Any ideas on my abs?

I think I have too much fat on my abs and what do you think? My waist size is 32.2 inches. Should I cut or keep bulking? By the way, my scales show that I have 18% bodyfat, are they wrong?

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- Build muscle everywhere by doing squats, deads, oh presses, pullups, rows, bench presses, etc...
- Eat healthy and eat a lot

When it comes time to cut, eat less, continue to lift heavy, and do a lot of cardio.

You need you have a lot of muscle first before worrying about "getting a six pack", otherwise you'll just look really skinny.

As far as direct ab work is concerned, I like planks, dragon flags, hanging leg raises, and weighted decline situps.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

Listen to Brihead. Build overall mass first before you worry about your abs. I haven't cut since I started bodybuilding.

5'8.1"
Age = 20 
started in February 16th 2007: 58kg (127.6lbs)
current : around 79-80kg (173.8lb-176lb)

its a little more difficult to tell without seeing the rest of you but 18% sounds close to right.

Your going to want to get to around 9-7% to really see those ab's, so you got some work to do.

Regardless, you should read what brihead wrote. What point is it going to be for you to cut down to 7%BF if you dont have much muscle to show for it? unless all you care about is see'ing some ab's...but even then with more muscle not just all over but on your ab's as well they will pop out much better.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

So the hell with abs and continue to bulk up to, say, 175 pounds? My goal is 180 pounds at 12% BF. Is gaining 10 additional pounds while working out what I need?

PS my basic exercises are pull-ups, chin-ups, cable row, bench press, inclined bench press, dumbbell preacher curls, leg press and some others. I don't squat or deadlift because of back problems. 

What type of back problems?

I'd bet that if you started squatting and deadlifting PROPERLY, then your back problems would go away.  Mine did.

BTW, the leg press is worse for your back then squats done with proper form are. 

Anyway, I wouldn't say to hell with abs if that's what you want.  I'd say that you may want to put off getting abs for at least a few years though while you use that time recomping your body via. diet and proper training.  Then, once you have a solid muscle base built up, you can cut and reveal the abs.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

Yeah. Cut fat.

Focus on your vertical/horizontal pushes and pulls, squats, deadlifts, glute/ham raises, then whatever accessory exercises you need - maybe inclines, face pulls, calf raises, shrugs, curls, whatever.

Leg presses are bad for your back as brihead301 mentioned. Leg extensions bad because when the tibia and fibula is in motion, the exercise draws the patella back onto the femur increasing joint compression forces, which can damage the connective tissue and the ligaments supporting the knee joint.

The only exercises that are going to be safe for your quads are the squat and lunges. Squats and deadlifts are the best exercises for your erector spinae, which is probably the source of your back problems. Listen to the brihead.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I heard that squats and deadlifts can even make you shorter because they harm the spine and joints. Well, the back is not that bad, I have no problems doing leg presses. The only thing that worries me is fat. If I start eating less I'll start losing a pound a day, that fast. And if I lose a pound my BF will still be 18%, like I'll have less fat by the BF ratio will still be the same. I heard some people recommend eating around maintainence and working out so that the weight stays tha same and the BF level lowers. What do u think? Will I lose fat if I don't bulk and don't cut just do my general routine?

PS My doc says my connective tissue is too flexible, if I start squatting I might get scoliosis or some other problems.

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

Tell your Doctor to visit www.strengthmill.com and ask Mark Rippetoe his opinion on squats being bad for you. He just published a book that explains why with anatomy and science (with proven facts) how squats are not bad for you if done properly. I'm interested in the exercises your Doctor recommends for the quads, because the two safest exercises are squats and lunges (quad dominant). Leg presses and leg extensions are both potentially dangerous.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Still, what will happen if I neither bulk nor cut? Will be fat burn while the muscles grow?

Some more photos. I'm interested only in my BF % now, and yeah, I know I gotta work on my chest.

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Elvis1956


Still, what will happen if I neither bulk nor cut? Will be fat burn while the muscles grow?

You'll stay exactly the same.


If you're shovelling X amount of food into your mouth and doing Y amount of activity and the result is 18% bf, then doing nothing but shovelling X amount of food and Y amount of activity is going to change...what? nothing.

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

Damn, that's bad lol. So what do u think I should do? Cut, bulk? Or try to 'transform' my body, however I'm also sure that neither cutting nor bulking will bring no result.

1st off you are NOT fat.

2nd, you are skinny and have very little muscle, therefore giving the appearance that you have a high bf%.  If you added 15 lbs. of pure muscle and kept the same bf%, you would look MUCH better.

3rd, either take the advice to start squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, overhead pressing, rowing, doing pull-ups and chin-ups, and following a GOOD diet plan, or don't do that stuff and keep making excuses and not get the results you are looking for.

It doesn't matter to me what you do personally.  I'm just telling you what you should do if you want to achieve what you are looking for.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

Elvis1956


Damn, that's bad lol. So what do u think I should do? Cut, bulk? Or try to 'transform' my body, however I'm also sure that neither cutting nor bulking will bring no result.

So if cutting and bulking bring no results, everyone else is taking magic transformation pills eh?

V,
    You're the Clipart Photoshop GOD!

 

2 _Virtuoso_ , my mistake, I meant staying the same doesn't burn fat and build muscles, the cut-bulk routine is the only thing that works. 2 brihead301, I think I'll take your advice, because cutting and getting too skinny is the last think I'd want. So you think that I'm not 18% bf and proper bulking (about 1-2 pounds a month) is the best thing I can do right now to improve my body?

2 lbs. a month of weight gain accompanied by HEAVY and CONSISTENT weight lifting (training the entire body), would be the BEST thing you could do for your physique IMO. 

If you started training and dieting PROPERLY, then for the first few months you'd most likely lose fat while gaining muscle (this is known as "newbie gains").  After a while, and as your body starts to adapt the the good training and nutrition lifestyle, then it becomes pretty difficult to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously.  But by the time you have reached the point where "cutting or bulking" becomes an important desicion, you will be well on your way to learning how this all works.

For now, eat right, eat a lot, and start a GOOD routine.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

Who posted that link up a week or so ago, if you can't squat 315 for reps you shouldn't be worrying about cutting.  Bunch of different things, basically you should get a lot stronger before you cut and look like an Ethiopian.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

here is the one i was thinking. read it please.

http://www.tmuscle.com/...ormance/do_this_not_that

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

Cut later. Focus on building first. Just be sure to stay on top of your diet and do some cardio so the fat will be lessened. That is the only way for you to trim that fat in your midsection.

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