how can i (f) gain abs? i don’t need to lose weight but i’m definitely not in shape exercise wise

[jen4him]

my body-fat/weight is already low enough for you to see my and but they aren’t defined at all. how can i grow them/make them more defined (at home)? I heard sit-ups can make you more boxy and i’m already a rectangle so i definitely don’t want to accidentally do that.

 

[triangulumvivid]

@jen4him Well, if you’re already thin, sit-ups may make your stomach protrude more forward from the added musculature (with high weight sit-ups). Low weight and high rep would help to make them a bit stronger/more defined without growing too much. It depends on the look you want, and how your body naturally responds to it. Trial and error. I can’t see how they would physically widen your waist, though.

ETA as a woman who is actively pursuing visible/protruding abs it is QUITE difficult (at least for me) to add on visibly significant ab muscle. I do 25-30 lb weighted sit-ups and russian twists 2-3x a week for over a year now and they are just now starting to appear. YMMV but I wouldn’t worry about “accidentally” getting “too much abs”

 

[jen4him]

@triangulumvivid tysm! honestly i don’t care if my (hypothetical) abs are super prominent or whatever i was just more worried about it changing my already lacking hip to waist ratio

 

[afiadoma]

@jen4him About the hip to waist ratio... For the longest time I believed I was boxy, too, but then it turned out that it was just bad posture. I'm not really sure what exactly I did workoutwise, because I am just doing whatever exercise I like, but in the last 2-3 months I started having a more defined waist.

 

[seescandy]

@jen4him Man and women make abs the same way. Core work and low body fat to expose that core work.

Planks, L sits, sit ups, side planks, and leg raises will do a lot to make your abs pop out more and develop core strength.

Keep in mind that you will only have as many ab muscles as you're born with. Some people are blessed with an 8 pack while others will only have a 4 pack. Think of it like this, no matter how many curls I do I won't be able to make two biceps on one arm.

 

[dwilson928]

@seescandy I'm still not over the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a four pack.

 

[lorre]

@jen4him Weighted sit ups are pretty easy, just grab a dumbbell (I use 25, probably best to start with 5 or 10)

 

[jen4him]

@lorre tysm! would sit ups change silhouette shape?

 

[lorre]

@jen4him Well since you've never done ab work before, you'll see hypertrophy gains in a month or so as you build that musclewhich would change your shape. Don't expect like an extreme makeover or anything, it's an ongoing process.

Also when I say 25, 10, and 5, i meant pounds, not reps. I usually do 6 sets of 10

 

[dawn16]

@jen4him I find that leg lowering exercises work a lot better than situps in terms of quick results and engaging your lower back, although every body is different. That includes laying on the floor, grabbing something sturdy behind your head and lower your legs down and up. If you have a hang bar, you can hang and do leg raises. You can change the direction of your legs to the left and right to work on the obliques. I can't speak to the rectangle shape- I'm f with low body fat/similar body type and I haven't ever been able to change my waist size either direction. Toning (high reps, low weight) tends to look good no matter what. You're definitely not going to get huge bulging abs accidentally! Also make sure you getting surplus calories and protein.

 

[jen4him]

@dawn16 Thanks so much i love those leg raise thingys i can totally do that!!

 

[itspt95]

@jen4him Cutting body fat is the only way to have visible abs. You can do every crunch or weighted sit up in the world, but if there is fat sitting on top, those abs will remain hidden.

 

[hellothere123]

@jen4him 1st, you can't accidentally get boxy or build too much muscle, it takes a lot of time and if you don't like something with your progress you can change it. That's why women absolutely cannot get too bulky accidentally, which you often hear many saying that don't want

2nd, don't do sit-ups, do crunches instead. The upper portion of the sit-up is useless for your abs and only puts stress on your lower back.

3rd, apart from crunches I would add plank, side plank raises and swimmers to work your core completely and not just your abs in order to not create imbalances. Consider watching this video for more info

 

[mberg3]

@jen4him If your abs are not visible you have too much body fat, and most likely you also have too little muscle. Weighted core work and overall strength training will make them appear.

My abs started to show when I was squatting often.

 

[jen4him]

@mberg3 my abs are visible through my skin just not defined and i definitely don’t have too much bodyfat. ty for the advice! is there strength training i can do at home/without equipment

 

[mberg3]

@jen4him Abdominal definition is obfuscated by subcutaneous fat in the mid section, to be shredded and all 6(or 8) showing requires you to be insanely lean. Like leaner than you would imagine.

You can add some mass and grow them to be a bit bigger and tighter but it's a slow process.

As far as home exercises look at "dragon flags" , hanging leg raises, planks (weighted is best), Russian twists, and flutter kicks.

Dragon flags will give you the best results but are also the most difficult by a significant margin.

 

[jen4him]

@mberg3 thanks, i’m not aiming for super prominent just a bit more defined. that’s a good point about the abs, does that mean i can’t get them tobe a bit more defined without weight loss? i’m actually a bit underweight so i don’t think that’s a good idea here’s a picture of my current ab definition if that helps at all

i’ll definitely look into dragon flags that’s just what i was looking for

 

[mberg3]

@jen4him From where you are currently. You would benefit from dragon flags and planks.

Just be aware muscle growth is slow, and the abs are a smaller muscle. So consistency will be the biggest key to success for you.

I do not think you need to lean out based on your pictures. Theoretically yes they would show more if you did however you would be in dangerous territory and it would be exceptionally hard to maintain, thus developing the muscles would be ideal for you.

 

[mberg3]

@jen4him Oh, and look into a vacuum pose/hold. That's something that could be beneficial and can be done in a few minutes each day. It won't increase definition per se, however it can help keep them flatter and the more hourglass look chicks want compared to the boxy look guys want for themselves.

 

[dawn16]

@jen4him I have a crazy answer for you. Sleep on the ground and go barefoot. I kinda started doing both of those by chance after visiting the chiropractor. Turns out my posture was crap. Started sleeping on the ground because it gave me some relief after the adjustments. Had foot pain too and it continued to get worse until I decided to extend my theory of “less support is better” and move to barefoot shoes and then totally barefoot eventually. It’s been over a year now and it’s the best decision I ever made. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and I look just a tiny bit better everyday. My gut doesn’t stick out and am actually making good progress on the abs, I have a chin again lol, and so much more. I can currently run a 20 minute 5k barefoot on pavement btw. It’s not some superhuman ability, I’m just living the natural way we evolved to function. Not just trying to toot my own horn, but I’m also almost 100 days into a running streak. I never could have done that before, but it’s just so much easier to be in tune with your limits. I’m not running high mileage yet, but improving as fast as I’m capable.