Insecure about my abs

[Guy McDude]

I'm 25 and I've been exercising my abs since I was about 15. I think I've had a 4 pack for about 9 years, it was fairly easy to get, but I've been unable to progress to the famed 6 pack no matter how hard I tried. Over the last 6 months, I've been doing 200 crunches or 140 leg raises (in 2 series of 70) every 2nd or 3rd day. Of course, I didn't only do those two exercises, this is just for a point of reference. Yet, I've had minimal results, despite a diet of meat, eggs, peanut butter, vegetables, etc. I've been able to feel my lower abs for years even when relaxed, but they just won't show, and I'm not fat at all (my BMI is 21.7).
I started getting exhausted recently, so I reduced the intensity to 100 leg raises (other exercises proportionally). I decided I had progressed as much as my body could support and I switched from aiming at gains to just maintenance.

A week ago I danced with a very skinny girl friend. One move required that I grab her waist. I expected a skinny girl like her that doesn't exercise would be delicately soft (had only touched a cute chubby girl that way before, and never touched a man), but her abs were twice as hard as mine! She was standing up dancing, but her abs were completely relaxed. She didn't have a 6 pack or even a 4 pack, but her abs were very tense and hard, almost like wood. It felt like grabbing a set of two fully inflated bicycle tires. My own feel more like semi inflated ones when standing up relaxed in the same position, at that moment when you realise you need to pump some more air in your bike again.

Are all people supposed to have abs this hard, both skinny and under fat? Do women naturally have harder abs than men? I've always thought it was the opposite and I've always thought my abs were very strong, now my ego is shattered and I think they are very weak. I simply don't have the energy to increase exercise intensity any further. I've never been this insecure before.

 

[TheRealCallie]

Why do you need that 6 pack? Can't you just be in shape and content with that? You HAVE to have a body that you can show off in public to be happy? Perhaps it's just for yourself, but I'm doubtful of that. I think you are putting too much importance on appearance when there are many things that should be prioritized before the ego and obsession cause you more problems, if they haven't already.

Your abs are likely not as "weak" as you think they are. Have you consulted a personal trainer about getting stronger in your core? I would suggest that, if you haven't already.

 

[Guy McDude]

Thank you for the advice. It is just for myself and I don't care what others think. It is a goal I have set to prove myself I can do it. I put importance on other things too, but I have either been more successful there, so I had no reason to talk about it here, or it was clear enough that I could never be, so I stopped caring about those goals. Here it's more ambiguous, because I've always been a bit shy to talk about it to people in real life.

Personal trainers are expensive and I'm doing this on my own. My description might have exaggerated how important this is to me: it is somewhere up there, true, enough to anonymously open about it on a forum, but not enough to spend that amount of money on. Maybe I should have posted on a fitness forum and not here, I see that you guys are more oriented to psychological problems. Sorry for bothering you if I did.

 

[randomguy]

Have you tried adding some yoga to your routine?.

Cobra, Bow Pose, The Plank, Boat Pose, Camel, One Legged Downward Facing Dog and the Side Plank are all great for your abs.

 

[TheRealCallie]

No, all topics are covered on this forum. Yes, it's often more mental issues, but insecurity IS a mental issue, so I wouldn't be too concerned about posting in the wrong place. You didn't, because while you do need advice on getting where you want to be physically, you also need advice and a place to vent about your insecurities and frustrations about not getting there as fast as you would like.

There are several threads about fitness on the forum, so maybe someone in one of those can help you. A fitness forum would be a great place to get advice on how to accomplish what you are trying to do. You could also check into talking to a personal trainer online, which is often cheaper, if the fitness forums don't work out. I know several bodybuilders that do a side gig online to help people who don't really want to see trainers in person, just to get a regime down so they know what to do. You may be able to talk to a nutritionist to get advice too. Diet is just as important as the exercise.

 

[Guy McDude]

Thanks for the help. I used to do yoga several years ago, but it made me feel sleepy and I stopped. Yoga is good for some things, but the gym was better for what I needed. I've made a Reddit account and posted in a fitness section, I think I am most likely to get a reply there. Maybe I should open about this to gym people, but I am a bit shy as I barely know them.

 

[Finished]

No dude. You're confused and you were tricked! Woman / girls have many tricks that are not revealed to you until the next morning. That's why you leave in the middle of the night. I'm sure your abs are good to go.

Oh, and welcome to the site!

 

[Claudia1794]

I would think it just comes down to the difference in body types. When I was in high school our cheerleader coach was a thunder cunt she made us run laps with the boys along with extensive workouts before practice. We all did the same exact workout but there was 1 girl that literally looked as though she had been hand sculpted except for her arms. They were just skinny little things. Anyway keep up the good work. It’s good for people to want to look good.

 

[Finished]

When I was in high school our cheerleader coach was a thunder cunt she made us run laps with the boys......

Ha! ha! LOL!
It instantly made me remember this song:

 

[Anarchic Torchic]

Ha! ha! LOL!
It instantly made me remember this song:

Classic!

 

[JC ROC]

Thanks for the help. I used to do yoga several years ago, but it made me feel sleepy and I stopped. Yoga is good for some things, but the gym was better for what I needed. I've made a Reddit account and posted in a fitness section, I think I am most likely to get a reply there. Maybe I should open about this to gym people, but I am a bit shy as I barely know them.

Try leg raises they are really good. Also a medicine ball. I do these two exercises and sit-ups and have always had great results. Good luck

 

[user 139760]

Thanks for the help. I used to do yoga several years ago, but it made me feel sleepy and I stopped. Yoga is good for some things, but the gym was better for what I needed. I've made a Reddit account and posted in a fitness section, I think I am most likely to get a reply there. Maybe I should open about this to gym people, but I am a bit shy as I barely know them.

Well, you might want to look into DDP yoga. I heard it does wonders and it won't make you sleepy lol.
But keep in mind that different body types work dufferent ways. I had a 6 pack once, but when I look at pie too long I gain 5 pounds. My cousin is tall and skinny, never trained a day in his life and is made of steel, fueled by chips and soft drinks. Always was a tad jealous of the ******* lol.

 

[TheDude76]

When I was in high school our cheerleader coach was a thunder cunt…

Thanks! I love learning new phrases.

To the OP… try nudism. You’ll find yourself surrounded by really out of shape folks like myself, and you’ll feel great about the way you look!

 

[user 164061]

When i was 15/16 i loved doing sit ups etc to give myself abs and enjoyed checking myself out a lot lol. I looked really good, but then a few years later i had a truly horrific anxiety attack which ruined me. After that i let myself go basically and put on some weight for the first time in my life, but eating salads like a rabbit and slowly going for walks helped me lose the weight. After that i was more happy to be "healthy" and alive while looking normal than having abs, as health/being happy within yourself is better i think. That's just my opinion anyway . I don't feel the need to be ultra shredded as it's too much work and i'm not a boxer, Olympian, footballer or an athlete so in my mind it's not required for me.

 

[Rohini]

OP has to be a Virgo.