Morning all, new year new start n that.

Been going to the gym on and off for two years. I used to weigh 17 1/2 stone now only 12stone but slowly increasing my weight training and now putting on muscle mass,

Just wondered what other peoples routines are for the gym? My upper body and legs are getting on fine but i do maybe 30mins of core training when im at the gym plus cardio but i can never seem to get any closer to my abs, i do 50 crunches 60 jack knifes and 60 sit ups plus more if im not tired.

Wondered if anyone else has or does go to the gym and achieved this?

Cheers all

I've been going to the gym on and off for about 2 years too. I'm definitely no expert but from what I've heard/read/experienced you can do as many ab excercises as you can, but if you don't reduce your body fat percentage too you won't see that 6-pack. lol

I know what you mean but my body fat is only at about 11% last time i got it checked on a machine thing. Asked the personal trainers at my gym and wasted an hour going through exercises that aint working lol what do you do at the gym?

Iv been going for about a year now - im easing right off now though as iv just found out that I need heart surgery (how fun!!)

I tend to stick to a routine doing 4 sets of a big compound move, and finishing off with a few sets of more focused individual muscle group move to 'finish myself off'. But my weight control is all down to cycling

I'd say the biggest factor in getting a 6 pack would be diet though. And as well as WHAT you eat, think WHEN you eat. Im sure if you see your mrs reading a girly mag it will go on about 3 meals a day and no snacking. but having say 5 smaller meals is better for weight loss (as long as they are actually smaller in total! lol)

It works because your body gets used to a routine - if it knows itll be hours before it next eats then it'll store it. but if your body knows that it'll be getting topped soon then it'll use it us as soon as you eat it

..read the mens health website - it has a lot of things that leave you thinking that the writers are rich idiots, but theres a lot of good bits too :)

Oo man hope you get on alright.

Cheers for the info, i have heard about the smaller meals but my life style and work life aint really suited to that its more set out 6 12 6 food times, what do you eat normally? Like just normal diet and eat smaller but more often?

Ive read up online but dont know how much to believe tbh, im trying protein shakes, and have used them to help loose weight and i believe they worked for me, just im using maxi muscle cyclone and tryin to get the abs sorted but no luck so far, it doesn't help that i lost all the weight quickly and still have lose skin and have no idea how to get rid of that lol

Im just nervous for it! ..I stopped my normal workouts at end of November and iv lost about 6lbs already!

To try and keep my muscle as best I can iv been maintaining the same diet I did have though

first of all - I always have a big breakfast! pretty much a mixing bowel of cereal! lol

And sometimes after a hard gym session on the night ill make a bigger protein shake so that I can have some of that the next morning too

other than that I just have a normal, sensible diet - theres no fun in being fit or working out when you're obsessive :)

since you've already done so well losing so much weight I would assume you have a pretty good idea about diet anyway

..for work, maybe get some protein bars with your next order. I sometimes get stuck at work and cant eat when I want, so iv started carrying a couple bars about - just remember that they're all suppliments, not meal replacement :)

I'm sure it will be fine bud, id like to lose that but fat aha

i have breakfast probs not the best cereal to have but i love krave :D not really into fruit n that so just have a bowl of that which isn't healthy i know, its just sugar and carbs, i have a shake after working out so maybe 3 times a week depends where i am with work and home life as i may only get to the gym 2 times a week i aim for 4 but it never happens.

i didn't really know how i lost it tbh, i stopped eating as much and ran for 20-30mins each morning and sometimes at night and it all came off, but now i want to loose the fat and put on some muscle but id rather see the abs first, I've looked at bars before but they look alright but high in calories and I'm a counter of them lol try and have around 2000 a day, ill get some bars for work and see how i go not cheap either lol

i tried asking a "trainer" at the gym all he said was shakes and eat like 2kg of chicken after a work out i kindly said no thanks lol bait too much there

i read all these articles in mags and online and they all contradict each other so i have no clue what to go with lol

'nuff said.

I've been going for 6 months now, I just do 4 - 5 reps of the maximum weight I can take, then do 4 sets of it. It's much better to max out on the weight possible and do less, than do more of something that's easier. I'm not too bothered about 6 packs, I just want to do the weight and build myself up :P

Diet u won't see abs till u cut ur body fat it's a fact

Iv been going gym for 15 years it's 70 percent food to see results

how can he cut body fat, when he has over stretched skin? impossible.......

He won't get abs less he eats right toning comes after ur eating right u only get out wat u put in

Im eating alright i think, i try and keep

To 2000 calories a day, i have a morning routine crunches reverse jack knifes and press ups. Gym 3 times a week, i have a pretty active job and get around a bit. I do have a bit of loose skin that im not sure if its going away or not tbh, it started to but havnt noticed much changed lately. Just wondered what i have to do to get more abs, ie how will the skin go back if it will at all? Or just try and cut more body fat and see what happens?

Any tips like? Im not giving up, I'll keep trying and i know it takes time so im patient ish lol.

Martyn why is it impossible with skin? Its not a lot only maybe 3/4 inch left flabby just above my hips

To burn body fat u need to be doing low impact cardio keeping ur heart rate between 120 to 135 for around 45 mins that is a fat burning zone high intens cardio will make u fit but not so much cut

To burn body fat u need to be doing low impact cardio keeping ur heart rate between 120 to 135 for around 45 mins that is a fat burning zone high intens cardio will make u fit but not so much cut

Cheers I'll try running for a bit longer from now on but low speeds 7-8mph

Fast walk will do it put treadmill on a incline

Will do that tomorrow at the gym, thanks

lots of good info here :)

as for the bars, I know what you mean. it seems a lot when its basically a mars bar packing 300+cals! but they're pretty clean macros considering. and as I said, I only have them when stuck for food at work

shop about for them - myprotein often have offers on bars and even protein cookies! get them free when you spend £20 on powder or something

..I got CNP bars this time - I saw them when I was buying on clothes on M&Mdirect!! I couldn't believe they had them, never mind how cheap they were! lol

I found my tescos does them for £12 for 12 bars and they are maxi muscle so will match my protein shakes, will give them a try, leave the box at work and not have a snack mid day b4 lunch but have one of them instead if im busy and moving a lot if not I'll resist and wait for lunch

General rule for abs is <10% body fat so you're almost there!

I have a fair bit of experience in personal training (well 6months) and have been a regular at the gym for the last 3 years. If you have any questions about exercises or supplements don't be afraid to ask :)