Getting Ab's Without Weights.... Diet

[ENP]

I'm a swimmer, 20 years old and have recently started doing competitive olympic distance triathlons.

Therefore I do 10+ cardio workouts a week. I don't lift weights and don't particularly intend to. I'm keen on more defining my stomach and revealing some abs.

I've researched that the majority of revealing abs is to do with diet. What does this mean though? Do I just have to crank the protein shakes? Or count my food/calorie intake religiously and make sure if deficiting my energy input/output? Does this mean I have to research how much energy I'm using up from training and how much energy every piece of food I eat has?

[Marcus]

Hi ENP,

I've deleted your post in General, you'll get the answers you require here.

What it means is you need to be lean enough so your abs will show. I would think you're pretty lean already as a swimmer?

[ENP]

So when you say lean, does that just mean losing more weight? I swim 4x a week, bike 3-4 and run 3. I eat all day long. Am I just not eating the right things?

Like I have decent muscles (for a triathlete, compared to body builders small but hey) on my legs, arms, back but my tummy shows no abs. Do I need to do core work?

[Marcus]

By being lean I mean low bodyfat levels. Have you ever had a bodyfat test done?

Without knowing your stats its very hard to determine why your abs aren't showing.

[GreekAdonis]

Most Olympic triatheletes are lean enough to have abs showing. Whats your bf at?

[ENP]

Can I do a body fat % by myself?

Or do I need to go to a gym and pay to get 1 done by 1 of those fancy clip things.

[runveerun]

Can I do a body fat % by myself?

Or do I need to go to a gym and pay to get 1 done by 1 of those fancy clip things.

Yep best way is to go to the gym and get it done with calipers, get it measured then a few months later get the same person to measure you again to see how your going.

[teamfatboy]

I'd recommend a caliper test - rather than the Tanita scales which can be way off...either by getting a gym or sports-med place to do it, or by getting the calipers (borrow or whatever) and then using one of the on-line web sites like this one that have the various formulas and the explanations of how to do it.

[Pseudonym]

If you post up some photos, we can probably give a visual guesstimate of your body fat.

In addition to having low body fat, you'll probably also need to work your abs to get the muscle bulk. I prefer weighted exercises for abs, rather than hundreds of situps. Have you been doing much ab-work?

[ENP]

Don't do any ab work, but the swimming and cycling and hills with running seem to work it enough I've heard. I don't really want to build the muscles, I just want to reveal them and I've heard that diet is the answer. I'll post some pics up in an hour or 2.

[ENP]

here is my pics, hope they work :?

[djhaz]

Pseudonym is right, you'll have to implement some abdominal exercises. What does your diet look like?

[Daniil]

How long have you been swimming for?

[ENP]

So I just need to do ab/core work? Like I don't have to do bench press or bicep curl or anything like that?

My diet is pretty good, I went to a nutritionalist (Real Nutrition in Auckland) about a year ago when I started bumping up the training. They got me to write down what I ate for 1-2 weeks and set me up with a plan. I don't go to them regularly or anything.

By my pics, does it look like I need to lose weight/put on weight, or will doing ab work build up a bit of those core muscles so they stop hiding? Like I don't particularly care for bigger muscles, I just wanna look kind of like Micheal Phelps and his tummy.

[ENP]

Played waterpolo for about 3 years through school, then have just been purely swimming (training for ocean swim series) 2 years after that, now been doing triathlon for about 1.5 years since that. So about 6 years...

[djhaz]

No you don't have to do bench press, or bicep curls to get abs but it would help if you did do some form of weight training which will help with your swimming and cycling. If you've seen a nutritionist your diet should be ok. Just do a range of abdominal exercises to bring out your abs, this will also help strengthen your core, good luck

[Daniil]

Please let us know what you mean by a "pretty good" diet.

Also, in my opinion, your chest lacks thickness and your torso lacks V-shape.

[ENP]

"Pretty good" diet means I eat protein with every meal, whole grains, vegetables, fruit. Follow a basic plan the nutritionalist gave me a year ago.

Basically no crap, but I don't down like a whole chicken for breakfast as some body builders do if you know what I mean.

[Daniil]

Ha-ha yeah I think I know what you mean. Did you count calories? How many calories are from protein, from carbohydrates and how many are from fat?

[ENP]

Nope, don't count calories. Why? Should I see how much are from protein, fat, carbs, is this to ensure I'm getting the optimum of each to burn fat and build muscle? The last year I've typically tried to eat more protein, especially after trainings and with most meals.

[orange]

Hanging leg raises might work for you. As many as you can, have a rest and do it again. Have four goes, every third day, for 12 weeks.

[ENP]

So I should do core work 3x a week for say 20-30 mins?

Should get me some more definition??

[GreekAdonis]

Squats and deadlifts, great for you core. Its a pain in the arse to try and build up your abs without weights. 8)

[Evie]

There’s a pretty detailed write up in this months current Muscle & Fitness magazine about Abs (training and diet). If nothing else it might give you some different Ab exercises.