Want to lose belly but gain weight

padsc

I'm in good shape, I would say I'm aerobically fit. My problem is that I have a bit of a belly but I want to bulk up the rest of my body which is pretty scrawny. Should I be eating more and if so what? Will eating more not just add to my belly? I'm doing 200 sit ups 3 or 4 times a week and my abs seem to be getting harder but the belly is still there.

Thanks

Colm_OReilly

Sit ups won't really improve your gut if your diets not in check.

If you want to bulk up, start lifting heavy and often. Squats, Deadlifts, Shoulder Presses and Bench Presses should form the basis of your workouts.

From a strictly aesthetic point of view, the bigger your shoulders/back are, the less people will notice the gut.

A program like Crossfit - which blurs the distinction between cardio and weights, will help you with both aims. This is dependent on your level of fitness and commitment of course, like any other program.

For more info/workouts, look at www.crossfit.com (main site) and www.crossfit.ie

Colm

EdgarAllenPoo

I cut all the rubbish from my diet about three months ago and in the last month I've started doing tons of sit-ups, I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types) and earlier in the week I lost and inch and a half off my waist in 48 hours. I was well pleased with that.

BossArky

GDM wrote:

I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types) and earlier in the week I lost and inch and a half off my waist in 48 hours. I was well pleased with that.

:eek:

Gaz

I second that :eek: :eek:

EdgarAllenPoo

As I said I was well pleased, until I put on a pair of jeans I bought last week and ended up with my bags round my ankles.

padsc

Thanks for the advice... will get going on some heavier weights asap. Do you think it's better to do bench presses than use a chest press machine or are they pretty much the same?

Vegeta

stay away from the machines if possible, use all free weights

davyjose

padsc wrote:

Thanks for the advice... will get going on some heavier weights asap. Do you think it's better to do bench presses than use a chest press machine or are they pretty much the same?

Absolutely not the same. IMO a chest press machine is very limiting. It doesn't allow you the same range of motion, which over time can lead to injuries. It also does the job your stabilising muscles do, in other words, the smaller muscles which effectively hold your larger muscles together aren't worked - leading to injury AND effectively meaning your still not that strong. What I mean is, if you can chest press 70kg, you wont be anywhere near benching that amount.
As Colm said, large back and shoulders will take the emphasis off your belly, but more body mass will also raise your metabolism, so those extra muscles will actually help burn away that belly.

rubadub

padsc wrote:

Thanks for the advice... will get going on some heavier weights asap. Do you think it's better to do bench presses than use a chest press machine or are they pretty much the same?

Get some heavy weight squats in. Doing them 3 times a week instead of the situps will give more benefit to your abs and your fat loss overall, and you can do them in a shorter time too. The squats trigger all your muscles into growth. Situps will not spot reduce fat on the belly, overall fat loss will do it.

Colm_OReilly

You know what will really improve core strength - Overhead Squats. When God does squat work, he does Overhead Squats.

Also, doing pull ups, L-Sits, or if you're really dedicated L-Sit Ups will blast your midsection more than sit ups ever will.

And now the "science": Your core muscles primary purpose is to isometrically contract so your spine/core stays still so that power produced to the legs can be transferred to the upper body (usually were it's required). Their function in extension/flexion is pretty low in comparison.

EdgarAllenPoo

How do you do L sit ups? Any clips would be helpful.

Colm_OReilly

L-Sits are a static hold were you balance on your hands and hold your body up in an L shape, i.e legs out straight. The Gold Standard is 3 minutes.

L-Sit wmv
L-Sit Pull Up

Kick ass vid of a WoD that involves L-Pull Ups and Knees to Elbows, another core wrecker.

(All the above vids are in wmv format)

Colm

Gillie

GDM wrote:

I cut all the rubbish from my diet about three months ago and in the last month I've started doing tons of sit-ups, I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types) and earlier in the week I lost and inch and a half off my waist in 48 hours. I was well pleased with that.

3 frickin thousand!

You'll end up lookin like this guy in no time!;)

EdgarAllenPoo

Gillie wrote:

3 frickin thousand!

You'll end up lookin like this guy in no time!;)

Good Jesus I hope not.


I'd say those L Sits are fairly hard to do at home, unless you don't mind your banisters collapsing around you.

Maynooth

GDM wrote:

I cut all the rubbish from my diet about three months ago and in the last month I've started doing tons of sit-ups, I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types) and earlier in the week I lost and inch and a half off my waist in 48 hours. I was well pleased with that.

:eek: is that even possible??!!

Colm_OReilly

I'd say those L Sits are fairly hard to do at home, unless you don't mind your banisters collapsing around you.

Go to the top of your stairs and do them there. Or off your bed if the mattress is hard enough. It'll work fine.

Money Shot

GDM wrote:

I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types).

There really is no need to do 3,000 sit ups a day - besides, surely you could do with clawing back some of the time it takes to perform all these.

Do you never get bored with doing this every single day ?

Keyzer

GDM wrote:

I cut all the rubbish from my diet about three months ago and in the last month I've started doing tons of sit-ups, I generally do 3000 a day ( 1000 each of three different types) and earlier in the week I lost and inch and a half off my waist in 48 hours. I was well pleased with that.

3000 sit up's a day? You must be joking....

How long would that take?

When I go the gym I do 150 to 200 ab exercises and I can barely move the next day.... You must be crippled....

TheOak

3000 wont do anything, why??? cause if you can do 3000 your not doing them right, simple.

once per week i do 2 exercises, cunches and reverse crunches, 3 sets of 15 each,really slow, contracting every time and making sure to breath as much air as i can out every time i contract, so in total 90 reps and im in pain the next day. another thing, as has been said already, stomach exercises wont do a thing for weight loss around your stomach.

and lastly there is no way in hell that the inch and a half that you lost was fat, possible lost one inch and a half, but it wasnt fat. water id say.

justsomebloke

http://teamtestforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=761

Degsy

padsc wrote:

I'm in good shape, I would say I'm aerobically fit. My problem is that I have a bit of a belly but I want to bulk up the rest of my body which is pretty scrawny. Should I be eating more and if so what? Will eating more not just add to my belly? I'm doing 200 sit ups 3 or 4 times a week and my abs seem to be getting harder but the belly is still there.

Thanks

Are you drinking a lot of beer?

padsc

I suppose I'd be drinking about 5 pints twice a week.

Degsy

padsc wrote:

I suppose I'd be drinking about 5 pints twice a week.

Thats not a lot on the scheme of things but it may be causing the owld new delhi.Are you eating say,a pizza after a feed of pints and then going to bed?

padsc

Not really. I'd probably have a sandwich or something but I wouldn't be eating anything as big as a pizza.