Building up a 6-Pack
 

Hey guys,

I've decided to set up a mini "gym" in my house so as to build myself up a nice 6-pack abdominals.

The equipment I've decided to buy so far are the following:

+ an exercise bike for cadio
+ the Ab King Pro

My current waist is size 42 inches and I'm rather chunky almost everywhere :r .

Does anyone think that if I use the above mentioned equipment, they would manage to make me achieve a 6-pack and make me loose a substainial amount of weight if I use them for about, say, an hour a day?

Your comments would be appreciated, plus any other comments one wishes to add.

Now... no nasty comments, please... :P

Cheers, Tidus.

It couldn't hurt...well, except for the temporary soreness that comes from exercise, that is. ;)

Bear in mind that in order to have "six-pack abs" you will have to have an absurdly low body fat percentage. Most of the models with those abs naturally have very little body fat, so your mileage (or inchage) may vary.

The cardio workout will be excellent for burning fat and increasing your metabolism, and may in fact do more to help you achieve your goal than the Ab King ever could.

must-resist-beer-reference

One, I'm assuming you're a guy so you won't have all those blechy hormones that dictate fat hips. :shifty: :P

The big thing is do something every day. Mix up your exercise so you don't get bored doing one thing. If you have some free weights, those I think are an essential part of a weight loss program. You don't have to use them to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger but just doing some weight lifting will increase your basal metabolic rate so when you do cardio things (like your bike, walking or jogging e.g.), you'll burn more fat.

Honestly, I think it's more important to lose some weight for your health rather than focus on a '6-pack.' The guys that I think are handsome, don't have one. :)

No go on. Go for it.]


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How to get a six pack.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Six-Pack-Abs

It worked for me......

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3...adcagtoqu2.jpg




:shifty:

That picture is gross... Maybe a little more fat'll do that guy some good. Women like to have something to snuggle against. ;)

Make that men too. :kiss:

http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/happy0065.gif well said Mel.

i think that if you use those two machines regularly you will not only lose a substantial amount of weight but could very well end up with a six pack. sit ups work aswell, but you have to self motivate yourself for those bloody things...

I bought a few machines (stationary bike and an elliptical) against advice that they would likely end up holding laundry, and they did, but only because I learned how to ride my bike outside almost all the way through the year. If the climate here were less mild, I would have to do something more to get me using those machines.

The main reason they don't get used is boredom. Before I discovered thermals for riding outside, my scheme was to get a cheap flat-screen TV to sit in front of the machines. Music just wasn't enough. I may still do that.

By the way, if you can ride outside, it's definitely better. I ride 20-40 miles a week now. This is nothing for real riders who'll ride that much and more each day they ride, but it's a LOT more than I was getting down in the basement on those machines. If I can get 15-20 miles out of one trip, I only need to ride once or twice a week. If I can't ride one weekend day, I try to do the full 20 miles on the day I do ride. And riding outside is great--I end up at an interesting destination, a goal, and there's no "getting off the machine" weakness--you have to get yourself home, after all.

All told, combining that with proper eating, I went from about 200 lbs down to 165 @ 6' tall and 50yo. (I'm a skinny guy, weighing in at 145-150 when I was in my 20s and ~155 in my 30s. The 40s took it's toll on me.)

At any rate, good on ya for making the jump! It's the best thing I've done for myself in a long time.

Remember to factor in a proper diet in order to achieve actual loss of fat, because there's no such thing as spot training. Also, all-over weight training will help you lose weight by raising your resting metabolism which in turn will translate into less fat on your abs.

I do agree with the others though...don't kill yourself trying to get there. Personally I don't find a really defined six pack to be too terribly attractive either, and as Sage points out, your ability to get one may indeed be limited by your genes.

oh, also seeing as propper diets have been mentioned, don't forget that you shouldn't compensate good food for weight loss, as long as you eat the four main food groups and stay away from junk and take aways you will be healthy enough for anything (dairy products, fruit and veg, meats, carbs). eat pasta too.

While we are on the topic of body building, what if your slightly under weight and want to build up some muscle, would the logical solution be protein shakes combined with workouts? Because just working out doesn't seem to do that much. :P Damn my high metabolism.

You'll need to a lot more than usual if you want to build muscle. It doesn't have to be in the form of protein shakes, but something like a tuna fish sandwich or cottage cheese would do.

Fortunately we live in an age where all sizes and shapes of guys are considered attractive, not just one "perfect type".

As a rather extreme example, Adrian Brody is almost slat-thin and does not possess classically handsome features, yet he has no problems getting both movie roles and modeling jobs. Why? Because he is comfortable in himself and with his own appearance. The same can be said for numerous "men of size" that are popular in the media today. Self-confidence goes a long way and people are attracted to that much more than to any specific feature or set of features.

However, it never hurts to improve one's health as well.

Im guessing shakes would be easier because you get more protein in without having to eat a 100 tuna fishes. :9

All I ever got from my can a week tuna habit was mild insanity. Gotta love those high mercury levels. ;)

'Tis true... men have a lot more "leeway" in that department. :P

But, chalk me up as another person who doesn't find a "six-pack" - or the "muscled" look in general - attractive. Being toned/fit is one thing, and good for your health, but the "definitely lifts weights" look is unappealing. Guys should have *some* padding; they're more fun to hug that way. :)

Peace & Luv, Liz

...Not sure I agree with this 100%. I don't believe anyone should eat white, processed grains, such as pasta or flour. They do spike your blood sugar, causing a flood of insulin to be released-which is exactly what you don't want if you're trying to lose fat. If you're going to eat a grain, make it a slow releasing carbohydrate like wholegrain...brown rice, quinoa, barley, wholegrain pasta ...etc...

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your replies.

I really appreciate it. ;)

So, let's get this straight - if I use the following, will I manage to lose a good amount of body fat and start building up a 6-pack??

+ an exercise bike for cadio
+ the Ab King Pro

What are your opinions about the Ab King Pro? Pros and cons??

Thanks.