ok here's the situation, i do moderate excecise daily, i've already built up my abs a lot and they're actually really coming along well, but what i want to do is incorporate a diet so i can lose that body fat on top of my abs and really show the 6-pack, right now i'm just looking for tips and foods I should eat or stay away from and any habits i should start getting into. So if you guys could just help me out a bit with the diet part i'd greatly appreaciate it.
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Sport Abs Diet
- Thread starter Bided
- Start date
Sport Fitness
what you want to do is called cutting/fat loss (du) in the fitness world. here is somthing to get you started in the right direction.
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template for loosing fat (cutting)
by average I mean you just want to effectively loose fat, without becoming extreme about it. I will try and outline the basics for you, and later on you should make adjustments / additions that will best fit your needs.
all that will be discussed is for optimal fat loss
DIET : -40% protein 40% carbs 20%fat this is a basic layout. "what kind of protein?" well you should eat: chicken,tuna,eggs,fish,beef are all acceptable basically avoid things like fast food meats and other stuff that's just common since. "what about carbs?" mainly oats, whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits mainly the ones with the word (berries) in them. "and fat?" most of your fat intake should be from vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. if you don't like those foods there are some alternatives. -"how many calories?" around 200-300 or 20-30% less than your maintenance level, "how do I know what my maintenance level is?" one way to figure it out is to keep a calorie intake journal for 5-7 days. If your weight stays constant, then you simply divide the total calories consumed by the number of days and you’ll get your daily intake. -liquids: 1-2 gallons/4-8 Liters of water a day is the basic amount you want. you should eat 6 meals a day spaced out 2-3 houres. foods you will want to say away from are: soda, mayo, chips, french fries, ice cream, most salad dressings & oils(except olive oil), cheese. if you can't live without them then go for non-fat and low sugar type things. use some common sence and don't try to make drastic changes all in a day, it should be a gradual process. once you get to the weight you like then you can raise your calorie intake up to maintenance.
SUPPLEMENTS: (first tier supps) for fat loss is a multivitamin and some EFA's (essential fatty acids). (second tier supps) protein powders like casein (used before bed) would be the one of choice for fat loss, whey (after workout) is also benifital. thermogenic fat burners or stimulant-free fat burners are usefull in loosing weight, follow the direction on thoes products which is very important. they will add an extra boost to your goals (san tight is a good stimulant-free product). I would not bother with anything else like carb blockers, fat blockers, appetite suppressants, and other fat loss products you will see everywhere, with maby the exception of thyroid hormone increasers but usally there is no need for them.
WORKOUT PROGRAMS: almost any program will work. the only thing you will want to add is less rest between exercises and sets, but don't hurt yourself.
alot of these exercises have dumbbell-counterparts.
Chest: Parallel bar dips, Bench Press, Incline Press
Legs:Squats (including front squats), tiff-Legged deadlifts, Calf-raises
Back:Bent-over rows, Chins Bent-legged, Deadlifts (also a leg exercise)
Delts:Military press, Lateral raises
Arms:Close-grip bench, press Close-grip chins
you can find fully detailed workouts.
CARDIO: there are two main types of cardio you should use, first is called slow cardio and the second is called HIIT (high intensity interval training). you should use them in a ratio of 3-1 (IE 3 days of slow and 1 day of HIIT). For best results do cardio 4 times a week for an houre, too much is somtimes counterproductive and too little is well too little. "what is slow cardio?" slow cardio is doing any activity (running, biking, swimming, boxing, etc) with about 75-85% of your max heart rate for an houre. "how do I know what my max heart rate is?" well when you do an activity where you are still able to talk without being extremely out of breath, or another easy way is take 220 and minus your age then take that number and multiply it by .75-.85 which will give you rough percentages of 75-85% of your max heart rate or (HR), of course this is not entirly accurate, cause everyone is different. "ok what is HIIT then?" HIIT works like this first you warm up doing whatever for 5 min then take some time and stretch. after your all ready, start a moderate pace for 1 minute then you move your pace up to 90-95% of you max HR for the next 15-30 seconds, then go back down to your moderate pace for 1 min, then back up to 90-95% and back down agen. you get the idea (moderate for 1 min, then 90-95% for 15-30 sec) do this around 15-20 times and your done.
WILLPOWER: alot of people try to make changes too fast and end up quiting, so don't over do it, this means to slowly change your diet and work your way up to the suggested cardio regimen. if you don't workout already and don't want to that is ok, working out is not required for loosing weight but it will help the main parts are your diet and cardio. by phaledax
-----------
template for loosing fat (cutting)
by average I mean you just want to effectively loose fat, without becoming extreme about it. I will try and outline the basics for you, and later on you should make adjustments / additions that will best fit your needs.
all that will be discussed is for optimal fat loss
DIET : -40% protein 40% carbs 20%fat this is a basic layout. "what kind of protein?" well you should eat: chicken,tuna,eggs,fish,beef are all acceptable basically avoid things like fast food meats and other stuff that's just common since. "what about carbs?" mainly oats, whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits mainly the ones with the word (berries) in them. "and fat?" most of your fat intake should be from vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. if you don't like those foods there are some alternatives. -"how many calories?" around 200-300 or 20-30% less than your maintenance level, "how do I know what my maintenance level is?" one way to figure it out is to keep a calorie intake journal for 5-7 days. If your weight stays constant, then you simply divide the total calories consumed by the number of days and you’ll get your daily intake. -liquids: 1-2 gallons/4-8 Liters of water a day is the basic amount you want. you should eat 6 meals a day spaced out 2-3 houres. foods you will want to say away from are: soda, mayo, chips, french fries, ice cream, most salad dressings & oils(except olive oil), cheese. if you can't live without them then go for non-fat and low sugar type things. use some common sence and don't try to make drastic changes all in a day, it should be a gradual process. once you get to the weight you like then you can raise your calorie intake up to maintenance.
SUPPLEMENTS: (first tier supps) for fat loss is a multivitamin and some EFA's (essential fatty acids). (second tier supps) protein powders like casein (used before bed) would be the one of choice for fat loss, whey (after workout) is also benifital. thermogenic fat burners or stimulant-free fat burners are usefull in loosing weight, follow the direction on thoes products which is very important. they will add an extra boost to your goals (san tight is a good stimulant-free product). I would not bother with anything else like carb blockers, fat blockers, appetite suppressants, and other fat loss products you will see everywhere, with maby the exception of thyroid hormone increasers but usally there is no need for them.
WORKOUT PROGRAMS: almost any program will work. the only thing you will want to add is less rest between exercises and sets, but don't hurt yourself.
alot of these exercises have dumbbell-counterparts.
Chest: Parallel bar dips, Bench Press, Incline Press
Legs:Squats (including front squats), tiff-Legged deadlifts, Calf-raises
Back:Bent-over rows, Chins Bent-legged, Deadlifts (also a leg exercise)
Delts:Military press, Lateral raises
Arms:Close-grip bench, press Close-grip chins
you can find fully detailed workouts.
CARDIO: there are two main types of cardio you should use, first is called slow cardio and the second is called HIIT (high intensity interval training). you should use them in a ratio of 3-1 (IE 3 days of slow and 1 day of HIIT). For best results do cardio 4 times a week for an houre, too much is somtimes counterproductive and too little is well too little. "what is slow cardio?" slow cardio is doing any activity (running, biking, swimming, boxing, etc) with about 75-85% of your max heart rate for an houre. "how do I know what my max heart rate is?" well when you do an activity where you are still able to talk without being extremely out of breath, or another easy way is take 220 and minus your age then take that number and multiply it by .75-.85 which will give you rough percentages of 75-85% of your max heart rate or (HR), of course this is not entirly accurate, cause everyone is different. "ok what is HIIT then?" HIIT works like this first you warm up doing whatever for 5 min then take some time and stretch. after your all ready, start a moderate pace for 1 minute then you move your pace up to 90-95% of you max HR for the next 15-30 seconds, then go back down to your moderate pace for 1 min, then back up to 90-95% and back down agen. you get the idea (moderate for 1 min, then 90-95% for 15-30 sec) do this around 15-20 times and your done.
WILLPOWER: alot of people try to make changes too fast and end up quiting, so don't over do it, this means to slowly change your diet and work your way up to the suggested cardio regimen. if you don't workout already and don't want to that is ok, working out is not required for loosing weight but it will help the main parts are your diet and cardio. by phaledax
Lot of good information above. I would concentrate more on cardio then whats listed under "work out". Especially if its the stomach "fat" you're really concentrating on. Your muscle only burns it significantly during cardio.
As far as diet, on top of everything already mentioned, you may want to lower your overall calorie intake. If you lower your fat intake but still consume a large amount of calories you won't lose much or lose the fat very slowly. Your body won't burn all its calories so it won't cut deeply into that stored fat you're trying to lose. You don't need protein if youre goal is not to gain muscle mass. So the fat (saturated fat- should be very low for general good health) and overall calories will probably be your main concern.
So avoid fat, primarily, but also watch your total calorie intake. If you're working out moderately you're probably in the 1500-2000 range.. but your metabolism, weight and height also factor in.
As far as diet, on top of everything already mentioned, you may want to lower your overall calorie intake. If you lower your fat intake but still consume a large amount of calories you won't lose much or lose the fat very slowly. Your body won't burn all its calories so it won't cut deeply into that stored fat you're trying to lose. You don't need protein if youre goal is not to gain muscle mass. So the fat (saturated fat- should be very low for general good health) and overall calories will probably be your main concern.
So avoid fat, primarily, but also watch your total calorie intake. If you're working out moderately you're probably in the 1500-2000 range.. but your metabolism, weight and height also factor in.
Other than that..
The concept of building the abs stays strong whether for males of females.
girls are very rarely seen with abs, as girls maintain a higher bodyfat percentage than guys.
when you do see girls with abs, they are either ripped (such as female bodybuilders), or they have abs showing due to the muscle's immense size, OR they can show due to genetics.
NEVERTHELESS, the concepts are the same for girls as they are for guys
1) What you eat and drink.
Eat 6 meals a day. Eat natural wherever possible. Minimise carbohydrate consumption in the afternoon&evening&before bed. Don't eat saturated fats. Don't eat simple carbohydrates. Don't eat refined foods. Don't eat chocolates/candies/bakery treats. Don't drink sodas. Don't drink alcohol. Do drink water (8-10 glasses)
2) Cardio.
You can do cardio every day. My favourite form of cardio for fat loss is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). The way this works is as follows.. Say you're choice of cardio is running on the treadmill - don't worry if it isn't, it works for ALL cardio - you start at a jogging pace for say 5 minutes, to get you warmed up. Then increase the speen to a sprinting pace - a pace which you can only maintain for about 30 seconds. After this 20-30 seconds of sprinting, drop the pace to jogging speed again, and stay at this pace for around a minute. Then sprint again (again for 20-30 seconds) then jog, then sprint, then jog, then sprint. Continue this for 15-20 minutes. If done right, you will be exhausted at the end.
The best time for cardio has recently been suggested to be in the morning before breakfast. Your body's insulin (a fat retainer) levels are at their lowest at this time. (Note. If you are reading this and are trying to gain muscle then you should consume carbs immediately after a morning cardio session due to cortisol release).
Morning exercise will also likely fuel you with energy for the rest of your day.
3) Ab workouts.
If you want to try 8-minute abs, then by all means do so. I'm sure you can get a free video on it off kazaa/limewire/something similar.
I do however, as with the ab roller, have to say that the 8-minute ab course is not necessary.
You only need to work your abs 2-3 times weekly. Your abs, like any other muscle you try to build, are skeletal muscle. Therefore if they are to grow, they will require rest & recovery time.
The most simple and perhaps most effective ab workout is the crunch. Not the sit-up. The crunch.
The idea is to bring your upper body into your waist area - you do not lift your lower back - only your upper back! (the difference between a crunch and a sit-up).
As for ALL ab exercises; pace and control are crucial. The slower, and more controlled the movement, the more microtrauma is caused and the more effective the exercise for hypertrophy (muscular growth).
another good exercise is the V-Sit, which Carl devised a very similar version called the ab-swing.
This is done by:
- sit on the edge of a bench or a table with your hands at your side.
- lower your upper body towards the table with your chin close to your collarbone until your upperbody is about an inch or two above the table. at the same time raise your legs with your feet toghether and your knees slightly bent until your whole body is basically parallel to the floor.
- simultaneously bring your upper body and your legs towards each other while keeping your lower leg parallel to the ground, and then lower both your upper body and legs down. until your body is parallel to the ground.
do this slowly and controlled!
one more..
lay on your back (kinky, i know) now bend your knees as if you would to do a crunch. Then stretch forward with your right hand, touch your feet, and return to starting position. Then the same with your left. Repeat until you can tell it's time to stop! And don't drag your body along the floor while doing this movement. Raise your upper body!
That is all you need to know.
The key - nutrition, cardio, ab workouts.
The concept of building the abs stays strong whether for males of females.
girls are very rarely seen with abs, as girls maintain a higher bodyfat percentage than guys.
when you do see girls with abs, they are either ripped (such as female bodybuilders), or they have abs showing due to the muscle's immense size, OR they can show due to genetics.
NEVERTHELESS, the concepts are the same for girls as they are for guys
1) What you eat and drink.
Eat 6 meals a day. Eat natural wherever possible. Minimise carbohydrate consumption in the afternoon&evening&before bed. Don't eat saturated fats. Don't eat simple carbohydrates. Don't eat refined foods. Don't eat chocolates/candies/bakery treats. Don't drink sodas. Don't drink alcohol. Do drink water (8-10 glasses)
2) Cardio.
You can do cardio every day. My favourite form of cardio for fat loss is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). The way this works is as follows.. Say you're choice of cardio is running on the treadmill - don't worry if it isn't, it works for ALL cardio - you start at a jogging pace for say 5 minutes, to get you warmed up. Then increase the speen to a sprinting pace - a pace which you can only maintain for about 30 seconds. After this 20-30 seconds of sprinting, drop the pace to jogging speed again, and stay at this pace for around a minute. Then sprint again (again for 20-30 seconds) then jog, then sprint, then jog, then sprint. Continue this for 15-20 minutes. If done right, you will be exhausted at the end.
The best time for cardio has recently been suggested to be in the morning before breakfast. Your body's insulin (a fat retainer) levels are at their lowest at this time. (Note. If you are reading this and are trying to gain muscle then you should consume carbs immediately after a morning cardio session due to cortisol release).
Morning exercise will also likely fuel you with energy for the rest of your day.
3) Ab workouts.
If you want to try 8-minute abs, then by all means do so. I'm sure you can get a free video on it off kazaa/limewire/something similar.
I do however, as with the ab roller, have to say that the 8-minute ab course is not necessary.
You only need to work your abs 2-3 times weekly. Your abs, like any other muscle you try to build, are skeletal muscle. Therefore if they are to grow, they will require rest & recovery time.
The most simple and perhaps most effective ab workout is the crunch. Not the sit-up. The crunch.
The idea is to bring your upper body into your waist area - you do not lift your lower back - only your upper back! (the difference between a crunch and a sit-up).
As for ALL ab exercises; pace and control are crucial. The slower, and more controlled the movement, the more microtrauma is caused and the more effective the exercise for hypertrophy (muscular growth).
another good exercise is the V-Sit, which Carl devised a very similar version called the ab-swing.
This is done by:
- sit on the edge of a bench or a table with your hands at your side.
- lower your upper body towards the table with your chin close to your collarbone until your upperbody is about an inch or two above the table. at the same time raise your legs with your feet toghether and your knees slightly bent until your whole body is basically parallel to the floor.
- simultaneously bring your upper body and your legs towards each other while keeping your lower leg parallel to the ground, and then lower both your upper body and legs down. until your body is parallel to the ground.
do this slowly and controlled!
one more..
lay on your back (kinky, i know) now bend your knees as if you would to do a crunch. Then stretch forward with your right hand, touch your feet, and return to starting position. Then the same with your left. Repeat until you can tell it's time to stop! And don't drag your body along the floor while doing this movement. Raise your upper body!
That is all you need to know.
The key - nutrition, cardio, ab workouts.