i'm pretty dedicated to staying in shape. i've gone to the gym and run frequently for my entire adult life, and in the last 2+ months i've started doing crossfit 4-5 times a week, just to vary my workouts and add some structure and intensity. i try to eat fairly healthy, but occasionally i get busy and my diet goes to crap.
i'm in good shape overall--5'6", 150 lbs, somewhat muscular--but there's juuuuust a bit of fat that hovers around my waist. not enough that i look overweight, just enough to hide my abs. i can feel them in there, they're hard enough to take a punch in the gut, they're just hidden by that fat layer.
my question is, how do i get rid of the fat? are there factors besides diet that could be contributing to it? if it's just diet, exactly how picky am i going to have to get before i get rid of it?
HIT training is the best for cutting.
If you really want to reveal abs, the sad truth of it is that you have basically have to get around 10% body fat for below.
That requires a very regimented diet where you can't have any unhealthy junk in your life outside of that one cheat day.
So, basically. The way to trim out THAT fat (the hardest fat for males to lose) is dedication.
Pure, uptight, dedication.
I actually like if a guy has small layer of fat on his body and not just muscles and skin, but you guys carry on with this topic ;)
I agree with She. Personally, my man doesn't need to be ripped. Strong, sure. Fit, absolutely. But counting abs isn't important to me! His mind is far more sexy than a ripped body.....
I agree with MM. I've been working out, reading, during, bro sciencing, for going on 26 years. I watch what my buddies do to compete in physique and bodybuilding competitions. There's a reason they don't look like that year round. On top of that, guys, from my understanding, tend to hold their body fat and lose it last on their abs. I know that's what happens to me. To get to the shot that is my avatar, I spent two months cutting with an extremely strict diet and going to the gym twice a day. My pro buddies do that shit during competition season, ONLY. I hate dieting to that extent. Best advice: drink plenty of water. Most of the gym rats I know are easily drinking two gallons a day. Fuck diet drinks, juices, flavored creamers, etc. WATER. Also, look into the "My Fitness Pal" app. They have a website. Only through strict monitoring of your macronutrients are you really going to get to that level unless you're one of the 1% generic freaks. Good luck!
Personally I am gym at least 6 days of week for cardio or walking, rowing. TRX training plus weights all rest of week.
If it's just the bit around the middle it'll be more to do with the diet than the exercise.
Keeping it off permanently would mean sticking to an ultra low-carb diet. Most actors who have to take their shirts off in films will go hard on zero-carbs so they're super-lean for the poster shots - which is why three months later you'll see them being papped on their yachts with a paunch. They also dehydrate themselves to get the ripped look - which is no good for anyone.
In the end it all comes down to choices - do you want ripped abs or do you want a varied diet.
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Why not read some stories instead
NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber A lot of it is your genes. Some people have to diet as well as exercise to get rid of that last bit of fat and some people can just exercise. Not all people are the same.
Buz nailed it. Carb control and body fat index is what is required. Because I surf the cold water adds to calorie burn. 7% and below body fat will take it away. Gluten free helps. Crunches, heavy lifting, road work and swimming all work but every one is different. Even low T comes into play. My avatar was 2 years ago and required A 1000 crunches a day. Now it comes and goes. I'm 50. It was much much easier at 20. It is more vanity than anything. I admitt it.
Diet will mostly do it. Mostly eliminating excess carbs, especially all sources of wheat, rice and corn and soy, which are almost all now genetically modified.
Make sure you get plenty of fat (yes, I said it), but the right kinds of fat...CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) and Omega 3...the best sources of these kinds of fat (which actually help increase metabolism to burn stored adipose fat) are...
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Organic Free Range Eggs (eat the yolks)
Grass-Fed Meats and Butter
Avocados
Avocado Oil
Walnut Oil
Raw Nuts (walnuts, macadamia, almonds... NOT peanuts)
Raw Seeds (chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, sunflower)
Organic Grass-fed Whole Raw Milk
to everyone here who has offered dietary advice (or anyone else for that matter), do you have any solutions for my particular situation? most of my dietary sins come from the fact that i often have limited time to eat.
for a pretty decent chunk of the year, i have obligations 3-4 nights a week that simply don't afford me time to take an hour to cook and another half hour to clean up. and i'm often on the run during the work day and don't have time for a "real" lunch. i really need 2 things:
1) a healthy snack--something that tastes good and is filling. when i don't have time for lunch, or when there are hours and hours between lunch and dinner, i need something quick i can grab to keep me going. i've heard eat fruit, i've heard eat a handful of nuts, and it all seems like bullshit to me. i can eat nuts by the barrel and bananas by the stalk and all it really does is make me want something more filling.
2) a quick dinner--either something that i can make very quickly, or something that i can make a lot of on the weekend and then heat up quickly throughout the week.
if i can get both of those, i can cut out snacking on garbage and eating whatever is fast and convenient for dinner, and that'll go a long way toward a diet i feel good about.
