size bigger! They aren't really toned either, but it's a lot more of muscle mass. So I've been sticking with that and they keep getting bigger! yeah I found out the secret for my biceps!!

I think I'll try this on my legs instead of doing the whole stack of weights. I'll go a few lbs lighter and do more reps... I'll see if they repsond better this way.

I'm really skinny but have broad shoulders. I'm ~5'11" (haven't measured myself in years) and weigh only ~140-150. If it were not for me working out now I'd look terribly small. Instead I look average size now, but it's all muscle, making me have the advantage over a guy the same "outer size" as me.

It's been said that 90% of believing is doing it—or something along those lines. . .Yes, for me it's easier said than done. In my case I need to.

Got this Hang-Ups thing that you can hang upside down from and do crunches. It is claimed that it saves your back. Been using it for some years now, and it does help alleviate my lower back pains and has toned my abs down. Although not with the "ripped" six pack that I used (and that is a big USED TO) to have. . .

Sorry PhotonWrangler, forgot your question. The protein seems to do nothing, at least the regular type. The diet or low carb mixes and low carb sandwiches can guarantee my sugar will crash. I generaly will eat half what i would otherwise and drink a 40 gram shake or about 280 calories.

Being on the phone all day, I kind of take in a lot of fluids. I start the day off with a cup of water and a banana 530am. 730 am at work take a can of slimfast or protein drink (same calories). 9am either an egg and ham sandwich with crystal light diet lemonade from the roach coach or a tunafish lunch kit and oj from home. I then refill the bottle with water and drink that til 1150. I then head to the roach coach for a grilled tuna melt, fries and 2 diet can cokes or crystal light in bottle. I then refill the bottle or cans with water and drink it til 330. I then will drink a can coke or part of a bottle of gatorade and take a smoke after work before riding/waiting for the bus. Sometimes I will have a pack of nuts depending on how my blood sugar feels. 5pm eat supper. Either 2 blts and banana, nuggets and fries, chicken sandwich and baked potato, turkey sandwich with 2 slices of cheese and chips and a protein shake. Work out for 45 minutes about an hour later. 20 minutes cardio on a bike and 25 minutes with 60-80 sit ups and 20 reps on all upper body muscle groups. Feels good to flex my arms and chest while I petal.

Its just a regular petal bike with a big dashboard and electric resistance. I have it on mode 4 of 7. I bought it from a guy at work. I had a cross trainer that i think worked well with air resistance, but it folded up in half. I also had a recumberment bike with the screw knob for resistance, I maxed it out and broke a petal off of it. Man, i use to love to petal that backwards and forwards 30 minutes each and watch my legs balloon up too big to fit in my pants. My thighs use to rub together they were so big. It made it feel funny to walk for a while there. Since they shrunk.

I got an elliptical cross trainer, but I dont think I was up to using it. After 2 minutes of work, had to stop and catch breath. After 10 minutes my legs became ridgid. I could not bend them at my knees till 10 minutes later after riding it.

Man,that sounds like a lot of work to get a 6 pack. I would settle for 4 or those before photos you see for diet pills in some mens magazines. I am about up to the before photos already.

IsaacHayes, I use to do hammer curls while petaling my recumberment bike. I would do 10 sets of 10. Man, my arms looked the reverse of popeye. The forearm and bicep were small, but man, I had a large lump of meat where my elbow joint is. I think I got tennis elbow and slacked off doing that, use less weight and when I broke the petal off the bike, it was difficult to do again on my new bike and with that minor ache, I started doing regular curls to target the bicep.

I use to go heavy on the gut, then feel like i pulled something and slack off til the pain went away. Ive done that 3 times since last fall. Ive been doing it fairly hard this year and seen no more results than before.