Help with my pooche please!!

[Georgia]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-01 AT 07:15PM (Est)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-01-01 AT 07:07 PM (Est)[/font]

Hi Cathe, just recently discovered you, I can't wait to try all your tapes. There on my Chistmass list.

I'm an ectomorph and toned everywhere but my abs. What do I do? I'm just now getting started with aggressive abd work and had my hubby but a bar for hanging abdomen work. I do MIC and run once a week for my cardio, and working on cleaning up my diet. (Eatting habits are improving). I'm 5'5 and 115lbs, so losing wt. is not a concern, just this little pooche. I want THIGHT abs and I'm willing to work hard for them. I just need some wise advice. Thanks!!

BTW, I do workout with wts about 4days a week.

 

[Rose11]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-01 AT 06:06PM (Est)[/font][p]Hello Georgia. I'm not Cathe (obviously), but I have a couple of questions and comments that might help you. First, how's your form when you exercise? Your form should be: head up in a neutral position, chest up, straight back, shoulders back, and abs contracted especially when you do your cardio. Second, how often do you train your abs? Three days of regular ab work (with crunches) are enough. Although you could add an extra day of Pilates matwork (core conditioning). The exercises are very effective and they work your abdominal muscles in a different way. I don't know if you go to a gym, but if you do, stay away from the crunch machine while you lose the extra inches from your stomach because it makes your ab muscles bigger. Third, I think you should do more cardio. Obviously you're not overweight, but because of your bodytype you carry extra fat in your stomach area and the way to get rid of it is by upping the cardio. I'm a pear, so I tend to carry extra fat in my lower body. In terms of strength training we should focus more in our problem areas, but in terms of cardio we should do the same. It's just extra fat right?

Anyways, this is long, but finally let me tell you about my brother. He had your same problem and he rarely did cardio because he thought he could fix it with extra ab work. So he used to weight train 4-5 days a week and never saw results in his abs. He eliminated his "pooch" by running 3 days a week. He also cut down the weight training to 3 days a week and added a little bit of cardio (20-30 mins) before, or after the weights. I think Cathe runs 2-3 days a week in addition to aerobics and weight training when she's not pregnant. We'll have to wait and see if she replies. I hope this helps.


PS Be patient. You can't expect immediate results. Good luck ;-) Oh and yes keep your diet clean too!

 

[tsut]

Hi Georgia,
My mother and I are both shaped like you! I am still working on my pooch though. But my mother got rid of hers by diet alone. She was not intentionally trying to lose it, but was advised by a doctor to change her diet for health reasons. In 3 months, her waist size was fitting in a size 7 juniors, and now she can wear a size 12 pants in girls! After watching my mother transform, I now know why I couldn't get rid of my pooch. Diet, diet, diet. Wish that wasn't so but it is. Currently I am doing cardiio 5-6 days a week along w/weight training and ab work. It's working and now I am cleaning up my diet. I understand that if you are shaped this way that you should do cardio 5-6 days a week, weight training, and clean eating. HTH.

 

[Georgia]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-02-01 AT 05:08PM (Est)[/font][p]Thank you both for your replys! Rose 11 the results your brother acheived, and tsut, your mother, it sounds like there is hope for me yet.

Rose 11, Yes my form could improve and I'm working on that because if I don't feel the burn, I don't feel like I'm doing any good.But to CONTRACT the abs while doing cardio? I never thought of that, it makes sense, Thanks alot. No I don't go to a gym, but I agree to stay away from the cruch machines. I want a nice trim waist, not a six pack. You know, it would be nice to do abd. work 3days a week and not every day. That way I won't burn out and want to quit altogether. So clean eatting and increased cardio, got it. I can so this. Thank you both.

 

[Rose11]

You're welcome Georgia . Keep me posted on the results.


PS Ab muscles need to rest like every other muscle in your body. Doing crunches every day won't help you with those extra inches. Just remember...MORE CARDIO! :-jumpy

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Georgia! You mention that you are cleaning up your diet, just recently started a tough ab program, and do weights 4 times per week..........it sounds like you just need to be patient and let the results of your hard work come about. Keep up the hard work!