Abs?
Ok, I’ve been working my abs really hard for an hour everyday for almost a week now. After 4 days in a row I was pretty sore, so I gave it a rest on day 5. My diet is very clean & I drink plenty of water. I’m still dropping weight but I’m only losing size in my chest - very frustrating. I know I haven’t been working out very long but I thought as hard as I am working I would be able to see some improvement. I know I’m getting stronger everyday because it is getting easier, but I also feel weaker at the same time. I get fatigued very easily now. I know I need cardio & I keep trying to work it in but I can’t seem to push through more than a min on cardio before I feel like I’m gonna pass out. I know, 1 min?? - pretty pathetic. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can push through my ab & core workouts for a whole hour everyday & I do just fine, cardio should be the easy part. Maybe my cardio just needs more structure? Maybe I should try a stationary bicycle instead of jogging for now until I get past this weak, run-down dizzy feeling? I probably just need food but I’m so scared of over-eating & gaining my weight back, I still have so much left to lose. I usually have half a grapefruit in the morning, then snack on a handful of spinach, maybe 1 baby carrot, sometimes a pickle, or even 2 (I don’t know why), then a couple times I also had a handful of olives & plenty of water. Once a week I’ve also had a little chili with tortilla chips. I know it’s bad & it’s way too much sodium but I feel like my body is just starving for protein, so I give in once a week. I usually feel a lot better after & stronger, the weak feeling goes away. So does anyone have any advice? Maybe diet tips that will keep my energy up & weight still coming down? I’m really new to all this so I really don’t know what I’m doing. As far as my abs, I’m really hoping someone can tell me to hang in there, it’ll come! Any feedback is appreciated. 
August 21, 2009 at 6:17 pm
firstly.. an hour just on abs?!? that tells me straight away you’re either doing too much or your intensity is very low.
secondly.. are you training everything else as well as abs and core? if not then you should be.. the more muscle you have on your body the muscle calories you will burn during daily activities.. as well as the necessity to have proper muscle and strength balance on your whole body.
dont be scared of food either.. only bad foods will make you gain "weight" as in bodyfat..
a proper diet will enable you to gain muscle (which is the only way to look toned) and drop the bodyfat.
August 21, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Too much abs. Abs are like other muscles, you need to give them rest days to repair. However, I have found that several people like to do abs 3 days in a row and then give it a rest (but do them obliques, middle abs, and lower abs- one group each day). remember to train your lower back as well! I do them every other day at the end of my workouts. Abs shouldn’t take an hour, that’s too much. If you are feeling THAT tired you need to eat more healthy carbs for energy- try berries before the gym. Clean eating doesn’t mean lack of food, you need fuel otherwise your body will hold on to what it does have. Breakfast- add 1/2 c oatmeal and 3-4 egg whites. Before gym add some berries and try yogurt, after snack drink that protein shake and have some whole wheat (immediately refuel). eat a handful of carrots with 1 tbsp PB. you can pretty much eat as much spinach, broccoli, asparagus and green beans that you want. celery too. don’t worry about sodium, unless you are in a final phase readying towards comp. You should NEVER feel like your body is starving for protein, eat it every meal. Chicken breast, egg whites, fish, and lean mean are your best friends now- along with low-fat cheese, yogurt, milk and PB and nuts (go easy- calories). get OXYGEN magazine.
August 21, 2009 at 6:27 pm
hi there. it sounds like your workout and diet are designed to fight each other. are you getting enough protein? to lean out you will need about a gram per your bodyweight in lbs. for energy, have your carbs (plus protein, like a drink or fruits) before and especially after your workout. and you ABs-olutely are overworking your abs! think of them as a muscle and train them 1-2 times a week for definition. What other muscle do you train for an hour? The real fat loss will happen from eating 5-6 small clean meals and getting your cardio up. good luck!
August 21, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Yeah, I’m with Mikatrockz and Lilmogul, your diet is in need of serious overhaul. Balance, balance, balance!
Clean Protein:
Turkey Breast
Chicken Breast
Tuna, Salmon, Tilapia
Egg Whites
Danon Light & Fit Yogurt
Ground Turkey
Clean Carbs:
Brown Rice
Oatmeal
Shredded Wheat
100% Whole Wheat, 100% Whole Grain bread
100% Whole wheat pasta
Good Fats:
Almonds, Cashews (also good protein)
Smart Balance Butter
Olive Oil, Peanut Oil (NEVER vegetable, NEVER)
Fruits and Veggies:
I’m not sure how you can go wrong here…
Every meal, carbs, protein, fat, fruit or vegetable. Quality supplements help if you can’t eat a proper meal… but they are just supplements and can never substitute real food!!!!!
You’re doing your abs WAY to much! Once per week, maybe twice. My ab routine lasts about 16 minutes once a week and it’s super intense.
Best wishes
August 21, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Thanx everybody! The diet tips really help, like I said, I really don’t know what I’m doing, that’s why I asked. A personal trainer told me it’s ok to do abs every day. Wouldn’t doing them everyday give me faster results? Also I am working my entire core - my entire back, upper, mid, lower abs & obliques. I was going to alternate muscle groups, but it already feels like a full-body workout! My neck, arms, legs, hips, glutes, everything is so sore after from my neck to my ankles! I think it’s pretty good.