need to get a washboard stomach

sugarpea

h hey everyone i hope ye can help me i have a lil problem im slim with a nice figure or so ive been told my only problem is that my belly tends to stick out a lot im always holding it in ive tried the gym slendertone beauticians everything but nothing seems to work does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a flat washboard stomach i have a wedding coming up in a few months and want to fit into a little red dress without the bulge thanks in advance:(

LegacyUser

Try the Fitness Boards. The guys who try there know their stuff, but Heres my Suggestion:

Swimming
Situps
Running and
Wieghts.
Aerobics.

Get active

Makaveli

Well considering you are a girl, I wouldnt go all out for a washboard stomach. If you do situps it will tone your abs but it will take time.
Mutzy is right, you should ask in fitness rather than here, but afaik (and I'm drunk ) the only thing that will get your stomach flat really quickly is liposuction.
You say people say you have a nice figure, your stomach probably doesnt stick out that much at all you might just think it does. You probably look great in your little red dress as you are right now.

smiles

Sit-ups. Seriously!

Yes, they're hard to do and uninspiring, etc. but stick with them and they'll make a difference.

/me has noticed less of tummy since starting Karate (which involves doing ~200 situps to warmup/cooldown

<< Fio >>

logic1

It's very unlikely you'll ever get a full sixpack clearly defined.

Women naturally hold alot more fat than men. Normal body fat for women is between 15 and 25% normal for men is between 10 and 20%. For anyone to get a washboard you'll have to be sub 10% bodyfat (between 6 and 8% for some people, depends on your physiology)

For a woman to get down to this level is not only extremly difficult (involving low or no carb dieting with constant cardio) but is also unhealthy.

It may also involve you loosing alot of size from your breasts.

What is possible is to get a toned flat stomach (not hugely defined but very fit looking)

The problem may simply be that you hold more fat around your tummy and hips than anywhere else. Doing hundreds of situps and other stomach excercises won't make a fat tummy into a flat tummy you simply need to lose weight. You cannot spot reduce weight so it will have to come off from all over your body but you will notice it more around areas that are naturally fat.

Do some cardio two or three times a week for a month and see if you notice a difference. If you want to mix in some situps and a tummy routine that's fine it'll save you having to tone at a later date.

.logic.

Amz

Running is one of the best methods for toning up a tummy and other parts.

Sit ups or Ab crunches too are ok but make sure your back is correctly supported as you dont want to end up straining it. Read up on the correct action for sit ups as many people have incorrect conceptions about what to do thus causing injury and also it will not achieve the best results if the muscles you hope to tone are not being targeted effectovely.

I'd suggest that you also consider your posture make sure that your tummy isnt sticking out (sorry that sounds crude) as a result of bad posture as often people compensate for bad posture by standing with tummy or bum protruding and its nothing to with excess weight or whatever.

Victor

No expert on this, but some guys (including me) do like to see just a little (up to an inch(?) maybe) tummy sticking out over the top of your jeans, they like the soft look. That said, there is no harm in being fit (or even "well fit").

My niece (5'4", eight stone) was conscious on holidays about her 'fat' tummy around the swimming pool until my sister pointed out a thirty something woman (with 4 kids who had let it all go) going around in only bikini bottoms.

sisob

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SITUPS DO THEM RIGHT

You can do 200 bad situps a day and it'll be the equivelent of about 10 propper ones. A lot of people are enclined to pull them selves right up to their knees and do it too fast which uses the back. The proper way to work out you stomach muscles is to only raise a few inches off the ground but to do it really slowly. After a few you should really start to feel it in you stomach.

Also, I suggest Yoga. I've been doing it for years, and while I don't have a 6pack, smiles punched me full on in the stomach without winding me once upon a time

Sev

And if youre going to do situps, dont just do situps, you'd want to do a mix of different situps, crunches and lying leg lifts as to exercise the lower abdominals (with the pelvis) as much as the upper abdominals (with torso movements) and obliques. Also make sure to breath properly, inhale pushing out, exhale pushing in.

yossarin

Creatine. that is all.

logic1

Originally posted by yossarin
Creatine. that is all.

Will do nothing in this case. That is all.

.logic.

mooman_00

Originally posted by yossarin
Creatine. that is all.

are u mad

Sposs

Originally posted by yossarin
Creatine. that is all.

Yea i take some after i have 10 pints of Guinness and a few kebabs,and i have a washboard stomach

mooman_00

Originally posted by Sposs
Yea i take some after i have 10 pints of Guinness and a few kebabs,and i have a washboard stomach

dont forget a half pound of lard and some waitgain, eric cartman style beefcake 4000

smiles

Originally posted by sisob
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SITUPS DO THEM RIGHT

You can do 200 bad situps a day and it'll be the equivelent of about 10 propper ones. A lot of people are enclined to pull them selves right up to their knees and do it too fast which uses the back. The proper way to work out you stomach muscles is to only raise a few inches off the ground but to do it really slowly. After a few you should really start to feel it in you stomach. [/quotep

Exactly, you can feel your stomach contracting and aching as you do them (well i can anyway)

[/b]Also, I suggest Yoga. I've been doing it for years, and while I don't have a 6pack, smiles punched me full on in the stomach without winding me once upon a time [/B]

Hehe, your stomach is pretty damn fit I remember that!

<< Fio >>

Evil Phil

I would suggest yoga and swimming.

On the note of a 6 pack, I find a 6 pack on a girl to be kind of butch, I much prefer a slight pot or just 2 'lines' of muscle (that is where the lines would eventually become 3 'squares' making a 6).

wee_lady

sugarpea, i tend to have the same problem as u at times but i found the best way round it is to watch your posture! and at 5ft3 i cant really afford to slouch n e way!! but i've been told b4 that if i stand up straight it makes all the different in the stomach area!

Kell

Sex- loads of it in as many strange positions and locations as possible. Always worked for me, but then again, I am a bloke. Mmnnnn.

po0k

Take up a sport / physical activity.
It'll be hard to keep up a plain exercise routine. Might aswell enjoy something while getting fit
Plus your circle of friends will increase.

horn dog 1

As a fitness instructor.....
Firstly you need to address your eating habbits stop eating after 8 pm and dirnk a pint of water after each meal... try fruit when you feel hungry.
As for the shaping the body....
If your not into running try power walking swiming is good, do stomach crunches in the morning and before you have a evening meal go for a walk and do the crunches afterwards...
three weeks youl see the difference and if it works you owe me a pint and hope you look good in your dress on the wedding
take care

Saruman

You should probably take your own advice there So should i for that matter.

SOL

anyone to get a washboard you'll have to be sub 10% bodyfat

also lies, if you grow your stomach muscles you can get a sixpack aslong as not too your flabby its all about the size of your muscles relative to the amount of fat covering them sorta.. badly explained but you get the drift so i'll shut up now

logic1

Originally posted by SOL
also lies, if you grow your stomach muscles you can get a sixpack aslong as not too your flabby its all about the size of your muscles relative to the amount of fat covering them sorta.. badly explained but you get the drift so i'll shut up now

You obviously know very little about the subject. being "not too flabby" as you put it, to show abs means having sub 10% body fat for good definition. Obviously there'll be exceptions but very very few. You'll also be able to see the outlines anywhere from sub 14%.

And you can "grow" your abs all you like if your bodyfat isn't extremly low you'll never see your abs.

Try reading up a little on a subject before spouting rubbish like a good little boy.

.logic.

Typedef

Generally Karate and the like have students tone up their abs, so that when you get hit in the abdominal regions, it doesn't wind you, not so you can pose and show off your abs.

I have to agree with logic, getting ripped (or having a low percentile of bodyfat) and doing some modest sit-ups to define the abs are the way to get the washboard stomach.

Example, lots of bodybuilders don't have washboards, but have huge muscles. If you want to convert body fat to muscle, you will have to pump iron.

If you want to trim down you need to do aerobic exercise, like running, swimming or cycling, ie, long protracted exercise that burns calories.

Don't over exercise, you will just end up burning muscle and that is counter productive to your objective.

so there

MiCr0

i reckon this should be in fitness - anyone?

Gordon

Ye good point.

SOL

Try reading up a little on a subject before spouting rubbish like a good little boy.

Wont even go there logic

eth0_

Originally posted by SOL
Wont even go there logic

Sol, come on, having spoken to Logic about fitness before it's obvious he's pretty au fait with fitness and body building. Anyone with half a clue knows you'll never get a defined six pack when you're carrying excess fat around your tummy...

The Clown Man

On a side note, apparently women who tend to have a little extra on their tummies are genetically well suited to childbearing. So a woman that has a slim body but still a little extra in front is often subconsiously appreciated by males.

Apparently every woman has it to some degree - it's a form of protection of the goods inside. Or so my Norwegian ex told me. She actually complained of not having enough (although I didn't tbh ) The reason she gave was that she as she was a singer, she was constantly using her abs.

Actually - singing very loud every day might help, although I'm not sure anyone else in the house would appreciate the point!

Don't take that to be law now - I'm going on reports of others.

daveirl

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