Abs

Sauce

I'm beginning to believe that having a six pack is only for the lucky few. I have been going to the gym for the last 5 months. I have gained a stone since I started, all of which is pure muscle. I dont know if that is good or bad progress but I am happy enough with it.

The thing is though, I still can't see my abs. I can see the top 2 and that is it. My BF is 3%. I know you're thinking that can't be right but I had it measured in the gym with a calipers. I was then later chatting to another instructor in the gym telling her that I had my BF measured and that it was only 3% and she could not believe it. She tested me again using the machine and the reading was basically the same (i.e 2.8%). At this stage I should probably say that I am aware that my BF is too low and that I need to get it up a little.

Even though having/not having a six pack does not really me bother me as my main goal is to gain strength, I was wondering, can everybody achieve this? I have been doing situps and using the ab machine as part of my program. Could it be that my abs are very under developed?

justsomebloke

ok i think you are going to have to post a pic of yourself to convience people that you are only 3% bodyfat

i.e. we will do an online morror test to see what BF we think you are

fletch

How exactly does this calipers thing measure your BF? I'd like to see what I am...

foxyboxer

:eek: 3 % body fat?? are you still breathing? do you get many colds and sniffles? i used to notice that when I was about 6.8%...now 8% and never get colds. didn't i read somewhere that 5% is essential? post a pic...highly intrigued. also maybe something to do with genetics. i remember reading that Arnie didn't have the two lower abs?? maybe your like that?

Sauce

The instructor in the gym asked me did I get dizzy spells or anything from having such a low BF. But I dont honestly. I dont feel any side effects. I am only 60kg heavy. I know lots of guys try to lower their BF to about 10% to show off their gains but would going too low actually take away from that too. Would my gains look bigger if my BF was higher.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

de lioncourt

with 3% BF, you should be noticing abs even without any abs exercise.
And to be honest, id be really worried about my BF rather than abs if i were you!
well, i will have to work on my strength too.
oh and the BEST way to achieve abs are crunches in my opinion!
may you should consider low carb and high protein diet for a few weeks!

Sauce

Sorry guys, I am not posting a pic of my body up here. I am far too hairy for that.

I get a good amount of protein in my diet but I do like my carbs too

Could it be possible that 2 different instructors measured me using 2 different methods and got the same wrong measurement?

justsomebloke

Sauce wrote:

Could it be possible that 2 different instructors measured me using 2 different methods and got the same wrong measurement?

depending on how many points they use for calculations they many be just picking the wrong points to meaure your bodyfat accurately. However if you are only 3% BF I would suggest maybe a trip to the doctor maybe a good idea

Sauce

jsb wrote:

depending on how many points they use for calculations they many be just picking the wrong points to meaure your bodyfat accurately. However if you are only 3% BF I would suggest maybe a trip to the doctor maybe a good idea

Using the calipers I think they used 6 points. What should I be aiming for with my BF? I dont know how it is so low because I often eat before I go to bed. For example on days I go to the gym I dont get my dinner untill I come home at 9 o clock. Dinner usually consists of a huge plate of veg and meat (e.g. chicken, fish, pork) and sometimes the chicken does be breaded.

Dragan

A Pro bodybuilder will do terrible things to themselves to get down to 3% bodyfat. When they get there they will be showing so much detail it's unreal...there will look like an anatomy chart.

This is not just due to low BF levels, the will not be holding any water either, and there muscles are huge.

Your post tells me a few things and those options are

1) Your taking crap - i don't think this will be the case....but i think there might some confusion in the situation.
2) You have no muscle mass to speak off.......or you hold a lot of water.
3) You never actually work your abs - low BF is integral to having a six pack, but you do actually need to to do some ab work as well.

Sauce

Dragan wrote:

A Pro bodybuilder will do terrible things to themselves to get down to 3% bodyfat. When they get there they will be showing so much detail it's unreal...there will look like an anatomy chart.

This is not just due to low BF levels, the will not be holding any water either, and there muscles are huge.

Your post tells me a few things and those options are

1) Your taking crap - i don't think this will be the case....but i think there might some confusion in the situation.
2) You have no muscle mass to speak off.......or you hold a lot of water.
3) You never actually work your abs - low BF is integral to having a six pack, but you do actually need to to do some ab work as well.

1. My BF was measured by 2 different instructors. The first used a calipers and took measurements from 6 areas iirc. A few days later I was talking to another instructor and I told her my BF was measured a 3%. She could not believe it and did not think it was right so she measured me again, this time using a machine and the results came out at 2.8%. She told me that I should get my BF up. She also told me that I should get my blood pressure measured. She could not believe that I was not suffering from dizzy spells or anything.

2. You could be right about this. I am a skinny guy, but I have gained a stone in the last few months. I can see a difference compare to what I use to be. I definately have gained some size. Lately people have been telling me that I look alot better and that I was looking very unhealthy for a while. My weight went from 79kg to 53kg at one stage. I also reckon I may hold some water.

3. I do some ab work 3 times a week. Admittely its not much. 3x30 crunches + 1 set to failure of 35kg on the ab machine. Im not worried if I do or do not have abs. Its just with all the talk about having to have a low BF% to see your abs I was wondering where mine were, seeing that I am told I have such a low BF

Dragan

I suggest you go to a doctor and get some blood work done, you may have some underlying condition result in a difficulty to store bodyfat.

3% is not healthy, and will catch up with you, regardless of how well you might feel now.

t-ha

This guy is at 3%BF (admittedly he is also holding almost no subcutaneous water either).



What are your main lifts like? Work on getting them big and you should start to see abs if you have that low bodyfat.

Sauce

t-ha wrote:

This guy is at 3%BF (admittedly he is also holding almost no subcutaneous water either).



What are your main lifts like? Work on getting them big and you should start to see abs if you have that low bodyfat.

OMG that is disgusting. Maybe not having alot of muscle mass is better in this situation then.

For 8 reps I can:

Bench 40kg
Shoulder Press 16kg dumbells
Leg press 110kg
Bicep Curl 12kg
Lat Row 40kg

t-ha

Sauce wrote:

OMG that is disgusting. Maybe not having alot of muscle mass is better in this situation then.

You kind of entirely missed the point - I was giving you a basis for comparison, are you carrying about the same amount of bodyfat as the guy in that picture (and I assure you that someone with 3%BF and no muscle mass would look alot worse). Holding that level of bodyfat for more than a few hours usually results in hospital time & if it's maintained, death. You need a certain amount of bodyfat to maintain your internal organs. People who die of starvation will often still have 3%BF at the time of their death. Basically, what I am getting at is that I can say with 99% certainty that you are not 3%BF. Even just posting a picture of your arm, if you're not comfortable posting pics of yourself, will sort this out quickly.

Sauce wrote:

For 8 reps I can:

Bench 40kg
Shoulder Press 16kg dumbells
Leg press 110kg
Bicep Curl 12kg
Lat Row 40kg

That's your problem then. Double all of the above and you should have abs. If abdominal definition is not your genetic strong point then do direct ab work to bring them up.

Transform

Agreed - you are possibly 18years old, very very light and not lifting heavy enough for your abs to show. Put on some muscle first.

What age are you?

Sauce

Im 23

From that picture I can probably almost garurantee im not 3% BF. Is it possible that there is different scales that people measure from?

When I lift or in hot conditions I am able to see the veins in my arms popping out

rubadub

What make was the calipers? was it spring or did people squeeze it? was it sore when they inched it (i.e. they may squeeze way to hard). Do you know the readings you got?
Maybe they messed up the formula.
I have a slim guide calipers with a spring so tension is always the same. By the charts that come with it I am 13-14% (which I think I am, and aiming for 10%). I asked for online calculators the other day here and was given a 7-point and 3 point calculator.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054980378
The 7 point said I am 8%, then the 3 point said 7%!, there is no way I am that!, I still have a belly and a 33" waist. I am 5'11'' and 75kg.

Did these instructors test anybody else at the same time?
would you even post a photo of your arm flexed?

Sauce

rubadub wrote:

What make was the calipers? was it spring or did people squeeze it? was it sore when they inched it (i.e. they may squeeze way to hard). Do you know the readings you got?
Maybe they messed up the formula.
I have a slim guide calipers with a spring so tension is always the same. By the charts that come with it I am 13-14% (which I think I am, and aiming for 10%). I asked for online calculators the other day here and was given a 7-point and 3 point calculator.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054980378
The 7 point said I am 8%, then the 3 point said 7%!, there is no way I am that!, I still have a belly and a 33" waist. I am 5'11'' and 75kg.

Did these instructors test anybody else at the same time?
would you even post a photo of your arm flexed?

I have no idea what make the calipers were. They were the squeeze type I think. I dont know what readings they got either. They didnt squeeze them tightly at all so it didnt hurt.

The instructors didnt test anybody else at the same time but the second instructor was shocked I was getting such a low reading.