# Abs,How strict do you have to be?



## james90 (Oct 7, 2010)

I feel i could get a decent set of abs if was strict with the trainin and diet but im just wondering how strict you have to be? Im trying to bulk but want to lose the little belly fat i do have and get a good set of abs. Most of the time my diet is good but i give in to chocolate a lot, can you not have chocolate at all if you want to see abs? What would b best to snack on instead ?


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## MrM (Feb 6, 2012)

Need to decide what you are doing - bulking it cutting. If by belly fat you really mean gut then I'd opt for a cut.

As for diet - diff bodies react differently. I still eat chocolate but I don't fire four mars bars down in one go.


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## james90 (Oct 7, 2010)

I dont have a gut at all, but i eat crap every now and then and just wondering if i need to cut it all completely. Im 5'9 n 70kg im trying to bulk but i just need to understand the diet as thats what is slowing me down as the gym is going well and slowly seeing results.

I eat lots of protein but i also snack on crap like crisps and chocolate what is good to replace them with.


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## latblaster (Oct 26, 2013)

Re read post # 2, first line.


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## james90 (Oct 7, 2010)

Ok, i want to bulk. I started @ 59kg couple yrs ago im now 70kg i want to get to say 74kg by summer if thats possible. I train hard but my diet isnt good enough i know that, i eat the proteins n carbs etc but not enough n i snack on crap so i will cut that out.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Total calories is the major determinent of fat gain when bulking and fat loss when cutting, not what you eat. It is perfectly possible to gain muscle or to get a six pack eating chocolate bars, just make sure you are eating enough protein.

I don't personally think setting weight targets is helpful. The target numbers are always arbitrary, and don't relate to how fast you may actually be able to gain muscle. People generally end up gaining more fat to reach whatever the target was, but this does them no favours at all.

You should either focus on cutting for a while whilst maintaining strength (keep the same weights on the bar, but probably reduce sets), or try to gain weight with minimal fat gain. It's hard to know without seeing a photo, but going by your questions and the fact you've gained 11 kg my guess is that you have a fair amount of body fat right now and that a period of cutting may be in order. Although possibly waiting till after Christmas to start may be sensible.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

I should perhaps add, that what I think you need to be wary of is 'snacking', particularly when cutting. You can eat chocolate bars, crisps etc and do fine provided you stick to a calorie target, but if you've planned your food and then have these as snacks on top, this can derail a fat loss diet very easily. A flexible dieting approach is by no means for everyone, as many find it hard to eat some 'junk' but to not get carried away e.g. eating two biscuits rather than the whole packet...


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## p.cullen (Jun 6, 2014)

james90 said:


> I dont have a gut at all, but i eat crap every now and then and just wondering if i need to cut it all completely. Im 5'9 n 70kg im trying to bulk but i just need to understand the diet as thats what is slowing me down as the gym is going well and slowly seeing results.
> 
> I eat lots of protein but i also snack on crap like crisps and chocolate what is good to replace them with.


im 5'8 and 84kg, i eat pretty much what i want when i want. I dont really count calories but i tend to eat decent foods 90% of the time. I am a massive chocolate fan and like a takeaway once a week like everyone else so you dont need to be super strict to get abs!


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## dan23 (Jul 29, 2014)

p.cullen said:


> im 5'8 and 84kg, i eat pretty much what i want when i want. I dont really count calories but i tend to eat decent foods 90% of the time. I am a massive chocolate fan and like a takeaway once a week like everyone else so you dont need to be super strict to get abs!


lol i actually hate you right now!!!! :lol:


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## p.cullen (Jun 6, 2014)

dan23 said:


> lol i actually hate you right now!!!! :lol:


haha dont hate :lol: once you get there its pretty easy to maintain


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## dan23 (Jul 29, 2014)

i hope to find out one day!!!!! :thumb :whistling:


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## Gary29 (Aug 21, 2011)

Replace salty and sugary snacks with willpower.


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## Trendy (Oct 8, 2015)

Too many variables on this question, genetics will play a big role.


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## Gmags (Nov 16, 2015)

> haha dont hate :lol: once you get there its pretty easy to maintain


Why is it?


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## p.cullen (Jun 6, 2014)

Gmags said:


> Why is it?


If you regularly exercise and eat a reasonable diet then abs are easy to maintain


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

p.cullen said:


> If you regularly exercise and eat a reasonable diet then abs are easy to maintain


This


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## Gmags (Nov 16, 2015)

> If you regularly exercise and eat a reasonable diet then abs are easy to maintain


So its just the strictness to get to that position thats the harder part than maintaining?


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## p.cullen (Jun 6, 2014)

Gmags said:


> So its just the strictness to get to that position thats the harder part than maintaining?


It all depends on the person, what level they start at and how easily they can lose weight. But if i was to answer if its harder to maintain or to get to that position then yeah its harder to get to a level where your abs are visible


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

Gmags said:


> So its just the strictness to get to that position thats the harder part than maintaining?


Ime I have to be strict to get abs and not so strict to keep em


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

I think how easy it is to maintain varies quite a lot between individuals. It gets easier the more muscle someone has, partly because they have higher maintenance calories and partly because bigger abs show with a larger thickness of fat over them.


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## SwAn1 (Jun 4, 2012)

Everyone's different. I can get abs by eating and drinking what I want and just doing a bit of cardio. I struggle to put mass on though. To have abs you don't need to be that lean though presuming your core is fairly thick.


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## RexEverthing (Apr 4, 2014)

p.cullen said:


> haha dont hate :lol: once you get there its pretty easy to maintain


Your maintenance level must be sky high though with all the football?



Gary29 said:


> Replace salty and sugary snacks with *willpower.*


Do Musclefood stock this? Myprotein?


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## Gmags (Nov 16, 2015)

> *Your maintenance level must be sky high though with all the football?*
> 
> Do Musclefood stock this? Myprotein?


Hence easier to maintain...Duh


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## p.cullen (Jun 6, 2014)

@RexEverthing @Gmags I only play football 3 times a week so its no that much, plus i sit at a desk all day monday to friday so i dont do as much as you think


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## RexEverthing (Apr 4, 2014)

Gmags said:


> Hence easier to maintain...Duh


 Superb!


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

p.cullen said:


> @RexEverthing @Gmags I only play football 3 times a week so its no that much, plus i sit at a desk all day monday to friday so i dont do as much as you think


 Playing football three times per week, on top of weight training, is pretty damn active in my book!


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

The level of strictness you need really depends on you. If you are someone who has always been inclined to overeat and not a natural lover of exercise then getting to the point of visible abs is likely to be hard, and once there maintaining is also likely to be a struggle with any dietary approach or exercise regime. If on the other hand you are naturally more of an under eater than an over eater and/or are someone who likes being active and exercising or playing sport then it's likely to be easier.

For most people attaining a six pack is definitely possible, although of course for someone starting out obese or over-fat the journey will be much longer and harder than for someone starting out with an average or leaner physique. The difficulty for most people is not getting there - it's maintaining. To keep a true six pack (not talking about keeping an outline of the abs, but about keeping a cut muscular midsection) is hard. Body fat has to be maintained at a well sub average level, and body fluid balance also has to be kept tight constantly. Unless you are a pure mesomorph (or use PED's pretty much continuously), maintaining that level of condition continuously requires a lot of dedication and only really works for people who place they way they look above just about everything else in their lives.


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## DLTBB (Jan 26, 2015)

How long is a piece of string?

A lot of it is genetics. I have to be 9% or less and holding zero water before my abs are properly visible because of how my fat is distributed. So for me to have abs it does take a fair amount of effort.

I know a guy who is natural and isn't really strict with his diet but he has visible abs and obliques because he doesn't carry any fat around that area.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

DLTBB said:


> How long is a piece of string?
> 
> A lot of it is genetics. I have to be 9% or less and holding zero water before my abs are properly visible because of how my fat is distributed. So for me to have abs it does take a fair amount of effort.
> 
> I know a guy who is natural and isn't really strict with his diet but he has visible abs and obliques because he doesn't carry any fat around that area.


 I have a friend who is very lean without any knowledge of training, dieting or calories etc. Gets even more of a joke when he trains a couple of times a week and you can see the improvements so quick.


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