It seems that no matter what I do I can't get a six pack. It seems that I will be very very close where I can amost see definition but then all of a sudden, I will be stuck and go down hill from there. Can anyone please help me?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

Whats your diet look like?

One of my favorite quotes about abs is from a female power lifter: "Everyone has a washboard. If you want to see it, you have to remove the layer between the abs and the eyes. That's diet."

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

My diet is alright. Not the best in the world. What kinds of foods do you recommmend that would help? I'm not really good on the whole diet thing.

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

I read that for men you have to get below 8% body fat to actually see your abs. What's your BF right now?

Depends on what you want to do... there's keto, cyclical keto, isocaloric, basic calorie deficit.... etc. As long as you get enough protein and still have a calorie deficit, you should be okay. Eat clean and results come a lot faster.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

[This message has been edited by Naxis (edited 11-14-2002).]

What do you mean eat clean?? I don't understand? I need specifics.

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

I think clean is defined as eating "whole foods" vs. processed foods?

I think most body builders cut carbs pretty hard when they're "cutting" which is what allows you to see the muscle underneath. So, clean would be not drinking soda or beer, staying away from snack cake type foods. A diet of chicken breast, tuna, steamed veggies, oatmeal and egg whites.

Yes, clean foods are mostly unprocessed and are simply prepared. Ex. Baked, grilled, broiled meats. Steamed or lightly microwaved veggies. No heavy sauces, few fats, reduced sodium.

I suggest you pick up a book on BB nutrition to get more details. I personally like Bill Phillip's work, but there are tons of others out there. Weider also has one called The Edge that covers all the bases.

Luck!

I'll second the motion about Bill Phillip. I've been on his Body-for-Life program for 5 weeks now and feel great!

Hello, What kinds of exercises are you doing to try to get the 6 pack?

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Magpie

I don't do a whole lot of abs. I do them twice a week, and when I do I do leg raises, hanging leg raises, sit ups on a decline bench, and an ab machine with resistant. I do about 3 sets of 20 each

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

yea its all about the diet. i've always been very active with exercise and sports but once i started creating a calorie deficit and going pretty low -moderate in my carbs (and low GI ones )...i started to notice the best results in my abs.

im in a similar situation as the original poster. my body fat is normally around 10-12% and im having trouble getting that last bit of definition. im willing to make the move to a serious diet, but im unsure of what it should be exactly. how do you know the proper amount of calories, carbs and protein to consume?

When I was about 15 I ate a lot of grilled chicken and grapefruit and just played basketball two or three times a week. I think i'm going to go to that kind of diet pretty soon with a little more cardio and lifting. What do ya think?

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

Chicken and grapefruit isn't particularly healthy, just fyi. It's been said before, a calorie deficit with clean foods (un-processed) is the way to go and I would even go so far as to say low carb. Not necessarily Atkins low, but under 100g a day if you want some definition. The higher protein, lower carb diets also minimize water retention so you look more cut even if the fat loss isn't that dramatic.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

Naxis can you give me some food that you would recommend when cutting?

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OBSESSED is just a work the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED.

Mitchell
Just an observation. It looks like your question about diet has already been answered by a number of different people - Naxis included. Read over all the posts and look around on the internet for some diet ideas. There are many BB websites that post sample eating programs.

There is no single food that will cut your abs, it is the entire program of eating and exercise.

You do your own grocery shopping!

Just kidding... but Absinthe said it. There isnt a magic diet. And mine is so dull, I hesitate to recommend it to anyone ( subsist primarily on tuna and broccoli, for the record). Just keep track of calories and keep it well rounded.
Protein: chicken, fish, canned tuna/chicken, lean beef, eggs.
Carbs: brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, (cottage cheese and yogurt for carbs and protein), wheat bread or tortillas etc...
Fats: Flax seed oil, salmon, avacado, olive oil, nuts, etc.

help any?

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

My two cents:

I started working out hardcore (5 days a week with a trainer), including 6 hours of cardio a week but not eating clean. I worked my butt off (but not literally) and was not seeing the results that I thought I should. After cleaning up my diet and being very serious about it (no free days until I get where I want to be) did I begin to see the results I wanted.

With that said, I have the most respect I could ever have dreamed to have for drug free, clean eating, fit men and women. It aint easy!