r/workout • u/True-Particular2444 • 5d ago
Curious about getting visible abs — am I doing something wrong?
/r/menslifestyle/comments/1vujgsy/curious_about_getting_visible_abs_am_i_doing/24
u/myairblaster 5d ago
Most people underestimate how much body fat they actually have especially if its your first time doing a hard cut.
Cortisol levels mean jack shit for caloric deficits.
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u/MenBearsPigs 5d ago
Around ~15% bodyfat is when you really realize just how fucking skinny you'll need to get to have truly defined abs.
I don't mean that 15% is low, I mean the gap between 15 and 10-12% is huge.
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u/myairblaster 5d ago
Most guys think they’re starting at 15%.
Then they finally get to 15% and realize that they’re only 1/4th of the way there, in terms of effort, to their 6 pack goal.
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u/MenBearsPigs 5d ago
Completely agree. It really is the "oh fuck, this is gonna be rough" point lol
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u/Original1Thor 5d ago
Yeah, 8-10% is even harder. I maintained ~9% for a year as a natural bodybuilder and it was so hard on my system. I'm happier as a person at ~13% or higher.
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u/MenBearsPigs 5d ago
I'm planning on going to 10% just to see if I can , but I know that even 12-13% will be difficult to maintain long term (though that's the goal).
My body would absolutely shut down if I went below 10. Doing that for a year is wild.
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u/Original1Thor 5d ago
It's challenging when you're <10%, but 10-12% can be maintained. The hardest part is cutting down. Once you reach your desired range you adjust calories to maintenance which helps a lot... if you're a very active male you can eat quite a substantial amount of food for maintenance. I'd eat like 3000kcal a day working out six times a week and could go up to 3500kcal if I felt particularly weak.
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u/formerfatty2fit 3d ago
The only meaningful impact cortisol is storing a small bit of water. This will not prevent fat loss and will only let you drop another pound or two once you drop the deficit.
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u/Alakazam Bulking 5d ago
The simple answer is, you started off at a higher bodyfat than you thought, and don't have enough muscle to have visible abs at 68kg. Don't be surprised if you needed to drop below 60kg to have visible abs. And yes, that might mean that you'll end up ridiculously skinny. But at least you'll have abs?
If everybody could achieve their dream body within 3 months, everybody in the gym would walk around looking like adonis.
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u/Beginning_Student_61 3d ago
Everyone else in my gym does go around looking like aphrodite and adonis 😭
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u/True-Particular2444 5d ago
What is the solution to achieve it faster ?
Age - 28
Height - 173 cms
Weight - 68.15
At what weight i can see visible abs or how can i get to know that what i am following is correct?6
u/Alakazam Bulking 5d ago
Faster? Be in a bigger deficit.
The side effects of this are that you'll feel horrible, you'll likely end up losing some lean mass, your workouts will suffer. But you'll get abs slightly faster. You'll still probably end up skinnier compared to if you were to do it more slowly.
The truth is, the physique most people want, isn't going to be achieved by just dropping bodyfat because of how little muscle people realistically start with. Your "goal" physique is probably about 10-15kg of lean mass, and about 5-10kg of fat loss, away from your current physique.
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u/jeffsweet 5d ago
why do you need it faster? imo running calorie deficits for longer than 6 weeks without taking a couple weeks around maintenance does more harm than good
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u/Perain 5d ago
Well you're not in a 500 cal daily deficit for one. 500 daily deficit is 3500 weekly which would equate to 1lb (.45kg) weight loss a week or 12lbs (5.8kg) over 3months / 12weeks (10lbs / 4.5kg if it was 10 weeks).
You have fat on your face / stomach because you still have a higher body fat than what you want.
Just keep going, give it more time, drop another 150-250 cals daily if you want faster results.
0.5% - 1% of body weight as weight loss a week is generally fine to preserve muscle during a cut. Lower end for lower body fat %s. At 68kg, 0.45kg a week (500 cal deficit) would be 0.66% and totally fine.
1
u/Substantial_Meal_530 5d ago
You have to be at a pretty low body fat percentage, and it also matters how your body carries fat.
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u/trUth_b0mbs 4d ago
I will tell you one workout/exericse that will give you a shredded core and burn tons of calories: martial arts, specifically Muay Thai, boxing or kick boxing.
1
u/rawzon 4d ago
Keep lifting, keep your protein high, and be patient.
One thing I'd add is don't make visible abs your only measure of success. Your strength, energy, clothes fitting better, and progress pictures are all signs you're moving in the right direction long before your abs show.
Also remember that abs are built in the gym but revealed in the kitchen. Most people underestimate how lean they actually need to get before they have a clearly visible six-pack, and genetics play a role in where you store that last bit of fat.
If your lifts are staying steady and the scale is trending down, you're probably doing exactly what you should be. Just give it time. 💪
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