Ppl, im a little confused/in need of help. in about 2 months im going to have to be wearing a uniform that will be like skin tight and id like to have a nice stomach to show off. right now i think i have an ok stomach, its flat, but id like a little definition, maybe a 6 pack if possible. but the thing is id rather not have to diet to get one. so heres where all you ppl come in, what do you suggest i do? keep in mind i only have 2 months, and i dont have the resources to go to a gym. so what am i to do? does it help that im 16, 5'5, 115lbs?, be very thankful if you could help. thxz.

male or female?

Do ab exercises and rest until theyre not sore anymore, maybe 2 days rest, then do them again. Here are a few to try out:

Ins and outs: (upper and lower abs) Lie on your back, hands at your sides or under your buttocks. Move through the following four positions: (1) legs extended and 6 inches off the ground; (2) legs bent and pulled toward the chest; (3) legs extended up to the ceiling; (4) legs bent and pulled toward the chest again.

Crossover crunches: (obliques) Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. With your hands behind your head, raise your shoulders off the ground and twist toward your left knee. Lower to the starting position and repeat, this time twisting to your right knee.

Straight-leg flutter kick: (lower abs) Lie on your back with your hands under your buttocks and both feet 6 inches off the ground. Keeping your legs straight, kick your feet in a flutter-kick motion.

Dying cockroach: (upper and lower abs) Lie flat on your back with your legs straight, heels just off the ground, and arms extended above your head. (Be careful not to arch your lower back.) Lift your legs while simultaneously raising your chest and reaching for your toes (your body makes a "V"shape). Return to starting position.

End your circuit-abs workout with the following stabilization exercise. With this one, try to hold the position for 60 seconds, but don't be surprised if you're shaky after 30.

The stabilizer: (entire abdominal area) Think pushup position here, except your body weight should be resting on your forearms instead of your hands. Push your body to the "up" position, tighten your stomach, and keep your shoulders, back, buttocks, and heels in a straight line. Now hold.

um, female, dont know what that has to do about it but ok NAXIS

It's relevant because women tend to have higher body fat %. Sorry to offend you.

no offense taken, but so what does my body fat% have to do with getting profound abs? ?????

Abs will not show unless you have very little body fat, and it's exceptionally difficult for women. It sounds like you're pretty lean, but you may have to get leaner to actually *show* a six pack. Unfortunately that has a lot to do with diet. Doing the exercises Hobbz recommended will help to build the muscles, but unless you literally strip the fat from your belly, you won't see them. You can try to add some cardio to burn some extra calories and you may see some results that way also. If you flex your abs, can you see any muscle definition?

While were on the topic of abs and showing abs, I had a question.

I'd say I have more bodyfat than youre average regular exerciser, especially around the abs, but I can see these thin horizontal lines that seem to seperate the abs area into abs. What do these lines signify?

Spood - No diet = no abs

Unless you have a genetic predisposition to very little fat on you abdomen and if that were the case you probably wouldn't be posting

if you flex, you can still see the outline of the muscles even with fat covering them, but unless the fat is gone, it won't be the "6 pack"

No I mean even when I dont flex I can see these two horizontal lines on my stomach that seem to be sunk in by a few millimetres. Whats that all about?

ok ppl, i get what your saying, basicly, do those exercises, alittle cardio, and diet. ok. hm... well, about that cardio Naxis, did you have anything in mind? and yeah if i do flex there is slight definition, but first i need the "fat" to be gone. right gotcha on that one. well, the next thing then would be the diet. since Chappyboy brought it to my attention that its basicly a must for abs, what then are the things i should be cutting down on, and/or eating more of? anyone wanna help with that one? and buy the way ppl, so far you've been a great help (cept with that diet part) j/k. but im willing. thxz.

anything that gets your heart rate up for 20-40 minutes at a time is great. Biking, rollerblading, running, sports, swimming, jump rope...

Cardio is always good, but I think a ton of sit ups every day will do the job. It sounds like you have very little body fat, and any kind of consistant toning would do the trick. I like Denise Austin's 6 minute video, you can get it real cheap on amazon. There are many videos you can do at home that focus on abs. Amazon has great prices. :)

oh, one more thing guys, i think i read on one of the threads that u should only work out ur abs twice a week. is this true, or can u work with them more?

They are a muscle like any other twice a week tops

I think a ton of sit ups every day will do the job.

i thought that traditional sit up exercises are meant to be very bad for your back? hobz's suggestions for alternative exercises seem to be a better bet in my opinion.

i thought that traditional sit up exercises are meant to be very bad for your back? hobz's suggestions for alternative exercises seem to be a better bet in my opinion.
Sit ups...whatever works the abs, but the traditional way of saying it is sit ups, there are many different forms of them too, and ones that aren't bad for the back.

But overall higher bodyfat can translate into lack of a six pack and lack of testosterone will make the getting / staying at a low bodyfat % difficult.