ABS AND DEFINITION

[pinkpink]

Hey Fitbits,

How do you get those Abs to show?

I'm in pretty good shape for (20.5% BFP, 128.5 lbs, 5"8, Female, 24 yrs ) and do cardio 5 days a week, strength train 3 days, still over the years abs do not show, particularly obliques'

Looking for advice 🙂 esp if you got there! Thx

[too_spicy · Accepted solution]

It's all about genetics and body fat percentage man.

Clearly your bfp is already pretty low, but from what I've seen, most ladies won't start to have visible abs until they get down to about 18%. Lame. I know. I'm right there with you on that one. 

Even if you do get down to a really low body fat percentage, you might not have really deep grooves between your abs, which is what makes them visible. You can make the grooves deeper by making bigger ab muscles, but that's about it. The rest is up to your genetics. 

The best advice I can give you is to LIFT HEAVIER. Like as HEAVY AS POSSIBLE. Squats, deadlifts, weighted ab or lower back exercises... anything where you have to fully engage your core. That's literally the only reason you can see my obliques.

[Dominique]

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@too_spicy wrote:

from what I've seen, most ladies won't start to have visible abs until they get down to about 18%.

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This is indeed what this link (visual representation of various body fat ranges for men and women) suggests.

[pinkpink]

to both of you, thank you 🙂 

if thats the case i'm happy where i'm at.

focus on maintenance and wellness in life from now on 

happy new year and good luck w all ur goals!

[Raviv]

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@pinkpink wrote:

to both of you, thank you 🙂 

if thats the case i'm happy where i'm at.

focus on maintenance and wellness in life from now on 

happy new year and good luck w all ur goals!

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Perfect response!

If it comes naturally without a ton of effort, then visible abs are a really cool thing.  But I have seen too many people make it "the thing that will make me happy" and spend way too much time and effort to get them.

[GuinnessLover]

Well, I'm a guy, but my belly is the last place I lose fat, so I'm thinking my experience is somewhat applicable here.  

Anyway, the thing that I found really shredded my obliques is a weighted hula hoop.  They make them in different weights.  Start with 3# and maybe work up to 5#.  You can do it while you're watching TV, or as part of a cardio circuit, whatever.  It's great for your forward abs, obliques, lower back muscles and legs, especially thighs.  

I was at my annual physical last year and my doctor was feeling my belly and she paused and felt around with a weird look on her face.  She thought she felt something solid in there, but it was just my ab muscles!  

[GuinnessLover]

I forgot to add that I lost 3 inches off my waist doing the weighted hula hoop 12 minutes/day.  That wasn't even what I was trying to accomplish, but I'm back to the same jeans size I wore in high school (I'm 47).