But Joie's abs obviously changed over the course of the past ten months.

So my question is ... would something like Insanity be a good option? I know the pooch is mostly genetics ... but is it entirely genetics?

5/21/2010 9:35:52 AM

You have skinny thighs. If they get bigger, the "pooch" will look smaller.

5/21/2010 9:37:13 AM

4 miles at 630 AM

will be playing squash this evening

5/21/2010 9:37:35 AM

Also, if you notice, Joie has the same "pooch" as you do. She is just taller. I have the exact same thing going on.

The "abs" your seeing are her upper abdominals. You show now fat in those areas either. If you did ab strength training, you would see those showing.

Getting those lower abdominal muscles to show is literally the hardest thing. That's the place where the body retains its last fat reserves.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:40 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 9:39:56 AM

So, what kind of ab exercises? Bikram works my core, but apparently not enough to lose the pooch?

And Joie doesn't have the pooch in the after pic.

So obviously insanity works ... but is there an alternative?

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:43 AM. Reason : ,]

5/21/2010 9:41:08 AM

I dont know how much of it is genetics and what can be overcome. I just know I personally dont do any ab specific exercises. I'll do dips, pullups, front squats, and play basketball. You wont see me riding an invisible bike on my back, crunching up fetal, leg fan raise or anything like that. I have to imagine >50% of it is just body type/where fat goes. I think you should be happy with where you are at!

5/21/2010 9:42:26 AM

But that's not strength training.

Think of it as the difference between running and squats. Both work your quads, but only the latter is going to cause hypertrophy.

Try things like this:

http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/DBPushSitUp.html
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/CBKneelingCrunch.html
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/WtInclineLegHipRaise.html

As an example, I do crunches while holding a 35lb dumbbell.

5/21/2010 9:44:02 AM

haha I wish I could be like Quinn and keep Oreo Doublestuf by the bed in order to maintain a six-pack

5/21/2010 9:44:34 AM

Quote :

"And Joie doesn't have the pooch in the after pic."

She does in the sense that she has no lower abdominals showing. She only has the uppers. You could do the same thing, since I don't see any fat in those areas on you either.

5/21/2010 9:45:44 AM

Yes, but her lower stomach is flat instead of poochy.

5/21/2010 9:46:46 AM

you dont want to be anything like me, trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!11

5/21/2010 9:46:50 AM

^ It would rock to be able to eat 4,000 calories a day to maintain weight!

5/21/2010 9:48:02 AM

it just sounds good on paper. like moving in with a SO.

5/21/2010 9:49:04 AM

Quote :

"WEIGHT TRAINING"

Your body right now is lean muscle underneath small amounts of fat.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:50 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 9:49:33 AM

I thought lean muscle was the goal.

Should I be changing my diet?

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:52 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2010 9:51:03 AM

Eat more protein
Lift more weights
Lift heavier weights

5/21/2010 9:53:50 AM

Is there an alternative to lifting weights? Anything?

This morning, I'm going to eat this:



Is that enough protein for ya?

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:55 AM. Reason : ,]

5/21/2010 9:54:51 AM

I guess I don't understand the premise of that question. Why don't you want to lift weights?

Lifting weights increases bone density, it burns fat, and it builds muscle. It also increases EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).

If you exercise to improve the way your body looks, weightlifting is the best method.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:57 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 9:56:38 AM

Weights are boring and un-fun.

5/21/2010 9:57:26 AM

sprinting and bodyweight exercises (pushups, pullups, walking lunges) will all engage type II muscle fibers and increase your anaerobic capacity.

5/21/2010 9:57:41 AM

Quote :

"Why don't you want to lift weights?"

i despise lifting weights.
honestly i don't find it fun at all.

now give me an elliptical or a trail and i can run for days and be perfectly happy doing so.


but yeah. weightlifting is the sucks.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:58 AM. Reason : lol. lucy got it. ]

5/21/2010 9:58:24 AM

^^ Those I'll do. Weights ... trying to avoid.

Love sprints. Suicides. Wind sprints. Plyometrics. Love it all.

Weights. ICK

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 9:59 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2010 9:58:56 AM

There's really no other way to increase your muscle and burn the fat around that area. You can't increase muscle from cardiovascular activity. If anything, ignoring the muscles causes them to atrophy.

5/21/2010 9:59:28 AM

Quote :

"sprinting and bodyweight exercises (pushups, pullups, walking lunges) will all engage type II muscle fibers and increase your anaerobic capacity."

Only to a certain degree. Plus, isn't that "lifting weights" and therefore "boring?"

5/21/2010 10:00:04 AM

Quote :

"^^ Those I'll do. Weights ... trying to avoid. Love sprints. Suicides. Wind sprints. Plyometrics. Love it all. Weights. ICK"

You'll excuse me for becoming frustrated with you, but this is really fucking annoying.

You come in here complaining that you have a pooch and have no abdominals.

You are offered a solution that will work.

You don't like the solution because it's "boring." (Protip: Looking good is hard work, you know this)

And then you take the only option offered that fits what you want to do "i.e. not lift weights" and it's given by a fat guy.

5/21/2010 10:01:50 AM

sprinting isn't an aerobic activity. take one look at Ben Johnson or Jackie Joyner-Kersee and you'll see quickly that sprinting will build muscle just fine.

5/21/2010 10:02:17 AM

bodyweight exercises are not "lifting weights"

I hate the weight room. Weights gross me out because you have nasty, sweaty boys picking them up and sweating all over them.

Bodyweight exercises are fine bc they generally entail plyometrics and you don't have the germ factor.

^^ ALSO, eleusis knows his stuff about building muscle. No need to insult people.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:03 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2010 10:02:17 AM

Quote :

"sprinting isn't an aerobic activity. take one look at Ben Johnson or Jackie Joyner-Kersee and you'll see quickly that sprinting will build muscle just fine."

If you don't think they train by lifting weights you're a fucking idiot.

5/21/2010 10:03:30 AM

Quote :

"You don't like the solution because it's "boring." (Protip: Looking good is hard work, you know this)"

I'm just saying that there must be some alternative to lifting. There must be more than one solution to the problem.

5/21/2010 10:05:20 AM

Quote :

"bodyweight exercises are not "lifting weights" I hate the weight room. Weights gross me out because you have nasty, sweaty boys picking them up and sweating all over them. Bodyweight exercises are fine bc they generally entail plyometrics and you don't have the germ factor."

Then buy your own.

You're severely limited by bodyweight exercises. The most you can "squat" is whatever you can do by standing up. The most you can "pull-up" is your bodyweight.

In short, you won't ever develop any muscle beyond what you already have.

Ask anyone who has a developed sixpack if they did it on bodyweight crunches alone.

Quote :

"I'm just saying that there must be some alternative to lifting. There must be more than one solution to the problem."

You're asking if there's a solution to building muscle (which you need to do) other than strength training (which builds muscle)?

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:06 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 10:05:20 AM

Quote :

"You're asking if there's a solution to building muscle (which you need to do) other than strength training (which builds muscle)?"

YES!!! That's exactly what I'm asking.

5/21/2010 10:07:32 AM

Hey, look, it's Ben Johnson's training routine. I wonder if he just runs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-K5An8qf1Q#t=2m43s

5/21/2010 10:09:38 AM

what do you think about push ups and sit ups and other body resistance exercises?
those could work.

5/21/2010 10:11:01 AM

Quote :

"YES!!! That's exactly what I'm asking."

Just do all of the exercises in this woman's youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/charliejames1975

Specifically: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZEUcZ83q8c

5/21/2010 10:11:51 AM

^^ Those would work. I just want to avoid the weight room if at all possible. Pushups and situps and stuff like that can be done outside or at the beach ... much more fun that being stuck in a gym.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:12 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2010 10:12:31 AM

Quote :

"You're severely limited by bodyweight exercises. The most you can "squat" is whatever you can do by standing up. The most you can "pull-up" is your bodyweight. "

one legged squats and deep walking lunges put more stress on your quads than whatever you're currently doing for squats. At my strongest when I was squatting 440 for 10 deep reps, I was getting a good lunge workout with a 60lb barbell. I could have gotten by with not using a barbell and doing a more explosive lunge step - similar to shooting drills in wrestling.

You shouldn't need to use more than your bodyweight to do pullups, especially if you're a female. Most people who do weighted pullups at my gym are doing so as an ego thing, as they aren't getting anything near a good contraction on them.

5/21/2010 10:13:25 AM

agreed.

pm sent

5/21/2010 10:13:38 AM

Quote :

"what do you think about push ups and sit ups and other body resistance exercises? those could work."

They work, yes. The problem is that they work slowly.

As an example, let's say I want to develop my pecs. We know that the way muscle hypertrophy works, the lower amount of reps results in larger and faster muscle development.

Now, I can go down on the ground right now and do 50 pushups without stopping.

Or, I can go load up a bench with 170 lbs. and do 5 reps.

The latter is going to develop my muscles much faster and increase bone density.

Quote :

"^^ Those would work."

No offense, but you clearly have no idea what "works" if you've been in here asking for the past half hour.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:15 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 10:14:41 AM

Quote :

"Hey, look, it's Ben Johnson's training routine. I wonder if he just runs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-K5An8qf1Q#t=2m43s"

I don't have time to watch this, but does it show him injecting Winstrol into his ass while running 25 miles per hour?

5/21/2010 10:14:55 AM

Quote :

"Just do all of the exercises in this woman's youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/charliejames1975 Specifically: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZEUcZ83q8c"

That looks awesome! And ... BOOBS! Holy moly!

^ LOL

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:15 AM. Reason : .]

5/21/2010 10:15:23 AM

y'all just like to argue

5/21/2010 10:16:29 AM

I've never seen a woman at lifestyle do an unassisted pullup. I dont think lack of weight will be an issue!

5/21/2010 10:16:30 AM

Quote :

"I don't have time to watch this, but does it show him injecting Winstrol into his ass while running 25 miles per hour?"

It shows him doing squats IN A SQUAT RACK WITH WEIGHTS, a complete exercise which strengthens the entire lower body. All professional track and field athletes do this exercise.

Quote :

"That looks awesome! And ... BOOBS! Holy moly!"

Yeah, I figured you'd appreciate her abdominals.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:18 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 10:17:21 AM

Yeah, considering most women can't to an unassisted pull up or full push up, I think body weight is more than enough to start with.

5/21/2010 10:18:18 AM

^Uh yeah, except she's trying to work on her abdominals.

5/21/2010 10:18:40 AM

Quote :

"We know that the way muscle hypertrophy works, the lower amount of reps results in larger and faster muscle development. "

going too low with the reps puts more focus on neural development and not on muscle hypertrophy. 5 reps on the bench will make you get stronger, but it may not make you get bigger as fast as doing 8-12 reps would.

5/21/2010 10:18:51 AM

you don't have to do weighted stuff on your abs.

5/21/2010 10:19:44 AM

Quote :

"going too low with the reps puts more focus on neural development and not on muscle hypertrophy. 5 reps on the bench will make you get stronger, but it may not make you get bigger as fast as doing 8-12 reps would."

Powerlifters and Olympic lifters completely nullify that argument.

Quote :

"you don't have to do weighted stuff on your abs."

You don't have to if you want to get abs slowly. I assume she doesn't.

[Edited on May 21, 2010 at 10:20 AM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 10:19:53 AM

Quote :

"^Uh yeah, except she's trying to work on her abdominals."

I was responding to your bashing of body resistance exercises.

Especially in the case of women, the body weight of the exercise would be the heavier option, which if you're so obsessed with getting bigger, quicker and hypertrophy would be the way to go.

5/21/2010 10:21:54 AM

Here is a bodyweight exercise that will give you rock hard abs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjCMq2zkbOo

But none of you motherfuckers can do it.

5/21/2010 10:22:00 AM