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If a six-pack is attainable for you, great. As long as your life is balanced, and usually happy. And you do other things besides go to the gym or work out. Everyone has a six-pack. It's just not visible on most of us. The six-pack craze just makes me sad.
I grew up female, therefore I could never be happy with my body. I could never be thin enough or pretty enough. And what the fashion magazines put out there as perfect is just not attainable for most women. You can never be good enough. If you wear a size 6, you need to starve down to a 4. And if you are a 0, you are working towards 00. And yet, I have read the average size in the US is a 14. Probably true because I see many people larger than a 14. Sigh. Women these days are supposed to look like young boys with boobs.
Speaking from a life-time of experience, I hate seeing men walking down the impossible body-image path. It's been a disaster for women and it will be for men too. I always admired the fact that men just accepted themselves for who they were. Yes fitter is better, but find the middle ground.
All those people you see in the magazines are not just regular folks. Fitness is their JOB and what pays the bills so they work out 40 to 60 hours a week. For the rest of us who have regular jobs and responsibilities, 40 hours a week working out is just not going to happen. And then there's food. Those perfect people are probably not doing most of their own food prep and shopping. It would take too much out of their workout schedule. And the older you get, the more time and effort it will take to maintain that six-pack/perfect body. And old age always wins in the end. Just because Jack Lalanne had a six-pack at 80 doesn't mean I WANT to see it. And again, his body paid for his life... It was his job.
I am more than size, a number on the scale, or a percentage body fat. It's great to want to improve yourself but have realistic goals. Don't set yourself up for failure.
All those people you see in the magazines are not just regular folks. Fitness is their JOB and what pays the bills so they work out 40 to 60 hours a week. For the rest of us who have regular jobs and responsibilities, 40 hours a week working out is just not going to happen. And then there's food. Those perfect people are probably not doing most of their own food prep and shopping. It would take too much out of their workout schedule.
Wow, so wrong.
NOBODY works out 40-60 hours a week. Not even close. This is physically impossible.
Daily workouts, yes. But everyone should work out daily.
I workout for 30 mins 6 days/week. Anyone can do that. And it works. I'm 5'8" male, down to 158 lbs and getting defined muscles including abs, in my 40's. I sit at a computer all day and I'm healthier than I have ever been in my life. I highly doubt I'm at 10% bf, but I can see my abs.
Fitness models are not "body builders". I know people that have competed and yes they are regular people that put in the extra time and effort to achieve their goals. It takes regular workouts before and/or after their day jobs and really clean eating.
Wanting abs is a healthy thing and achievable for most people.
Maybe not the washboard, paper thin skin, veins popping out type of abs, but you should at least be able to find your abs and see them start to make an appearance.
It's good to want to be fit and healthy.
Just because the average size may be a 14 or a 12 or even a 10, doesn't mean that's where the average person should strive to be.
The media. All those fitness models flashing their six pack abs make it seem like that look is actually attainable. It is attainable if you are committed to a rigid diet and a crazy exercise regime.
This is rubbish.
Yes, work is required, but it is not as unattainable as you make it sound.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Autumn07
Most of them are drinking a gallon of water a day or close to it so they can't possibly be dehydrated.
rubbish as well.
For the shows, photoshoots and exhibitions (what you see in magazines, on sites/TV etc), the models have gone through quite a bit of dehydration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luckyd609
I have a friend who is a fitness model and she is ripped. In order to compete or to do a photo shoot she has to dehydrate herself so her muscles have more definition. Don't believe me? Look it up. It is fairly common knowledge.
Very true.
(side note, based on what you're describing, you're lean.. the best form for a female, in my book)
Quote:
Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool
I do agree though that when the cameras are on, being dehydrated helps.
It is a requirement. If the model wants to advance they have to do that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JONOV
Bodybuilders and Fitness/Figure Competitors often are. In fact, many of them take Lasix to dehydrate more rapidly. They may drink a gallon a day regularly, but before a photo shoot/stage date, they will dehydrate. If you drink a gallon of water yesterday and don't drink any today, you are dehydrated today.
But, even after drinking a gallon of water, they have defined abs. It just might not look like the cover of a fitness magazine.
BB/Fitness competitors always go through a dehydration/strict diet regime.
Most I worked with go through 4-6 week diet, and a week dehydration with very little lifting.
a lot are taking diuretics the night before the show. One other trick I learned this season is to have a glass of whiskey/bourbon/anything as heavy as it dehydrates your skin even further.
They will not drink water prior to judging as it expands the belly = lost points.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth
Its seriously reaching to blame dehydration. People with six packs aren't dehydrated, people who do shows dehydrate themselves in order to EMPHASIZE what they already have. Go to any bar and watch someone down a pitcher of beer, if they walked in with a 6 pack, they'll walk OUT with one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool
This is true. Six packs won't happen with dehydration if your body fat level is too high. Like Layne Norton said, if you have to figure out ways to make yourself look more cut, you just have too much fat.
this!
I don't agree with Norton's assessment very much, though, as posing is one of the arts behind the art of body building, and it is exactly that - to know how to make yourself look more cut/bigger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Opin_Yunated
Yes, you should have a six pack to be healthy. Visable abs denote healthy body fat levels. Men should be 7-10% (abs are visable under 10). I'm not sure what the percentage is for women.
lol what nonsense!
I hope to never drop to a 10% BF.
My insight comes from working with body builders (I am a photographer), and training side by side with amazing pros.
It isn't impossible with rigorous excercise and a wholesome diet. I'm not a 6 pack kid, but I do have ab definition even with moderate exercise. If I yanked up my routine a bit and followed a stricter diet, I feel 6 packs are a possibility.
Core strength is as it's cracked up to be. The recommended exercises for healthy posture and back support could lead to at least a flat stomach, if not model-quality ab definition.
NOBODY works out 40-60 hours a week. Not even close. This is physically impossible.
Daily workouts, yes. But everyone should work out daily.
I workout for 30 mins 6 days/week. Anyone can do that. And it works. I'm 5'8" male, down to 158 lbs and getting defined muscles including abs, in my 40's. I sit at a computer all day and I'm healthier than I have ever been in my life. I highly doubt I'm at 10% bf, but I can see my abs.
Fitness models are not "body builders". I know people that have competed and yes they are regular people that put in the extra time and effort to achieve their goals. It takes regular workouts before and/or after their day jobs and really clean eating.
Wanting abs is a healthy thing and achievable for most people.
Maybe not the washboard, paper thin skin, veins popping out type of abs, but you should at least be able to find your abs and see them start to make an appearance.
It's good to want to be fit and healthy.
Just because the average size may be a 14 or a 12 or even a 10, doesn't mean that's where the average person should strive to be.
Size 14 is more accurate for the average American woman. I'm 5'5. When I wore a size 14, I called myself "chunky" to be kind, but I knew the truth!
Fitness models are not "body builders". I know people that have competed and yes they are regular people that put in the extra time and effort to achieve their goals. It takes regular workouts before and/or after their day jobs and really clean eating.
huh?!
Yes, they are.
They're judged on a different basis, but TODAY's fitness models are bodybuilders; they're just not working for a pure size.
here is a fitness model for you:
tell me he's not a bodybuilder.
the lad here is a physique / swimsuit competitor and a fitness model.
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