Do sit-ups actually get you a six-pack?

What about those electrode things?

I work on my body the good ol fashioned way, exercise and sport but I've always wondered if those things that put a small current across your muscles actually work?
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Stay off the beer and bacon :D
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THIS.

If you want to properly lose weight:

You have to eat quite a boring diet (bye bye pasta and risotto for instance). Do not go out to eat regularly (so no more curry houses for now). Stop drinking anything that's not water.

In my experience you can gym 10/12hrs per week but the major part of weight loss starts at home sadly.

If I wanted to properly go about this, over a few months I would:

Not drink alcohol
Not eat carbs: no bread, pasta or risotto or rice (maybe once per week)
Eat seven pieces of fruit a day again
Eat as much chicken and fish as possible.
Gym every day: Cardio every day aiming to burn 1k calories before weights.

It might get poo-pooed in the sports forum, but frankly this is how i see it.
 
Citizen420 said:
What about those electrode things?

I work on my body the good ol fashioned way, exercise and sport but I've always wondered if those things that put a small current across your muscles actually work?
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If they gave a noticable result then we'd all have them ;)
 
Just cut out as much sugar and carbs as possible, with the focus being sugar in particular. The liver turns it into fat within 45 minutes of consumption, which is released into your bloodstream and stored as fat.
 
I have started training to lose body fat like yourself.

I have to eat every 3 hours (7am - 10am - 1pm -4pm - 7pm - 10pm)as i was told that once your body knows it is getting fed every 3 hours it will burn the calories and not store them. Get rid of Alcohol, bread, changed potatoes to sweet potatoes, no crisps, sweets etc, and loads of fruit, veg and water. Also drink green tea with breakfast as its is meant to help.

If you eat only 3 meals a day the body tends to store some as fat.

Also cardio is the best way to burn the fat.

I do HIIT cardio on a rowing machine as it seems to be doing the job.

Then i use the 5x5 stronglifts program after.

I train every second day and rest the off days.
 
^TANK^ said:
I love my exercise ball best thing I ever bought, I use it pretty much every day. Absolutely **** loads of exercises you can do with it:cool:.
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Yep - I started about a year ago. Found I was exercising parts i never knew were there. Great for stability and core as you most likely know - you don't need that heavy weights either :)
 
Well just think about it like this - do you think doing 100 bicep curls with pink 1.25kg weights every day is going to get you big biceps?
 
Sit ups may help to build the muscle, but it's not the most effective way of doing so - there are much better exercises for core and stomach development. However, building up the muscle will not help you miraculously have a 6pack if you still have high bodyfat. :) Build up the muscle and lose the fat, then you'll have a 6 pack. :)
 
I guess some people on here don't realise the science behind body building and body maintenance, it isn't as simple as cutting out carbs and doing plenty of cardio.

Not enough carbs or protein and plenty of cardio will result in you burning off muscle aswell as fat.

You need to work out your diet for starters, at least 0.8grams of protein per pound of body weight to maintain existing muscle and 1+ gram per pound of body weight to build muscle. You then need to work out your daily calorie intake compared to the amount of exercise you plan to do.

That's where you start.
 
willhub said:
I'm not that bothered about having abit of fat there, just it does not look that good.

I cycled about 200-300 miles a week and do lots of racing, not really interested in doing other exercising as cycling is my passion. Although if doing a routine of situps, pressups or exercises like those would help aswell as eating abit less I would perhaps do it.
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Wow. That is a lot of cycling my friend. :)
 
Citizen420 said:
I guess some people on here don't realise the science behind body building and body maintenance, it isn't as simple as cutting out carbs and doing plenty of cardio.

Not enough carbs or protein and plenty of cardio will result in you burning off muscle aswell as fat.

You need to work out your diet for starters, at least 0.8grams of protein per pound of body weight to maintain existing muscle and 1+ gram per pound of body weight to build muscle. You then need to work out your daily calorie intake compared to the amount of exercise you plan to do.

That's where you start.
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Those sort of categoric rules are quite erroneous, however a lot of people use those metrics as a good start - and I agree for beginners it's quite useful. :)

Your body does have a propensity for burning muscle as it's more calorie rich - however the more lean body mass (LBM) you have the more easily your body will metabolise foods. However you have to also take into consideration hormonal implications importantly insulin sensitivity - however that brings in itself much more complications.

For basic fat loss, HIIT, with a good weight routine will accelerate the main and only driver - diet. But by that it doesn't mean just food, it means sleep, and drinks and how you train - it's a way of life, not just a thing you do for a bit. :)
 
Almost everyone has a six pack, its just under a layer of fat.
I really need to go to the gym, rugby season has stopped and my moobs are starting to come out and say hi.
Anyone recommend a good bra? :L
 
As mentioned, six packs are made in the kitchen. There's plenty of other exercises you can do to work your core such as planks.

Sit ups, from what I've heard and breaking down the physiology of the exercise actually recruit a lot of hip (Tensor Fasciae Latae) as it is effectively flexing the hip but bracing your abdominals whilst doing so, some rectus femoris from the quad group is also used too.

Pritty sure sit ups aren't recommended as the vertebrae of your spine being rolled, particulary around the sacrum isn't good.

Crunches are a better alternative and minimalise other assisting muscle recruitment.

Personally I stick to big compounds with minimal isolations and have found at lower bodyfat % when they become more clearly visible, in my opinion, my abs don't needed any extra work. As you have arthritus big resistance exercises aren't possible so as previously mentioned I'd be 'making my six pack' in the kitchen ;) You may well find your stomach looks good enough without having to bust a gut doing 1,000,000 sit ups.

God knows why people choose to do 1000's of repitions for sit ups, all this does is build muscular endurance, which has it's place but not in encouraging muscles to grow. The rectus abdominus ( 1 muscle not 4,6,8 or 12!!!) will respond the same as any other muscle whether it be a bicep, glute, hamstring, quad or pectoral. 8-12 rep max (so add some weight or slow the negative right down, or both!) if you want them to hypertrophy. If you want to be able to see them lower your bodyfat.
 
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