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triathte trying to get abs!


supa-powa

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Hi,

I'm a cardio freak and do triathlons.

I swim 4x week

bike 3-4x week

run 3x week

I still don't have anything that looks like abdominals! I'm about 8% body fat. I don't lift weights or do any strength exercises.

How do I go about getting a more defined core? Do I just do abdominal exercises?

Thanks.

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At 8% bodyfat you should definitely have some good ab definition. If you don't have any definition then you are either

A) not 8% or

B) retaining fluid due to excessive sodium in your diet or insufficient water intake

As a tri-athlete your focus should be more on core stability than looks - however by strengthening your core the looks should follow. Ab and lower back work will help increase your power on the bike, improve your swim strength and improve posture whilst running so you should definitely be looking at adding some core work in. The investment in a good swiss ball would be well worth it.

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I agree with Flex .... your not 8% Bodyfat and probably retaining water. how much do you drink daily? Do you load before your heavier training days? Do you monitor sodium in your diet?

Train you abs for growth like any other muscle and they grow exactly the same. High reps = tighter/shallow formed abs ----> lower reps = larger chuckier formed abs.

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no don't have access to a gym.

I am 8% body fat as my nutritionist said 2 weeks ago when I went for an appointment (skin fold tests).

I drink 4-5+ litres of water depending on the training I've done that day.

Should I upload a photo? If so how do it do it?

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no don't have access to a gym.

I am 8% body fat as my nutritionist said 2 weeks ago when I went for an appointment (skin fold tests).

Sounds like your water is fine ... skinfold isn't always the best way to acturately measure bodyfat and normally tests a bit higher. Even so on the high side around 10% you should still see your abs.

You don't need a gym to train your abs resistantly - I prefer not to use swiss balls myself but this is one option. Try doing sets of 12 rep crunches .. hold full contraction for 2 sec and then release over 2 seconds. the essentric phase of the movement works the same for your abs as it does for building strength and size in your chest or biceps for example. (Apply the same to Jack knife, leg raises etc) - also don't over train them .. lower set volume will encourage larger abs.

The challenge for most endurance athletes is putting on size as you don't really want the extra weight. A resistance training routine would still benefit your performance though. Press ups, chins, squats, lunges ... there are plenty of exercises you can do without a gym.

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Sorry to say it mate, but I don't think you're 8%.

Body fat tests are notoriously inaccurate - even caliper tests, which tend to be better than those gimmicky scales. I once had two caliper tests done on the same day (just different trainers using different calculations) and the results varied by 5%!

If I had to guess, I'd put you at about 12%. You can just see traces of the abs starting to show through.

So the answer to your question is to lose more body fat. Obviously you're doing heaps of cardio. What does your diet look like?

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Sorry to say it mate, but I don't think you're 8%.

If I had to guess, I'd put you at about 12%. You can just see traces of the abs starting to show through.

Ditto - break down what you eat on an average day. Does your nutritionist use water/sodium and carb loading cycles in your weekly routine?

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my diet looks a little something like this on an average day:

before morning swim-

1. banana

2. multi vitamin

after morning swim-

1. banana

2. protein shake

breakfast-

1. 6x wheat bix with milk

2. 2x kiwifruit

morning snack-

1. apple

2. peanut butter sandwich

lunch-

1. sandwich with ham/egg/tuna and lettuce, carrot

2. orange

2nd lunch/afternoon snack-

1. sandwich with ham/egg/tuna and lettuce, carrot

before afternoon run/bike-

1. nothing

after afternoon run/bike-

1. banana

2. protein shake

dinner-

1. 1.5-2 cups of rice or pasta

2. 250-300g of chicken/beef/pork

3. 2+ cups of vegetables

after dinner snack-

1. protein shake or an apple

Thanks.

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I've been generally eating that plan for about 5-6 months, pretty much started soon after I started training for triathlons.

If I do ever change, I'll switch a lunch sanwich for a bowl of cereal or a toasted sandwich.

The only "junk" food I ever eat is the occasional ice cream, maybe once every 2 weeks.

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Have you ever tried Pilates? Awesome way to get defined abs - wish I did it when I was competing! Would be good for your triathlon training as well, having a strong midsection will help with all 3 aspects of a triathlon - plus Pilates focuses on the breath which will also help your aerobic capacity. If you can get to a Pilates class I agree - Swiss Ball ab training is very good - even better if you add a bit of weight (light a medicine ball or something similar) :)

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Have you ever tried Pilates? Awesome way to get defined abs - wish I did it when I was competing! Would be good for your triathlon training as well, having a strong midsection will help with all 3 aspects of a triathlon - plus Pilates focuses on the breath which will also help your aerobic capacity. If you can get to a Pilates class I agree - Swiss Ball ab training is very good - even better if you add a bit of weight (light a medicine ball or something similar) :)

PT I'm curious to know how you can mistake "light" for "like" LOL

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haha light a medicine ball :) Yeah pilates are all good. Genetics are a big factor has to how big/ripped they may get, and of of course diet/excercise. Try some weighted ab excercises: decline weighted sit-ups, and hanging leg raises with weight strapped onto your ankles. Swiss/medicine balls are good too. We have a medicine ball and mini tramp at our gym or you can get someone to sling it at you :grin:

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We have a medicine ball and mini tramp at our gym or you can get someone to sling it at you :grin:

The ball or the tramp? :grin:

I tried weighted decline situps last week for the first time & found them easier than normal ones... must have been doing it all wrong :pfft:

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