Basically the object of this site is to document my gains and problems along the way hopefully, to a body with mad abs. Perhaps this will help others in finding good ways to make gains, save time and avoid futility using methods that don't work. Don't beat me up too bad, I know I don't have mad abs now, but this is more of a journey towards them. I have never been able to get them in the past. I have had a pretty good stomach before but was never able to really get those great abs. Lets see what happens this time.
Prior to the diet and exercise plan, I worked out for the last year very irregularly 1 to 2 days every other week. I ate approximately 3400 calories per day which included usually a dessert and some cookies at night. Drank alcohol on weekends Friday and Saturday in the amount of 7 beers each time.
Starting weight 173, Age 46
Month 1, Jan19, 2009 to Feb 21, 2009
Ate healthy approximately 2800 calories per day. Basically no sweets. 1-2 servings of protein mix a day. Exceptions cheated 1 day a week with fast food meal. Also drank alcohol 4 times over the month about 7 beers each time.
Weight end of first month 175 actually added 2 pounds. I believe I added some pounds of muscle and was successful at fat loss although not in great quantities.
Looking at the photos which I am trying to be very fair with by using similar poses and similar amounts of muscle flexing, my stomach appears to be a little better which is also confirmed in the measurements of which my stomach went from 36 to 35 inches flexed and from 38.5 to 37 inches relaxed. Hard to see much other results from the photos.
I did work out very well over the month working out about 5 times a week using the following plan:
Monday – Biceps 9 sets, forearms 6 sets, calves 3 sets. Tuesday – Chest 3 sets, Traps 6 sets, shoulders 3 sets, triceps 6 sets, stomach 6 sets. Wednesday – Legs 9 sets, calves 3 sets. Thursday – Off Friday – Shoulders 6 sets, Back 6 sets, triceps 9 sets. Saturday – Legs 6 sets, calves 3 sets, stomach 6 sets, Cardio 15 minutes
You may notice I don’t work my chest very hard. It is something that for me grows easy and I don’t want it to get to big. I have been working my triceps and legs extra hard because those I feel need more work and are a bit behind. I should probably up the stomach exercise but I have always felt the best way to get a good stomach is for your bodyfat to be very low and just have toned abs. I don’t feel having big stomach muscles is really very beneficial because in my opinion big abs take away the nice V shape of a muscular body. So when I think of mad abs, it is having decent but not large abs but also having hardly any bodyfat to show off those sexy abs in the best way possible. I have seen young guys on the beach with hardly any muscle development but if they are really skinny their abs look good. So looking at this months workout I probably need to up my cardio, I think ideally to 3 days a week for 30 minutes each time. However I must confess I hate cardio. So this will be my biggest challenge. Also I think overdoing cardio can be disadvantageous because if you bump up your cardio too much you will cut down on your natural testosterone levels which also help you burn fat. So I think there has to be a good mix with diet. Getting to 3 days a week of cardio will be a bit of a chore for me not only because I don’t particularly like it but it also consumes time for which I am currently a bit short on. But it’s a goal and probably a key for me in getting my stomach those mad abs.
Supplements I took this month were 3 weeks of NO2 and 2 weeks of creatine. (they overlapped). They greatly helped my energy and motivation to working out. With me the creatine does cause me to hold water weight but when I stop that water weight usually goes away in a few days. I am a big believer in constantly changing your supplements so you only take each for a couple of weeks a month because I think your body gets used to them and then they don’t work as well. Also I am a big believer in each month changing the amount of reps you do for each set. I have noticed whenever I change the amount of reps and weights I always get sore again. When my muscles are the most sore I feel I am making my best gains.
