Six-pack belly.

[Eleven]

I've been slowly reducing my body fat over the past year and am between 13-14 right now (conservatively); I was 15% last time I was measured and I've shed a lot since then. I've also been doing more heavy ab work and squats. In the right light, when I am dehydrated, I have a feint six-pack. However when I have eaten and am hydrated it looks I'm on the lager and kebabs.

I was talking to a hotty in the gym today she commented, "you're looking quite toned, but it's hard to keep slim around the middle when you get to your age isn't it". I swore at her and flounced out the gym, obviously.

The truth of the matter is, though, that I obviously do look a bit portly round the middle, when compared to the rest of me. I know this can be a problem for some blokes, in fact I know one chap with a six pack who looks like he has a beer belly a lot of the time, but others seem fine at higher BFs.

So what to do? Stop with the ab work until my BF is about 10%? Or stick with the current regime?

[J4CKO]

A young girl at work and were chatting about hair, her half my age at 22, I mentioned my greying temples, she said

"Can't you get some implants"

I assume she meant hair implants but said,

"I suppose a nice air of jugs would distract people from my slight greying issue"

Might as well have a laugh as you aren't in with a shout anyway and to be honest it would be too much like hard work !

[Hoofy]

Eleven said:

I swore at her and flounced out the gym, obviously.

Can you see your abs? Do you look lean around the middle or is it a bit flabby still? If I slouch, I look awful in that area. But I guess that is to be expected.

https://youtu.be/cl4aNylPzGE

[Eleven]

Hoofy said:

Eleven said:

I swore at her and flounced out the gym, obviously.

Can you see your abs? Do you look lean around the middle or is it a bit flabby still? If I slouch, I look awful in that area. But I guess that is to be expected.

https://youtu.be/cl4aNylPzGE

Depends on the day. In my eyes I look like I need to lose 2-4% BF.

[Hoofy]

Drop your cals for a few weeks, then!

[Halb]

Eleven said:

o what to do? Stop with the ab work until my BF is about 10%? Or stick with the current regime?

What's you ab routine?



Incidentally, I snagged a young hottie last Sep/Oct at the gym....which was nice.

[Eleven]

Hoofy said:

Drop your cals for a few weeks, then!

I'll tell you what I am on in a minute, but what do you think I should be eating in cals?

I am 13.5 stone, 13-14% BF and want to be C10%. I am training with weights 3-4 times per week for 1.5 hours followed by 45 mins LISS cardio, then two other cardio sessions. My goal is 10% BF.

[Hoofy]

I can't possibly say as I don't know your height.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10...

[Eleven]

Hoofy said:

I can't possibly say as I don't know your height.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10...

I was just going to add that.. 5ft 9.5

[Hoofy]

Eleven said:

I was just going to add that.. 5ft 9.5

Aim for 2000-2200. At a guess!

[Eleven]

Hoofy said:

Aim for 2000-2200. At a guess!

I was on 2000 but dropped it to 1700 for a few weeks. I lost fat but it was hard. That was keto. This week I have been back up at 2k and eating carbs. I look enormous and am farting like a trooper. Also have more flab around my lower abs.

[Halb]

Then stick at sub-100g carbs till you hit goal?

[Eleven]

Halb said:

Then stick at sub-100g carbs till you hit goal?

Keto is below 50 typically.

To be honest I do prefer doing that. Fewer hunger pangs, look slimmer and from Friday night to Saturday night I re-feed woo-hoo.

The downside is that it's difficult to remain hydrated without eating loads of salt and I look gaunt. Carbs give me a youthful glow!

But my original question really was shall I reduce ab work or just put up with looking portly and just keep going for the fact loss?

[Eleven]

Halb said:

What's you ab routine?

Cable crunches, decline sit-ups with weight, knee raises, crunches, weighted side bends. I do one of those twice per week in addition to squats.

[J4CKO]

I dont think we are actually designed to be constantly showing muscle definition, it is a bit of an anomaly, if you weight that and have low body fat, you arent fat and dont worry what some bird says, you are doing well, but she is actually not looking washboard abs, she wants a bloke with a few pounds of meat not a narcissistic borderline homosexual who spends all his time in the gym.

[Hoofy]

Eleven said:

But my original question really was shall I reduce ab work or just put up with looking portly and just keep going for the fact loss?

What do the ab exercises do for you?

[Halb]

Eleven said:

Keto is below 50 typically.
To be honest I do prefer doing that. Fewer hunger pangs, look slimmer and from Friday night to Saturday night I re-feed woo-hoo.
The downside is that it's difficult to remain hydrated without eating loads of salt and I look gaunt. Carbs give me a youthful glow!
But my original question really was shall I reduce ab work or just put up with looking portly and just keep going for the fact loss?

From what I have read, ketones start to get released at sub-100, and at sub-30 you're getting into running almost exclusively on ketones. By keeping it at the upper levels of keto one can keep it going for longer and lie is happier. I've used ketone strips which tell one how many ketones are being produced and what level you are at. I'd stick with ab work. I myself am currently reducing carbs, I doubt I'll go below 100 though, currently at 130g.

Eleven said:

Cable crunches, decline sit-ups with weight, knee raises, crunches, weighted side bends. I do one of those twice per week in addition to squats.

All sound good. Increasing weight is awkward for rectus abdominus exercises, but cable crunches can do it. I do hanging crunches (very hard), hanging full leg raises (pikes) and power twists. I did post some t-nation articles a while ago about the best ab exercies.
They reckon roll-outs and swiss-ball pikes/jacknives.

[Eleven]

Hoofy said:

Eleven said:

But my original question really was shall I reduce ab work or just put up with looking portly and just keep going for the fact loss?

What do the ab exercises do for you?

Grow my abs? Not with you.

[didelydoo]

Ab rolls and decline sit ups for the win. I'm rocking an awesome 6 pack just now

[Eleven]

Halb said:

From what I have read, ketones start to get released at sub-100, and at sub-30 you're getting into running almost exclusively on ketones. By keeping it at the upper levels of keto one can keep it going for longer and lie is happier. I've used ketone strips which tell one how many ketones are being produced and what level you are at. I'd stick with ab work. I myself am currently reducing carbs, I doubt I'll go below 100 though, currently at 130g.

You may well be right about the sub 100 point, but I believe most people consider sub 50 to be a low carb diet. I have also not experimented with how many carbs I can eat, yet still enter ketosis. I just drop sub-50.

I don't need Ketostix anymore I have gone from high to low carb that many times. From Sunday night's last meal with carbs it takes me until Thursday lunchtime, typically, to have enough ketones to show on Ketostix. Tuesday / Wednesday can be a bit grim if I've been on carbs for a week or more.

An aside - I really struggle to eat carbs now. I have to stop eating a meal and take a break.

Halb said:

All sound good. Increasing weight is awkward for rectus abdominus exercises, but cable crunches can do it. I do hanging crunches (very hard), hanging full leg raises (pikes) and power twists. I did post some t-nation articles a while ago about the best ab exercies.
They reckon roll-outs and swiss-ball pikes/jacknives.

I have never done roll-outs, perhaps I'll try. I may have avoided them since my kid brother tried them once and collapsed on top the wheel, which hit him square in the crown jewels. It was a lot funnier for me than him.