Six Pack by July

[Erin]

Okay I''d like to join HL!
I''m 34 and just bought an expensive two piece swimsuit as a motivator to get back to college body. I''ve got quite a ways to go and I''m not giving up yet. Although I''ve never had children so I don''t really have much of an excuse... I''m totally comfortable in my skin now, even though by ''charts'' I should lose 20 pounds. It''s just something I''m giving a go at. At 5''8/170 I''m not going to get into a size 6 pair of jeans, but I don''t want to, or at least don''t care to - it''s not a goal. However my goal is to get some version of a six pack by my birthday at the end of July.

I''m going to Jazzercise 5-6 times a week and now that the weather is nicer I''ll start golfing and walking. I have a bike, but I''m not sure if that is good calorie burning exercise, is it? My weakness is Miller Lite and the occassional sweet tooth.

Anyone have any suggestions for burning that layer that hides my ab muscles?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hi! Welcome to the HL board!

Biking (for me anyway) is a fantastic workout. I like to mix up my cardio and do 1/2 walking and jogging and 1/2 biking. I like to pick bike routes that are safe, offer nice scenery, and have a decent number of hills. The hills are GREAT for your butt! When I bike inside on the machine I do the random hill program at a level 4. 30 minutes=10 miles on the machine. I don''t bike nearly that much outside though. I try to vary the intensity of my walking/jogging as well. I go for hills, different terrain, and mix up my pace regularly. I''ve found that mixing things up regularly keeps me interested and keeps my body guessing about what''s coming up next.

 

[BeachRunner]

Welcome!

Congrats on beginning your journey towards a more healthy lifestyle! My best advice to you on fat burning is cardio cardio cardio! "Spot training" does not work, and the only way to burn fat is through cardio. One can do hundreds of crunches, but will still have the fat on top. Abs are one of the hardest to tone (I''m still working on them myself!)

It sounds like you are headed in the right direction for your goal!

 

[beau13]

Date: 4/17/2009 9:51:13 AM
Author:Starset Princess
Okay I''d like to join HL!
I''m 34 and just bought an expensive two piece swimsuit as a motivator to get back to college body. I''ve got quite a ways to go and I''m not giving up yet. Although I''ve never had children so I don''t really have much of an excuse... I''m totally comfortable in my skin now, even though by ''charts'' I should lose 20 pounds. It''s just something I''m giving a go at. At 5''8/170 I''m not going to get into a size 6 pair of jeans, but I don''t want to, or at least don''t care to - it''s not a goal. However my goal is to get some version of a six pack by my birthday at the end of July.

I''m going to Jazzercise 5-6 times a week and now that the weather is nicer I''ll start golfing and walking. I have a bike, but I''m not sure if that is good calorie burning exercise, is it? My weakness is Miller Lite and the occassional sweet tooth.

Anyone have any suggestions for burning that layer that hides my ab muscles?

Hi Starset..I''m 5''8, with an athletic build (tend to put on muscle easily), about 150 pounds, and will never be pencil thin (nor would I want to be). I can tell you that a six pack comes with different body types, and a very disciplined diet! Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction (hoping it will leave from the ab area only). You must decrease your percentage of total body fat (about 17 % would be acceptable for seeing the underlying abs), but you must also cut out carbs (almost in it''s entirety) to see a six pack. You can have a flat, lean mid section by working your core (those huge balls are great for that), but it really does rely mostly on diet. What you put (or don''t put) into your mouth, will reflect on the appearance of the mid-section. So..key to a relly defined set of abs, is very low body fat %, combined with strengthening exercises, but mostly achievable with proper diet/nutrition/supplements. The jazzercise will take care of reducing the body fat, while toning too!

 

[sammyj]

I''ve dreamed of having a six-pack for years!!! It''s definitely a life goal of mine. I am convinced that you cannot have a six-pack and real breasts though

.

I''ll have to ditto everything that beau said. She gave excellent advice. Lots of cardio, decreasing your body fat, and a strict diet are essential. While spot training doesn''t work, you should still do ab exercises to at least develop the muscles. If there aren''t strong muscles there, then how do they pop?

For reference, I''m attaching a pic of the owner of the gym I go to. She is a mom of 2, does 6 Crossfit workouts per week, is an ironman triathlete, follows the Zone diet and does Isagenix cleanses. She''s definitely stacked, but not in a masculine way.

 

[Lorelei]

I just wanted to wish you luck Starset!

 

[marcy]

Good luck!

 

[beau13]

Just wanted to post a couple pics.
This is the result of disciplined eating (virtually NO carbs), VERY low body fat, and after having two kids!

 

[beau13]

One more..6 pack, and fabulous obliques!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Cycling worked for me--or at least got mine started. Core strength training. Cardio.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 4/18/2009 7:39:01 PM
Author: beau13
Just wanted to post a couple pics.
This is the result of disciplined eating (virtually NO carbs), VERY low body fat, and after having two kids!

Beau is that you or a friend of yours??


SSP, I have a friend who is a bodybuilder and she use to eat lots of lean protein; I bet there are body builder guides out there that might help?

 

[InLuv101]

I just wanted to offer you some encouragement Starset!! I was similar to you in proportions (5''7 1/2" and 173.5lbs) when I started on 3/23/09 and have lost 8 lbs so far. It''s been exciting and once you see the lbs coming off it''s easier to stay motivated.

I agree with the other who have said that you can''t spot reduce but reducing your overall body fat will help those abs show! Rock that 2 piece woman!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 4/20/2009 9:55:57 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

This is good advice. Interval training is directly correlated to your anaerobic threshold. Here is a semi-decent article that explains this.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/20/2009 10:15:55 PM
Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 9:55:57 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

This is good advice. Interval training is directly correlated to your anaerobic threshold. Here is a semi-decent article that explains this.

I do this and I notice within a few weeks a difference every time I change it up.

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 4/20/2009 10:23:35 PM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/20/2009 10:15:55 PM

Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 9:55:57 PM

Author: AmberGretchen

One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

This is good advice. Interval training is directly correlated to your anaerobic threshold. Here is a semi-decent article that explains this.

I do this and I notice within a few weeks a difference every time I change it up.

May I ask your schedule? I need to start taking my own advice! How often and how much do you increase your intervals?

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 4/20/2009 10:25:53 PM
Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 10:23:35 PM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/20/2009 10:15:55 PM

Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 9:55:57 PM

Author: AmberGretchen

One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

This is good advice. Interval training is directly correlated to your anaerobic threshold. Here is a semi-decent article that explains this.

I do this and I notice within a few weeks a difference every time I change it up.

May I ask your schedule? I need to start taking my own advice! How often and how much do you increase your intervals?

It usually rely on my body to tell me when I need to change it up. Most of the time I get in to a routine that I like and when I get bored a few weeks later I look for other ways to make it fun and hard again.

If I''m running I have a couple of plans I like. I typically run for an hour but spend 25-30min on interval sets. Here is one I do:

5 min warm up at moderate speed (5.7mph - 6.0 mph)
1 min sprint at lets say 7.5mph
2min run at 6.5
1 min sprint at 8mph
2 min run at 7mph
1min sprint at 8.2 mph
2 min run at 6.0
1 min sprint at 8.5
2 min run at 6.5
1 min sprint at 8.0

Ok... so you get the idea. Then, if I''m not feeling that plan latley I''ve been increasing my spead .1mph every .05 miles. So if I start out at 6mph then at .05 I increase to 6.1 and so on. Then when I get to my max I maintain that for the end of 10 min. So if I run a mile at 8:30mph then for the last minute and a half I keep it at my highest speed. This has really helped my interval training.

When I run outside I totally make it up and just make sure I have a good workout.

I also take a few spin classes a week which are totally interval at my gym.

I really can''t maintain running intervals for a hour every day so most of the time I make sure I do at least 30 min of intervals and then sometimes my heart rate stays up even if I reduce my speed to a really light jog.

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 4/20/2009 10:42:13 PM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/20/2009 10:25:53 PM

Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 10:23:35 PM

Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 4/20/2009 10:15:55 PM


Author: BeachRunner

Date: 4/20/2009 9:55:57 PM


Author: AmberGretchen


One other thing that really helps with burning fat - interval training. You have to do really intense intervals (sprinting is great), but it really helps - even just adding one 20- or 30-minute interval workout to your routine can really shake things up and make a big difference.

This is good advice. Interval training is directly correlated to your anaerobic threshold. Here is a semi-decent article that explains this.

I do this and I notice within a few weeks a difference every time I change it up.

May I ask your schedule? I need to start taking my own advice! How often and how much do you increase your intervals?

It usually rely on my body to tell me when I need to change it up. Most of the time I get in to a routine that I like and when I get bored a few weeks later I look for other ways to make it fun and hard again.


If I''m running I have a couple of plans I like. I typically run for an hour but spend 25-30min on interval sets. Here is one I do:


5 min warm up at moderate speed (5.7mph - 6.0 mph)

1 min sprint at lets say 7.5mph

2min run at 6.5

1 min sprint at 8mph

2 min run at 7mph

1min sprint at 8.2 mph

2 min run at 6.0

1 min sprint at 8.5

2 min run at 6.5

1 min sprint at 8.0


Ok... so you get the idea. Then, if I''m not feeling that plan latley I''ve been increasing my spead .1mph every .05 miles. So if I start out at 6mph then at .05 I increase to 6.1 and so on. Then when I get to my max I maintain that for the end of 10 min. So if I run a mile at 8:30mph then for the last minute and a half I keep it at my highest speed. This has really helped my interval training.


When I run outside I totally make it up and just make sure I have a good workout.


I also take a few spin classes a week which are totally interval at my gym.


I really can''t maintain running intervals for a hour every day so most of the time I make sure I do at least 30 min of intervals and then sometimes my heart rate stays up even if I reduce my speed to a really light jog.

Thank you for sharing EM1

(end threadjack)

 

[emeraldlover1]

yeah, sorry bout that!

 

[MMT]

I think starting a workout plan to be healthy, tone up and possibly lose a little weight sounds great. I think six pack abs aren''t realistic for most people and you might be setting yourself up for failure if that is your goal. I have always worked out and never had a weight problem ( 5''4" 113) but I''ve never had anything close to six pack abs. I think you will be amazed what a little cardio and weight training can do for your shape. Good luck

 

[beau13]

That''s a good interval plan EM1.
I did almost that exact plan on Saturday, and blew out my knee!
YIKES! Haven''t been able to bend it since Saturday. Today the doc gave me some anti-inflam. drugs and I am hoping to be back in business tomorrow. If not, she is sending me to a sports therapist!
She said walk, don''t run (yeah right..like I''ll be bathing suit worthy by summer with just a walk?) Not likely!
The walk, jog, sprint stuff does get you into shape quicker than strictly walking..it shocks your body, just when it thinks you''re going to allow it to cool down!
I must find other forms of cardio that aren''t so hard on the knees. Walking lunges, and squats are excellent for the thighs/buttocks, but definitely hard on the knees!

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 4/21/2009 8:03:27 PM
Author: beau13
That''s a good interval plan EM1.

I did almost that exact plan on Saturday, and blew out my knee!

YIKES! Haven''t been able to bend it since Saturday. Today the doc gave me some anti-inflam. drugs and I am hoping to be back in business tomorrow. If not, she is sending me to a sports therapist!

She said walk, don''t run (yeah right..like I''ll be bathing suit worthy by summer with just a walk?) Not likely!

The walk, jog, sprint stuff does get you into shape quicker than strictly walking..it shocks your body, just when it thinks you''re going to allow it to cool down!

I must find other forms of cardio that aren''t so hard on the knees. Walking lunges, and squats are excellent for the thighs/buttocks, but definitely hard on the knees!

The elliptical is a great form of cardio too. I sweat just as much on that as I do with running. I have to do the elliptical sometimes, or I will start feeling pain in my knees. Ellipticals have resistance, and you can do interval work on them just as easily. Swimming is a GREAT workout, if a pool is available. Biking is easy on the knees, but I never feel like I''m getting a full body workout.

 

[Erin]

Okay, those are some serious ab muscles. I hate to admit defeat before I really get going but I don''t think I have to discipline to achieve THAT good of abs.
My main focus is laterals because I am very leggy with a short midsection. I guess that''s why I''ve always wanted to give myself that goal - because it''s always my problem area. I thought these abs looked a little more attainable.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/18/2009 7:40:32 PM
Author: beau13
One more..6 pack, and fabulous obliques!

Wow! Whoever that is, she must work very hard.

 

[musey]

Date: 4/22/2009 2:31:37 PM
Author: Starset Princess

My main focus is laterals because I am very leggy with a short midsection. I guess that''s why I''ve always wanted to give myself that goal - because it''s always my problem area. I thought these abs looked a little more attainable.

And more attractive, IMHO.

 

[dragonfly411]

starset - I want those abs hehe

 

[Erin]

Okay, just checking in. Since the day I first posted, I''ve lost 8 more pounds. Yay!

What''s strange is I only weigh myself once a week (on Tuesdays) but I was too busy so I did it today. I was certain that I had gained some of my weight back because of the way my mid-section was looking. Turns out I had lost three in the last week. I''ve been doing cardio about four times a week and walking the golf course and plenty of yard work. Also really paying attention to eating less processed foods and consuming less alcohol

So the scale says I''m losing weight and I can DEFINITELY tell my body is toning up and replacing fat with muscle. My darn midsection though is ''changing'' shape. Where my ab area used to be an early Madonna tummy pooch has now turned into a warbly unattractive work in progress. It''s definitely a motivator to keep at it because I''m really unhappy with the way it looks right now.

Anyway, my hard work is paying off and I''m excited to see what another month will bring!

 

[Dancing Fire]

by the title i thought you were talking about drinking a 6 pack of beer by July.

be sure to come back and post some pics with your two piece swimsuit.