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To expect to have a trace of a 6 pack by August?

7 replies

MollyBee · 25/05/2013 20:27

Going on my holidays in August. Just sort of realised I should tone up a bit (a lot). Can I achieve this by frantic hula hooping and sit ups?

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SoftKittyWarmKitty · 25/05/2013 20:33

You need Jillan Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Google it and place an order.

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LaurieFairyCake · 25/05/2013 20:39

You don't get a six pack unless you have about 18% body fat or below.

Hopefully that depresses you enough to drink a six pack Wink

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worley · 25/05/2013 20:41

i have over 18% body fat and have debts where my abs are.. GET SHREDDING! by day 30 you will see them for sure

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worley · 25/05/2013 20:41

i meant dents!!! sorry on phone

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pinkballetflats · 25/05/2013 20:48

It depends on how hard you are willing to work. Getting a six pack is notoriously hard for women to achieve but not impossible - and individual genetics comes into play here too...easier for some women, harder for others. YOU CANNOT SPOT REDUCE FAT FROM THE BODY THROUGH SPECIFIC EXERCISES. \I cannot stress that enough - no amount of sit ups (which are for the most part highly ineffective and a waste of most people's time unless you're doing it correctly and even then there are far better exercises for toning the transverse, rectus and oblique muscles)

The single biggest thing you can do for your six pack is diet - around 80% of what your body is composed of is DIET. A clean, 5-6 small meals a day, moderate (good) fats, low(ish) carbs, high protein, plenty of veg (fruit stick to just ttwo portions a day those being berries and melon and only half a cup of each = 2 portions)

The second most influential thing you can do for that 6 pack is lift weights - and I mean LIFT weights, not fannying around with a couple of 3lb dumbells doing 3 sets of 15 reps (what a complete waste of time). Muscle burns calories, builds bones, protects the body from injury, improves stamina, strength, energy levels and balance/coordination. Will you start to look like a man? Yes - if you supplement with illegal drugs, live in the gym and supplement even more with illegal drugs. If you lift properly, decently and regularly you will improve your BMR (basal metabolic rate - meaning more calories burnt even when you sleep) and your body shape.

You have a very small amount of time to achieve body fat loss and muscle gain. I have no idea of your basic genetic make up (accounts for about 10% of how you look) or your current body fat % (and it's body fat % that dictates the appearance of a 6 pack) - but even starting in relatively decent shape you will have to work hard.

I used to lift, I'm just an amateur, but I used to work bloody hard and never achieved a 6 pack (did have a decent vertical line though) because I never got my body fat low enough - and I'd never try to keep my body fat so low as to have a 6 pack because for most women that would be unhealthy.

The best resource I used to use was Oxygen magazine - great tips, great diet advice, great workouts. If you see women in there truly muscled up don't wory - they are at their competition stage - ripped to shreds - it's not something they sustain al year round and most of the year they just look pretty good - and to even get to look like them when they are not competing you have to work extremely hard.

I also used to use the Spartacus workout.

Both of those can be found in a google search

HTH.

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MollyBee · 25/05/2013 20:53

Wow Pink, amazing post. Thank you.


Not sure how you work out body fat though.

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pinkballetflats · 25/05/2013 21:03

Working out body fat percentage is difficult - most methods are pretty inaccurate ( unless you're in with someone on one of the sport science programmes in one of the better universities!)

Concentrate on diet - CLEAN, no junk, no more than the equivalent of 2 portions of carbs a day (eg 2 slices of bread), plenty of low fat dairy (calcium actually binds to dietary fat) - good quality fats (fish oils, flax seeds, olive oil), good quality protein (egg whites, chicken, fish, red meat, cottage cheese - which used to be my breakfast life saver) and find a good quality protein shake for post work out protein boost.

Weights - if the muscle you are working on doesn't begin to burn by rep 9 and a 12 rep set you're either lifting wrong (eg using other muscles ot help the main muscle or returning to the beginning to fast) or using too light a weight, or a combination of both.

A really really great book (which has the spartacus workout in it) is this one

www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Health-Book-Exercises-ebook/dp/B008ET9FKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369512037&sr=8-1&keywords=Big%20book%20of%20womens%20exercises&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

If you pick out a workout in there, follow the diet rules to the letter, throw in anything you find in addition online with Oxygen, are prepared to sweat your guts out and push through wanting to quit and most importantly EXECUTE EVERY SINGLE REP OF EVERY EXCERCISE with GOOD FORM you WILL see a difference for your holiday - but a six pack cannot be promised.

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