Couple weight lifting questions

[Stand Your Ground]

I've been working out for about 7 months now, I'm definitely getting stronger and getting to looking the way I want to but:

1. I still have some belly fat around my belly button area that won't seem to leave, how can I get rid of that?

2. I need some really good ab exercises, the ones I'm doing now aren't doing much.

Thanks.

[RedSonRising]

I would create a calorie deficit, if you want to lose that extra fat. Burn more than you take in. You can still eat for an adequate diet for strength training and muscle repair, just cut unnecessary calories. A lot of people use a rule like "no carbs after 4" to help curb their intake. Most people get enough protein they can already, so you don't need to overload on meat and things of that nature. 68 grams is a good maximum, which you can get through milk, nuts, and lean meats/fish. Not every meal has to have a meat as a centerpiece, and I'm sure you can find some healthy, tasty substitutes.

In terms of abs, try adding resistance. Being able to do 1000 crunches will get you somewhere, but endurance doesn't translate directly into size or definition. Try doing a variety of exercises, such as crunches, Russian twists, kick-ups, planks, and then try adding a medicine ball to those workouts to add extra weight, which will require extra muscle build-up.

[Stand Your Ground]

I would create a calorie deficit, if you want to lose that extra fat. Burn more than you take in. You can still eat for an adequate diet for strength training and muscle repair, just cut unnecessary calories. A lot of people use a rule like "no carbs after 4" to help curb their intake. Most people get enough protein they can already, so you don't need to overload on meat and things of that nature. 68 grams is a good maximum, which you can get through milk, nuts, and lean meats/fish. Not every meal has to have a meat as a centerpiece, and I'm sure you can find some healthy, tasty substitutes.

In terms of abs, try adding resistance. Being able to do 1000 crunches will get you somewhere, but endurance doesn't translate directly into size or definition. Try doing a variety of exercises, such as crunches, Russian twists, kick-ups, planks, and then try adding a medicine ball to those workouts to add extra weight, which will require extra muscle build-up.
Thanks I'll take this into mind. I'll have to try to buy a medicine ball though cause I don't have one.

[RedSonRising]

Thanks I'll take this into mind. I'll have to try to buy a medicine ball though cause I don't have one.

If you've just started and are lacking an ab routine, you can wait until a little later on to buy one once you've advanced, but it's a great addition. And you're welcome! Good luck, hope I could help.

[l'Enfermé]

An important thing to remember is that there's no such thing as fat spot removal or whatever it's called, if you do ab exercises that doesn't mean you're gonna lose fat around your stomach...when you burn fat you burn it all around your body, never in one spot.

[Vanguard1917]

HIIT is widely regarded as the most effective exercise for losing fat. And it's pretty much impossible to lose fat and simultaneously gain significant amounts of muscle (assuming no anabolic steroids).

[Blanquist]

The best ab exercises are squats and deadlifts, you're wasting your time doing twists or whatever

[Niall]

HIIT is widely regarded as the most effective exercise for losing fat. And it's pretty much impossible to lose fat and simultaneously gain significant amounts of muscle (assuming no anabolic steroids).
This, the best way to blast fat is HIIT. I do mine on the x trainer, one minute slow pace one minute high pace. Usually for 30 minutes. Also, watch your diest. Good abs are 80% made in the kitchen

[PC LOAD LETTER]

This, the best way to blast fat is HIIT. I do mine on the x trainer, one minute slow pace one minute high pace. Usually for 30 minutes. Also, watch your diest. Good abs are 80% made in the kitchen
After 30 minutes of HIIT ... just on foot ... I feel like I jogged at a medium pace for 1hr-ish

[NorwegianCommunist]

Just eat healthier (I am not saying you are unhealthy), but try a diet for a few weeks while doing cario such as running or sprinting =)
If you can do a couple of hundreads sit-ups you should try adding weight as another person mentioned.
Are you member of a gym or du you workout at home? =)

[Niall]

just remember, if you add weights to your abs exercises theyre like any other musclethat is weight trained, they will get bigger. You will have abs but yopu may look on the heavy side

[fabian]

1. I still have some belly fat around my belly button area that won't seem to leave, how can I get rid of that?
First thing, read the answer by Borz.

Second- I'd recommend cutting out all saturated fats, not focusing on calories. Without saturated fats, almost all white fat in the body (including belly fat) will disappear. You could use soy, oat, and wheat products for protein, especially seitan, it has 75g protein od 100g of weight. If don't want to go without the foodstuff that contain sat. fats, then go for cutting calories.


2. I need some really good ab exercises, the ones I'm doing now aren't doing much.
Look at the first table HERE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_exercise#Momentaneous_activity). So- bicycle crunches.

[wandnancy91]

Do more cardio exercises with you fully covered up just like boxers do when they are preparing for a match.

[Misanthrope]

dont underestimate squats and deadlift's effect on abs

[Prometeo liberado]

Thanks I'll take this into mind. I'll have to try to buy a medicine ball though cause I don't have one.

Do you have a neice or a nephew, small neighborhood kids around? Improvise.

[wsg1991]

cut your saturated fat sources \ limit your bread \ pasta to smaller portion before any strength training adjust your protein , any excess of protein is turned into glucose ( see youtube evilcyber for more details ) . do cardio , low intensity long duration exercises like jogging , your muscles can rely directly on fat and burn directly when ou are low on sugar ( muscle tissue is not glucose depend tissue ) . you will need some sugar source though , fruits \ the smaller bread i ,previously mention will do it portions will do it ( burning fat require glucose ) . btw there is this guy on youtube , evil cyber , he is great

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Good abs are 80% diet, 20% training.

You need to go online and work out your maintenance level of calories (i.e. how much you'd need to eat each day to maintain your current weight). Google it. Subtract 500 from this amount for a start and make sure you're eating a good spread:

40% carbs: high fibre cereal, brown pasta, wholegrain rice etc.
30% protein: grilled chicken breast, rump steak, oily fish
30% fats: nuts, peanut butter, olive oil.

1lb of fat = 3500 cals, so 500cal deficit per week will hit that target. Probably take off around 1000cals per week (for a 'treat' meal and for general disobedience of diet, going over by 100-200 cals on a few days) and you are at 2500cals. Add in your training regime though and you should be aiming for 1lb per week fat loss, or just over that. I notice that when i'm in peak form on the diet and training side, I lose around 1.2-1.4lb fat per week.

Combine this with lifts like deadlifts, squats, and heavy abs exercises (leave the sit ups and hit the plank for 3+ minutes, make use of medicine balls and more dynamic exercises than the sit ups!!!) and you should be on your way.

PM me if you have any more questions, otherwise best of luck mate.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

btw don't be disheartened if 4-6 weeks later you don't have abs of a god. Sometimes progress is slow and sometimes peoples' genetic make up means they are pre-disposed to collect fat in certain places. As you can't choose where you reduce fat, you just have to put up with this. I collect fat very easily around my hips, which gives me a fat appearance even when my waist isn't really protruding all that much. Just gotta put up with it and don't get disheartened.

[NewLeft]

40% carbs: high fibre cereal, brown pasta, wholegrain rice etc.
30% protein: grilled chicken breast, rump steak, oily fish
30% fats: nuts, peanut butter, olive oil.

This is a standard ratio, but I got better results by eating more fats and less carbs. My ratio is something like 50% fat, 30% protein, 20% carb.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

This is a standard ratio, but I got better results by eating more fats and less carbs. My ratio is something like 50% fat, 30% protein, 20% carb.

I guess it can always be tweaked. Probably the most important thing is that 30% protein is a bottom line thing, you may want more. I'd say that 20% carbs sounds low to me, isn't that like 100g carbs per day, assuming a 2000 cal diet?

Are you skinny? I'm pretty big naturally, so I try to keep my fats low and keep them to oils, tiny amounts of peanut butter and fats occurring in lean meat.

[The Machine]

the best ab exercises are deadlifts squats bench press and military press

[Arilou Lalee'lay]

For a bit of extra definition you can hit your obliques and serratus anteriors:
Serratus:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/SerratusAnterior/BBInclineShoulderRaise.html
Obliques:
hold a weight, about 60 lbs to start with, in one hand, standing up straight, lean over to the side and use your obliques you pull yourself back up.

For abs, I admit I use machines for isolation exercises. As mentioned, other exercises like pushups will hit them pretty well. The best oblique exercise is the twisty machine in some gyms.

for fat burning this works best for me:
- 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat
- at least half of the carbs from vegetables, most of the rest from beans and whole grains
- NO ALCOHOL AT ALL <- the killer for me. went four days sober and just bought a bottle :-(
- lots of white beans, which contain phosphatidylserine, which kills cortisol, which increases testosterone, which helps burn fat
- 3 cups of green tea per day, increases metabolism by 2.5%ish
- lots of water to increase nutrient flow, so your body doesn't think it's in danger of starving all the time

Also I'm not a big fan of HIIT. I like running 30 minutes at about 6 miles per hour outside somewhere in the mornings, then working out pretty late at night.

Remember that you can only digest 10g of protein per hour, and you can't store protein. So you really need to eat six meals a day to get super cut.

[NewLeft]

I guess it can always be tweaked. Probably the most important thing is that 30% protein is a bottom line thing, you may want more. I'd say that 20% carbs sounds low to me, isn't that like 100g carbs per day, assuming a 2000 cal diet?

Are you skinny? I'm pretty big naturally, so I try to keep my fats low and keep them to oils, tiny amounts of peanut butter and fats occurring in lean meat.
Yeah, I'm fairly skinny. I haven't moved up a weight in months, since I'm just trying to maintain for now. I find that fats keep me satisfied for much longer. Most of my fats are probably from nuts.

[nomad05273k]

On YouTube search for how to get abs in 8 mins and watch passion4profession's vid

[Anarchrusty]

Ever heard of core strenth training? To get a tighter belly, you'd have to train the adversus.
I am also with the people who say deadlifts and squats are not to be missed out on.