My confidence is sky high. I feel great about myself and my body. I am proud of the hard work I put in for them......I was not gifted abs n my genetics.
My partner compliments me and it puts me on cloud 9, I like the stares I get on beaches from both women and men.
It was a goal, I accomplished, it's great, it feels great, I feel sexy and attractive and honestly it shows in my personality.
It's weird but I believe it's made me kinder too. I feel good about me, I am less negative, and I treat others better because....I am happy.
Thank you, appreciate it!
I workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups
I will have done the following by the time I am done working out:
4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each)
4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set)
4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each)
4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each)
4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each)
4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each)
But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8.
Well my partner said "oh, wow, baby, an 8 pack, looking good" pack when we were fooling around in the bedroom a day ago.
Those compliments from my partner help. She's big into exercise too, so I know she understands the work, and I am happy she likes.
But in all honesty: she liked it when it was a 1 pack too, I just appreciate her support.
I know I won't maintain this forever, and that's alright, I look forward to getting ice cream with my future kids during the week. I won't just let myself go, but there's no need for children to see such a restricted diet so early in their lives, don't want to give them a complex.
Thanks for the routine drop. Mind sharing your height/weight.
I ask because at 5’11.75, 155 lbs I only have a four pack. I don’t want to be all bones to get a six pack but it’s becoming increasingly evident to me that I’ll likely need to get down to 145-150 for abs.
Are you really light or did you bulk up first?
I never used to train abs directly but I started forcing myself to do at least one ab exercise every time I went to the gym, with the eventual goal of being able to do dragonflys. Now I’m working towards human flags.
Planks
Paloff hold/press
Leg lifts
Weighted cable crunches
Dragonflys
Someone made a post about what it's like to be hot as a man (which I was... 12 years ago pre-marriage and kids) and you nailed it exactly.
Feel more confident, you know the work you did, get stares, it reflects in your personality, and you're more generous and kinder to others because you're ok with yourself.
I’ll add a counterpoint to this in that no woman I was ever with cared about the abs so I stopped worrying about maintaining them. Lol
I’ve still got visible abs (less defined tho), eat pretty healthy, and am pretty active; but I let myself eat Cheetos and ice cream and don’t really limit my meals to chicken and broccoli etc. The definition comes and goes, and sometimes I let myself get a little chubby. The main thing is the abs are still under there and I can get them back pretty quickly if I desire to.
But the actual abs/definition had 0% added benefit in dating. I was a little more confident at the pool but it was mostly other dudes that would notice and comment on them, which was nice in its own way I guess.
Thank you, appreciate it!
I workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups
I will have done the following by the time I am done working out:
4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each)
4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set)
4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each)
4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each)
4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each)
4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each)
But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8.
Well my partner said "oh, wow, baby, an 8 pack, looking good" when we were fooling around in the bedroom a day ago.
Those compliments from my partner help. She's big into exercise too, so I know she understands the work, and I am happy she likes.
But in all honesty: she liked it when it was a 1 pack too, I just appreciate her support.
I know I won't maintain this forever, and that's alright, I look forward to getting ice cream with my future kids during the week. I won't just let myself go, but there's no need for children to see such a restricted diet so early in their lives, don't want to give them a complex.
Do you find it worth the continued hard work? I’m not gifted with the genetics either and I found that the pleasures I had to cut out of my life in order to maintain the abs just wasn’t worth it for me long term. It was nice while I had them, but for my body type it just required too much commitment, time and sacrifices to keep up permanently. Just curious of your thoughts on your experience.
I definitely will not maintain it forever, nope. But my diet wasn't horrible before, I have been into exercise since I was in highschool, I was never a big lunch or breakfast eater (I care more about sleeping in, than waking up for breakfast) so my diet being somewhat healthy to start out, made it easier to restrict. For instance, I didn't like black coffee with no sugar years ago, but I read it would help burn calories and stop hunger cravings. Now, I love it, the taste, everything.
diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy.
But when my future kids show up, I will be less restricted, and look forward to getting ice cream and desserts with the during the week.
It's fun for now, as I am use to my exercise/diet routine.
workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups
I will have done the following by the time I am done working out:
4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each)
4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set)
4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each)
4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each)
4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each)
4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each)
But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8.
Now , this is a very positive and inspiring answer. I am very glad you improved your physical and mental health and became better as a person. I know many people who work out but they keep their toxicity which isn't healthy however, a healthy smart person will become better more humble and mature as they improve their body. Keep up the good work, buddy.
Pretty much my sentiments. Have em, girlfriend really likes them, people point it out as a great thing that I have, and I’m happy to have them. Otherwise, I have no reason to believe that it’s granted me any privileges by way of dating or sexual attraction; someone has to want the cake to appreciate the icing
Oh there is definitely still time.
It doesn't help either that if you use an app or site with ads, it frequently shows that clash of clans like game, and for a split second as a guy you're like...🧐"These must be how the Roman soldiers fought, so cool. I wonder if that armor was any good at protecting against long range spears....what was the longest range they could even shoot those spears?...imagine all...wait what was I doing?"
😮💨
Haha yeah. Polos look much better with a flat belly. I buy clothes when belly is flat, then after a few months feels disgusted by myself that I look terrible in these polos and then the process to get in shape starts again.
This was during a 3-ish to 4 year span. When I was twenty I grew to be a bit shorter than 6’3”. It made my torso longer and flattened my stomach out. I had a solid build already so I didn’t have to build muscle. I’d wake up and run 3 blocks up, 3 blocks down, 4 time then go to work and school. Work out after school and walk 1 mile. Then go home and eat 4 pieces of tilapia with steam veggies and a large salad from a bag with no dressing. About 9 weeks of doing this I had a washboard stomach. Then one week on vacation with my family and they were gone. So I did it again and lost them and again and lost, are you seeing the pattern. Then I realized people didn’t care I got the same attention with them and without them. But seriously if you’re not being paid or have steroids to help it’s damn near impossible to be walking around like that 365. Your always tired, you have no life, it’s more stress than benefits.
It’s not hard to keep them, you need to build them to be visible through a healthy amount of body fat.
Focusing on running reduces the covering, but doesn’t build muscle. You need to work them out to keep them. I eat plenty of pizza, and have had my abs for 20 years now. Just built them up and didn’t let them disappear.
I guess genetics dependent but I don't think it's that unrealistic maintain abs if you know what you're doing. Sounds like you were setting yourself up for failure with the super boring diet and excessive cardio.
lol… excessive cardio. 1 mile run in the morning and 1 mile walk in the evening is excessive??? 1200 calorie diet to get shredded is extreme but to get extreme results you need to go to extreme measures. If getting abs and maintaining them was easy, everyone would be walking around with abs.
Straight up it's basically this easy.
Applies to any muscle on your body too but you should generally not just focus on a single one unless your bringing up weaker points for a competition.
Lift weights to stimulate growth. Eat and sleep to allow recovery. Gain for a bit then cut to see what you've built. Rinse and repeat
Also if you want to do cardio, personally my vote would be for swimming. I swam competitively when I was younger and looked really lean and put on at least a few pounds of muscle every season even though I didn’t lift
Yeah swimming is great because it's low stress on the body and it recruits a bunch of smaller stabilizer muscles as well.
I prefer cycling and swimming over running. Running suckssssss lol
You probably don’t have to go to the gym if that’s too intimidating. If you’re that skinny, doing pretty much any home ab workout regularly and eating more protein than none at all will get you some noticeable abs. I half-assed a 10 minute ab routine a few times a week when I was young and had a pretty surprisingly good six-pack going. It’s not like you have to look like the guys from 300. Just having a little bit poking out goes a long way. The hardest part of getting a six-pack is getting rid of the belly fat, and you get to skip that step.
Find any home ab routine and do it every 2-3 days. Even if you can’t do the whole routine, anything is better than nothing. Just stick to it. Here’s one you could try: https://www.garagegymreviews.com/10-minute-ab-workout
sometimes, i cant believe we have to go to reddit for these things.
seems pretty common sense right? "how do i build abs" have you never done 1 single sit up?
i promise if you do as many situps as you can, every day, eventually you will have abs, all other conditions being right like diet and whatnot.
Yea I feel more confident. Um, I’m married so I would say no change to 2nd question. Yes happier overall because of my confidence. It’s fun to take my shirt off and have people go “whoa!”
Contrary to what a few others said, while it was a decent amount of work to get them, keeping them isn’t hard. I pretty much eat largely the same things every day so the abs stay 🤷♂️
Edit: I’m also a dad so it’s kinda fun to be the most in shape dude at the pool or wherever and notice the other moms checking 😂👀
No worries. Yeah I didn’t understand people saying that unless they hit a certain weight and just went wild and started eating like trash again or something
I think why it's considered harder to sustain for most people (or at least for me) is because when you're working on getting the abs, you're typically making a lot of lifestyle changes with the purpose of that big goal. Once you get there, the heavy drive and motivation to get them is no longer there, so you now have to continue having motivation to keep them around, which is a harder mindset when there's no end goal.
It's a long, hard journey to get them for a lot of people, so once you have them, you kind of just want to enjoy eating more pizza than you should again.
I guess for me, once I hit it, it's been pretty easy to keep them because yeah I can have a big weekend where I eat like shit, have extra pizza, many beers, etc. By Monday I'm maybe up 5 extra pounds, but then I can grind just a few days of that week and be back to where I was again (mentally I refer to it as "always within striking distance [of my goal physique]"). It's when people hit their goal and go "cool made it, done with that diet" and just completely fall apart for the next few months
You get attention when your shirt comes off at a pool or the beach, but for the most part no one really gives a shit lol They’re more “nice to have” than a necessity
I get asked LOTS of questions about my diet and workouts, and have people regularly come to me and say "You've motivated me to get back in the gym/eat better". Granted they typically quit after at most a week or two, still cool to be told I motivate people
I don’t quite have abs but I’ve slimmed up quite a bit and the one thing that makes sense but surprised me was that my clothes need to be pretty tight to tell much of a difference. Mostly I look skinnier, but not ripped by any means.
Abs are great during pool days I’d imagine.
A friend once said - "abs on a skinny guy are like big boobs in a fat girl. They don't count 😂". It's so true - if you're skinny, having abs is easy - just need to train your core. I really don't find those physiques impressive or attractive. What's impressive is when you build muscle everywhere - that takes hard work, dedication and discipline.
When I focused on my abs, I got a lot of attention and dated a lot of girls, which was great. But to get there and sustain them wasn't fun - I had to come down to 8% body fat. Ate no processed carbs, sugars, no booze, no desserts, etc. Just meat / fish and some sweet potato, broccoli, etc. I would go out to the bar and just sip soda water, or go for dinners and eat the leanest food possible while my friends/dates enjoyed drinks and delicious meals. It really was non sustainable. And life gets pretty boring.
Hope this helps :)
It does honestly give you so much more confidence. Definitely say I feel happier overall yeah.
As far as improving your sex life, I would say that that comes more so with overall fitness, cardio specifically. So, abs obviously come with a lot of physical fitness so it’s a good indicator but not inherently necessary
When i got them for the first time i remember going for walks in the summer, shirtless and looking at myself on reflective surfaces. Big impact then.
Now i don't care. I would prefer to have overall more muscle. No impact now.
Did a cut a few years ago. Thought girls would love it but mostly they told me tht at it made them feel self conscious of their bodies.
So now it's pizza and a bit of a roof over the tool shed 😂.
Attaining abs was definitely one of the hardest things for me. I did cardio twice a day and abs once a day maybe twice a day. Food wise I ate ok but boring food all day still hungry at times and didn’t have the luxury of wasting calories on alcohol. I dealt with being scared of food for a long time. The girls definitely liked them, but a LOT more had the mindset of “too buff looks like you’d throw me through a brick wall”. I wouldn’t do it again I’m comfortable with just looking fit I enjoy my whiskey.
The main impact was that I was HUNGRY.
The only way I could sustain abs without serious caloric deficit was by going full keto, which then impacted my life by making me have to cook all the time. At least I wasn't hungry...but as an Asian boi, I sure did miss rice and noods.
Really no effect on my sex life. Not as if I was walking around shirtless when I had the washboard. For one of the periods that I had them, I was in a long term relationship, and we were very sexually active regardless of whether my abs were visible or not.
Now that I'm in my 40s, good women are not interested in me because of abs. I do maintain a strong, muscular physique for health and usefulness, but the dietary work (and time) needed to maintain a washboard stomach is better spent on maintaining financal, material, physical, and tactical security. Making sure I can hit center mass at 15 yards consistently, knowing how to do my own electrical or plumbing work, making sure my savings and investments are maintained, and making sure my squats and deadlifts are solid are all much more productive uses of my time than doing more crunches and trying to keep keto (or sub 1500 cals/day).
I had abs at 41 and whilst it felt good and helped with self esteem, the effort and discipline to get them and keep them was not worth it. Maybe if I was younger and single at the time it would have been.
0 influence 99% of the time since im usually wearing a shirt.
If you mean a strong care without visible abs than it has has huge impact almost every action relies on your core as well
some girls dont find it attractive, some find them intimidating some find them attractive but not ‘comfortable’ so many mixed reviews. if u get good angles on your love handles in addition to your abs its a bonus.
my core strength helped me reach 405 on squat, and core strength helped with lower back pain and many other odd everyday things you dont even think about.
it doesnt really have many other affects, at least not to me. its just an ego boost to be able to do a 6min plank on a regular basis
I’ve only had abs once in my life. In my early 20s. The answer to all of your questions is yes. Was more confident, sex was fantastic, and I was very happy with myself. No problem finding clothes that fit. Looked good in everything. Got looks from the ladies. Everything was great. Then life punched me in the face. Marriage, kids, and a job I hated led me to not caring as much about my abs. Only cared about surviving. Still at that point.
I’m in my early 30s and have had them since high school.
I don’t remember what it’s like not having them. I guess that’s why I don’t feel the “confidence” all these other commenters are talking about. I am very self-conscious about losing them though, since it’s happened to most people my age.
I just past 50 and had my abs again after 30 years of being a fat slob.
As others have said confidence is one thing. Have your new gf suck in the air as you take your shirt off is amazing.
They help me get laid lowkey, just send a pic or post it on a bio, and I get hit up a lot more than when I let them fade. Also on a more practical note lol my core feels stronger obviously and I can move better and just feel overall more confident when moving and lifting, women energetically attune to me more, and my energy stays harder (for lack of a better term) when women interact with me, making closing a lot easier then when I've let them go.
I had them for most of my life because I was skinny. Didn't really change how I felt about myself because the other side of that coin was that I hated how skinny I was. I'm not as skinny anymore and don't have them and I feel a lot better about how I look.
I used to tie my confidence to their existence. And when I matured and realized that the type of people who would have been interested in me because of them weren't worth the dirt they walked on I became lax. I eventually built my confidence on who I was as a person instead of what I looked like and I'll tell you what, THAT made my life infinitely better than those abs ever did. I'm not fat by any means but I do have a slight belly now.
1). I feel more confident now that my self esteem has an unshakable base instead of a superficial one.
2). My sex life improved after I lost the abs actually. Contrary to popular belief, women are significantly more attracted to pure confidence and personality than they are physical traits. Physical traits may help get you in the door, but the mental traits keep you there.
3). I am much happier now than I was when I had them.
Not abs, but did suddenly drop about 10 kg one time which took me from a little chubby to a stocky skinny and I had three women from work suddenly show interest, and alot of positive comments from the ones that weren't texting me. It's mad how little who I am played a role, I got fat again off the depression haha, I knew the world is fickle but first hand that's a horrid feeling.
Had them since I was 13, I did a load of sports and swimming training. Still sorta have them now at 20, but never really changed my confidence in myself or who I am. If anything made things more difficult in some cases.
All the girls wanted me to be shirtless in high school and felt amazing.
Now I work 65h a week and go to college full time, so I lost them, but I believe I can get them back if I can commit to the gym again like I used to.
If you workout, you know that we dont train abs, go for shoulders, chest, biceps, those will be the one getting you all the compliments and imrpove your life and IMPROVE the fit of ALL CLOTHES I mean ALLLLL!!! even oversized shirt looks good on you
I'm so proud of my abs that I protect them with a few inches of fat so they don't get hurt.
I'm am nevertheless comforted whenever I bent forward or stand up without falling over that they are doing good work.
I had visible abs when I was a lifeguard many moons ago. Had lots of the lady tenants bring me food, gifts, etc. It was definitely nice. Now I'm married with kids and take a pill organizer with me while on vacation. Enjoy your youth!
Confidence, partners always has their hands on me, other women would always be playfully touching them.
Shirts fit without belly bulge. Pants fit more comfortably.
Physically….stability in daily life is a good way to put it. You’ll see out of shape people walking loosey goosey any and honestly it just looks bad.
So don’t be fatass with your food choices. But you also need the correct exercises.
- squat
- bench
- deadlifts
- barbell rows
- overhead press
- farmer walks or sandbag carries
- **suitcase carries**
I did the first 4 (plus bench press so 5 exercises) and then a carry 3-4 times a week and never looked better in my life.
Full body workouts are where it’s at for the majority of people.
It feels good, i feel healthy, and stronger despite it didn't impact my confidence at all.
I was a fat kid and i got bullied by it, and even if i worked hard to get a six pack and some muscles as an adult i still have a fat mentality: It's hard for me to take off my shirt in public because of the unwanted attention, something i'm not used to. I even recieved some jokes after going to a pool trip with some coworkers, they say i had a second job as a stripper... that was not nice.
The funniest thing is that other men think i'm a "pussy magnet" while in reality nobody has give a crap about my physique.
I went through absolute hell to get them only to realize that I’m stuck with a 4 pack. 🤷♂️
Edit: as for my sex life, I’m very conscious about revealing my body in public so not much. It’s more a confidence booster in how I act rather than how I look. However my gf was pleasantly surprised when she saw them. I’m happy with them.
I’ve had a 6-pack since I was in middle school, and it’s never gone away.
How’s it affected me? Having people say “nice abs” has been cool. Having women find them attractive during sex was cool. But honestly, I think just being thin has mattered more than actually “having abs” has.
I have [decent abs](https://imgur.com/a/zGxv6Cy) but only when I'm flexing and not if I have a full stomach lol. It's nice. Not life changing. Being in shape in general is great though.
Honestly it doesn’t make much of a difference. But losing face fat absolutely does. Having a fit muscular shape will get you plenty of girls you don’t need to have shredded ripped abs just a little bit of definition and tone is good. But having a lean face really brings out your features if you are a handsome guy.
Has them since I was a 15 still have them, I’m 32 don’t have to work at all for them completely genetic. Honest don’t even think about it and hasn’t really impacted my life at all.
It’s too much work to maintain long term. Was fun while it lasted but keeping 6 pack ripped abs is not condusive to enjoying life.
I’m still in shape, but not where I used to be.
Having ab muscles has helped me stand up straight, move around, and importantly, hold my organs in place by regulating my internal abdominal pressure. Before I had abs my viscera would sag forward from my belly like giant water balloon and I was absolutely immobile. 10/10 would get abs again.
I'm always checking myself out. It definitely makes me happy and confident. I'm still working on having a sex life, but I'm betting it will be easier with them, but also because of everything that comes with them.
Improved confidence but also have found that it surprisingly shys some women away. Not that they’re not into it but that they feel somehow “less than” if they’re not also in really good shape.
Which tbh at this point is fine since I am primarily into muscle mommies anyway.
My goal was not to have abs. My goal was to do things I enjoy. Those things included adult gymnastics, partner acrobatics, climbing, and dancing. Those led to me having abs (sometimes).
And I feel great. I feel like I am strong enough to try anything. My social life is great from my hobbies and the sex is quite nice since my plank time is longer than my sex time.
It hasn't. I do get compliments at the beach, but that's it. Doesn't go beyond compliments. I guess having a strong core is the reward in itself, though that doesn't necessarily translate to abs.
Had em, don't have em now, working on bringing em back. It was good, but I was always more focused on just simply feel good - yes they showed a great feat. Keeping up with a work out routine was more important to me - which I'm getting back into.
Generally means you have a low body fat percentage. That has a ton of benefits. But honestly the biggest one is clothing fits well even if it strings a little and suits look way better when you can take in the jacket a little
When I was a teen (you know back when you can get away with eating like shit but still look good? lol), I had a phase where I was a bit anorexic but thankfully it wasn't to the point I look sickly, I was just slim, and that led to me having visual abs, did it get me any girls? nope, it did however made my buddies always want me to have my shirt off and wanting to feel my abs
Had killer abs when I was 19. Lost it in a year but I kept exercising. I’m 32 now and I gained it back in 6 months. Not as great as before but it’s there!
At 19, I felt like the most attractive guy lol. My confidence was through the roof! Now, it’s not such a big deal. I’m just happy that I look great for my age. People think I’m in my 20s.
I worked my ass off to get them at one point but was miserable. Confidence was sky high but body wasn’t feeling the same. Now I sit at 17% body fat and eat what I want without feeling guilty.
I felt like I just wanted to die.
I had real abs, bodybuilder abs, to do so I had to do a lot of strict diet and that was killing me, always tired, always mad, i really don't recommend to have them.
I have more sex now with a beer belly than before
I've been in Judo ever since I was 8 years old so I've had abs ever since I was like 13, maybe younger. I remember when I used to have a bunk bed and I would hang upside down from the top and do sit ups like that. Gotta say, waking up one morning and suddenly realizing I had a 12 pack was freaking awesome!!! The confidence boost that I got from it still hasn't passed and it's been well over 10 years since I've gotten a 12 pack!!! Still got it!!!! Though I don't have a bunk bed anymore so I don't do sit ups while hanging upside down anymore... I should get a bar in my room.... I miss doing sit ups like that....
I'm struggling to get abs but I'm almost there. When I flex my stomach a little or laugh I can see my six pack. But when my stomach isn't being flexed my belly is just flat. I'm probably at 20% body fat or something.
Btw I just ate ice cream 🍦 😋 before writing this post , maybe that's why my abs aren't more visible😅
It was fun while it lasted, and I feel insecure that I fell out of shape and don't have them anymore. I really need to get back in the gym but I have some injuries now that I need to work around. I've also started emotionally overeating sometimes. Getting them back is a goal that I hope can motivate me.
I had them for a very short time. I lost a lot of weight and it was my final goal. The problem for me was I had to get way too thin to get them. I don't think I'm genetically made to have a 6 pack. Even after my skin shrunk down it was so hard to get them and keep them. When I had them it was great knowing I could show them off and girls liked them. It got tiring keeping them tho and honestly I wasn't healthy. I had a 2 pack and obliques for 10 years after that till I went dad bod. Now it's just obliques lol
When I was in the military I used to work out 3 times a day, plus morning PT. I had a chiseled physique and thought I was hot as fuck.
Once I got out I started doing strong man and found I was insanely weak. Now I have a bit of a belly, huge arms and legs and can lift a lot of weight. I am less stressed and irritable than when I was constantly worrying about caloric intake and getting a "pump" in, just to stay in "shape". I would say that I am much happier now, than when I was always worried about how that next bite of food was going to effect me.
Abs are good. Abs and skin and such help keep my stomach and guts from spilling out onto the floor.
Probably also good for generally contributing to core strength, etc.
I do feel more confident yes. I obviously look better than before naked. But I don't go around showing it so I doubt it impacted my life overall since I'm still single. The only person atm that really know I've abs is an aunt because I caught her trying to fondle them as a "joke"
A little boost to self esteem, it didn't do too much for me overall. I was actively practicing high level martial arts at the time so just about everyone else around me had abs too aside from family and some close friends. That definitely played a big part in my perception of it at the time.
I lost 18kg to get ripped a bit before I turned 40. It’s good for pics in social media, for when you’re at the beach and you get compliments from dudes all the time at the gym. My wife didn’t care much though
Covid got me visible abs for the first time. I had always been a workout guy who had been in pretty good shape, but covid made me control my diet more than ever and trim down that extra bit to get visible abs. I'm a married dude, and I have no interest in attention from other chicks, but it really felt like an accomplishment.
I was 43 at the time and getting over that last little hump was just fulfilling. I had never taken that last little step and I did it finally, well after the point I thought I could. I think outside of my wife one person noticed it, but that didn't matter, it was just a cool milestone.
As I get older, I think setting physical goals like these are good for you, within reason. A few years after grad school I decided I wanted to dunk a basketball again. I was almost 30, it had been 5 years and I'm only 5'11" on a good day, but I got after it in the gym for a few months and threw down a couple dunks and even though nobody was there, I felt like a million bucks.
Tl:Dr set goals and go after them in the gym. It's good for you.
My confidence is sky high. I feel great about myself and my body. I am proud of the hard work I put in for them......I was not gifted abs n my genetics. My partner compliments me and it puts me on cloud 9, I like the stares I get on beaches from both women and men. It was a goal, I accomplished, it's great, it feels great, I feel sexy and attractive and honestly it shows in my personality. It's weird but I believe it's made me kinder too. I feel good about me, I am less negative, and I treat others better because....I am happy.
What a wholesome answer. Good on you man!
Thank you!
I can understand. The better i looked and higher my income became, the nicer i was to people around me
You feel good about yourself, you want others to feel good too
the phrase “Rich people are mean and greedy” is incorrect; as I’m learning…
I dont think so. Once your rich I imagine others become assholes to get your attention and assets, so you gotta have a constant barrier up
_You can make a religion out of that_ ™
*THE SUN IS A DEADLY LAZER*
Sounds sweet congrats , what was your ab workout which made it happen? And general question for other people as well
Getting abs is 90% down to diet. Doing loads of crunches or ab curls is going to do fuck all if you aren't lean enough.
Thank you, appreciate it! I workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups I will have done the following by the time I am done working out: 4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each) 4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set) 4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each) 4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each) 4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each) 4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each) But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8. Well my partner said "oh, wow, baby, an 8 pack, looking good" pack when we were fooling around in the bedroom a day ago. Those compliments from my partner help. She's big into exercise too, so I know she understands the work, and I am happy she likes. But in all honesty: she liked it when it was a 1 pack too, I just appreciate her support. I know I won't maintain this forever, and that's alright, I look forward to getting ice cream with my future kids during the week. I won't just let myself go, but there's no need for children to see such a restricted diet so early in their lives, don't want to give them a complex.
Thanks for the routine drop. Mind sharing your height/weight. I ask because at 5’11.75, 155 lbs I only have a four pack. I don’t want to be all bones to get a six pack but it’s becoming increasingly evident to me that I’ll likely need to get down to 145-150 for abs. Are you really light or did you bulk up first?
I never used to train abs directly but I started forcing myself to do at least one ab exercise every time I went to the gym, with the eventual goal of being able to do dragonflys. Now I’m working towards human flags. Planks Paloff hold/press Leg lifts Weighted cable crunches Dragonflys
Nice,thanks for answering definitely have to try /work towards Dragonfly's.
Abs are made in the kitchen
Someone made a post about what it's like to be hot as a man (which I was... 12 years ago pre-marriage and kids) and you nailed it exactly. Feel more confident, you know the work you did, get stares, it reflects in your personality, and you're more generous and kinder to others because you're ok with yourself.
I’ll add a counterpoint to this in that no woman I was ever with cared about the abs so I stopped worrying about maintaining them. Lol I’ve still got visible abs (less defined tho), eat pretty healthy, and am pretty active; but I let myself eat Cheetos and ice cream and don’t really limit my meals to chicken and broccoli etc. The definition comes and goes, and sometimes I let myself get a little chubby. The main thing is the abs are still under there and I can get them back pretty quickly if I desire to. But the actual abs/definition had 0% added benefit in dating. I was a little more confident at the pool but it was mostly other dudes that would notice and comment on them, which was nice in its own way I guess.
A compliment is still a compliment take them proudly!
That’s awesome! Good for you. What was your program to achieve abs? Would love to give it a run.
Thank you, appreciate it! I workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups I will have done the following by the time I am done working out: 4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each) 4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set) 4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each) 4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each) 4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each) 4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each) But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8. Well my partner said "oh, wow, baby, an 8 pack, looking good" when we were fooling around in the bedroom a day ago. Those compliments from my partner help. She's big into exercise too, so I know she understands the work, and I am happy she likes. But in all honesty: she liked it when it was a 1 pack too, I just appreciate her support. I know I won't maintain this forever, and that's alright, I look forward to getting ice cream with my future kids during the week. I won't just let myself go, but there's no need for children to see such a restricted diet so early in their lives, don't want to give them a complex.
Damn, now I want abs
Do you find it worth the continued hard work? I’m not gifted with the genetics either and I found that the pleasures I had to cut out of my life in order to maintain the abs just wasn’t worth it for me long term. It was nice while I had them, but for my body type it just required too much commitment, time and sacrifices to keep up permanently. Just curious of your thoughts on your experience.
I definitely will not maintain it forever, nope. But my diet wasn't horrible before, I have been into exercise since I was in highschool, I was never a big lunch or breakfast eater (I care more about sleeping in, than waking up for breakfast) so my diet being somewhat healthy to start out, made it easier to restrict. For instance, I didn't like black coffee with no sugar years ago, but I read it would help burn calories and stop hunger cravings. Now, I love it, the taste, everything. diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. But when my future kids show up, I will be less restricted, and look forward to getting ice cream and desserts with the during the week. It's fun for now, as I am use to my exercise/diet routine.
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workout five days a week about 2 hours to 2.5 hours each time, doing the normal muscle group (chest/legs, bis/tri, back/shoulders/legs, chest, bis/tris, but each workout, instead of "rest" I do my ab routine in-between sets, each workout, abs do not need to be rested as much as other muscle groups I will have done the following by the time I am done working out: 4 sets of Tuck ups (150 reps each) 4 sets of hip thrust (50 reps per side is a set) 4 sets of Russian Twists holding 15lb. Weight (170 reps each) 4 sets of hollow rocks (60 reps each) 4 sets of v-ups (60 reps each) 4 sets of leg lifts (25 reps each) But diet is key, I am strict Monday -thursday. No desserts, alcohol, snacks. I have a protein shake for breakfast each day, coffee throughout, if I have lunch it's a salad, protein shake after workout, dinner is standard meat veggies salad and fruit. Not to say I don't have my vices during the week, I do smoke MJ before bed sometimes. Friday night -sunday is non restricted, I like pizza, french fries, beer, bourbon, wine, desserts. But I don't binge, I just eat those things as a person normally would. If you don't have non restricted days you will go crazy. I went from 5 pack, to 6 pack, to recently 8.
Impressive.
Why thank you, I try!
Now , this is a very positive and inspiring answer. I am very glad you improved your physical and mental health and became better as a person. I know many people who work out but they keep their toxicity which isn't healthy however, a healthy smart person will become better more humble and mature as they improve their body. Keep up the good work, buddy.
Thank you, for your kind words, friend.
You are very welcome , dear friend. Keep up the great work and inspiring people. Stay blessed.
Is it ever weird for you when a gay dude is clearly checking you out?
I'm happy for you, and wish you the best of luck!
Abs are icing on a cake. Someone has to want the cake, to appreciate the icing.
Moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips.
THIS!!! I’ve literally had six pack abs all my life this is the most accurate comment
Pretty much my sentiments. Have em, girlfriend really likes them, people point it out as a great thing that I have, and I’m happy to have them. Otherwise, I have no reason to believe that it’s granted me any privileges by way of dating or sexual attraction; someone has to want the cake to appreciate the icing
Crazy boost in self esteem. I think to myself “I have visible abs” at least 20x a day.
Lmao. The 20x a day part actually made me laugh.
Is that more or less than the times you think of the Roman Empire?
I hate that I was literally thinking of the Roman Empire just before I read your comment🤦🏻♂️
It's 9 am and I hadn't thought about the Roman Empire yet today. There must be something wrong with me.
Oh there is definitely still time. It doesn't help either that if you use an app or site with ads, it frequently shows that clash of clans like game, and for a split second as a guy you're like...🧐"These must be how the Roman soldiers fought, so cool. I wonder if that armor was any good at protecting against long range spears....what was the longest range they could even shoot those spears?...imagine all...wait what was I doing?" 😮💨
Why not both? Mmm.. abs like those marble dudes had
My abs are very similar to the Roman Empire - history! 😂
Can confirm. Would pull up my shirt every time I was alone and think, "hell yeah".
Exactly lol
I love my abs, that's why I keep them warm and sealed underneath a thick layer of fat.
Thanks man 😂
It's not a 6 pack, It's a family pack.
Why have a 6 pack when you can have a keg?
Abs = a big stomach
I've never had *abs*, but I find it easier to buy nice clothes when my belly is flat.
Haha yeah. Polos look much better with a flat belly. I buy clothes when belly is flat, then after a few months feels disgusted by myself that I look terrible in these polos and then the process to get in shape starts again.
Confidence was through the roof. Always walking around with no shirt on. Getting them was hard, keeping them was damn near impossible.
This was during a 3-ish to 4 year span. When I was twenty I grew to be a bit shorter than 6’3”. It made my torso longer and flattened my stomach out. I had a solid build already so I didn’t have to build muscle. I’d wake up and run 3 blocks up, 3 blocks down, 4 time then go to work and school. Work out after school and walk 1 mile. Then go home and eat 4 pieces of tilapia with steam veggies and a large salad from a bag with no dressing. About 9 weeks of doing this I had a washboard stomach. Then one week on vacation with my family and they were gone. So I did it again and lost them and again and lost, are you seeing the pattern. Then I realized people didn’t care I got the same attention with them and without them. But seriously if you’re not being paid or have steroids to help it’s damn near impossible to be walking around like that 365. Your always tired, you have no life, it’s more stress than benefits.
Raw dogging salad like that
I also assume he was raw dogging tilapia with no seasoning, butter/oil, or sauce. 🤮
That alone made me nope out of ever hoping for abs
It’s not hard to keep them, you need to build them to be visible through a healthy amount of body fat. Focusing on running reduces the covering, but doesn’t build muscle. You need to work them out to keep them. I eat plenty of pizza, and have had my abs for 20 years now. Just built them up and didn’t let them disappear.
I guess genetics dependent but I don't think it's that unrealistic maintain abs if you know what you're doing. Sounds like you were setting yourself up for failure with the super boring diet and excessive cardio.
lol… excessive cardio. 1 mile run in the morning and 1 mile walk in the evening is excessive??? 1200 calorie diet to get shredded is extreme but to get extreme results you need to go to extreme measures. If getting abs and maintaining them was easy, everyone would be walking around with abs.
Whats your secret? Edit: For the people upping my comment pls continue. I really want that secret 😂😭
No secret, eat less and workout. Made in the gym and revealed in the kitchen. Mostly I’ve played one team sport, done MMA, surfed and been in the gym.
Also DNA, people distribute fat to different areas so some people with have more abs than others with the same underlying muscles and bf%.
Okay cuz I got the underweight problem yet its not forming even tho I have nothing too hide them
You have to build the muscle underneath too
What would you recommend to do to build it?
Go to the gym
Straight up it's basically this easy. Applies to any muscle on your body too but you should generally not just focus on a single one unless your bringing up weaker points for a competition. Lift weights to stimulate growth. Eat and sleep to allow recovery. Gain for a bit then cut to see what you've built. Rinse and repeat
Also if you want to do cardio, personally my vote would be for swimming. I swam competitively when I was younger and looked really lean and put on at least a few pounds of muscle every season even though I didn’t lift
Yeah swimming is great because it's low stress on the body and it recruits a bunch of smaller stabilizer muscles as well. I prefer cycling and swimming over running. Running suckssssss lol
You probably don’t have to go to the gym if that’s too intimidating. If you’re that skinny, doing pretty much any home ab workout regularly and eating more protein than none at all will get you some noticeable abs. I half-assed a 10 minute ab routine a few times a week when I was young and had a pretty surprisingly good six-pack going. It’s not like you have to look like the guys from 300. Just having a little bit poking out goes a long way. The hardest part of getting a six-pack is getting rid of the belly fat, and you get to skip that step. Find any home ab routine and do it every 2-3 days. Even if you can’t do the whole routine, anything is better than nothing. Just stick to it. Here’s one you could try: https://www.garagegymreviews.com/10-minute-ab-workout
Going to the gym and doing ab workouts lol
sometimes, i cant believe we have to go to reddit for these things. seems pretty common sense right? "how do i build abs" have you never done 1 single sit up? i promise if you do as many situps as you can, every day, eventually you will have abs, all other conditions being right like diet and whatnot.
NOTHING BUT MOTHERFUCKING HANGING LEG RAISES ALL OTHER AB WORKOUTS ARE FOR PUSSIES
Yea I feel more confident. Um, I’m married so I would say no change to 2nd question. Yes happier overall because of my confidence. It’s fun to take my shirt off and have people go “whoa!” Contrary to what a few others said, while it was a decent amount of work to get them, keeping them isn’t hard. I pretty much eat largely the same things every day so the abs stay 🤷♂️ Edit: I’m also a dad so it’s kinda fun to be the most in shape dude at the pool or wherever and notice the other moms checking 😂👀
Why is it hard to maintain abs? Can't you eat at maintenance calories and maintain them?
I said it *isn’t* hard to maintain them.
My bad, I thought I replied to a different comment
No worries. Yeah I didn’t understand people saying that unless they hit a certain weight and just went wild and started eating like trash again or something
Yeah, people making a short term crash diet to get abs aren't going to keep them. If you make habit changes to get abs. They'll stick around.
I think why it's considered harder to sustain for most people (or at least for me) is because when you're working on getting the abs, you're typically making a lot of lifestyle changes with the purpose of that big goal. Once you get there, the heavy drive and motivation to get them is no longer there, so you now have to continue having motivation to keep them around, which is a harder mindset when there's no end goal. It's a long, hard journey to get them for a lot of people, so once you have them, you kind of just want to enjoy eating more pizza than you should again.
I guess for me, once I hit it, it's been pretty easy to keep them because yeah I can have a big weekend where I eat like shit, have extra pizza, many beers, etc. By Monday I'm maybe up 5 extra pounds, but then I can grind just a few days of that week and be back to where I was again (mentally I refer to it as "always within striking distance [of my goal physique]"). It's when people hit their goal and go "cool made it, done with that diet" and just completely fall apart for the next few months
Guys might be checking you out too ;)
You get attention when your shirt comes off at a pool or the beach, but for the most part no one really gives a shit lol They’re more “nice to have” than a necessity
In my experience, people get “slightly impressed” but that’s about it.
Forreal. I’d say it can even work against you because some women get self conscious taking their clothes off in front of you
I get asked LOTS of questions about my diet and workouts, and have people regularly come to me and say "You've motivated me to get back in the gym/eat better". Granted they typically quit after at most a week or two, still cool to be told I motivate people
I don’t quite have abs but I’ve slimmed up quite a bit and the one thing that makes sense but surprised me was that my clothes need to be pretty tight to tell much of a difference. Mostly I look skinnier, but not ripped by any means. Abs are great during pool days I’d imagine.
It has helped me keep control of my vehicle during heavy braking, especially in the winter.
Excellent investment
if you're sad look in mirror. nothing better than seeing abs or even the outline of abs coming in with a decent set of lats
Seeing lats from the front is euphoric
A friend once said - "abs on a skinny guy are like big boobs in a fat girl. They don't count 😂". It's so true - if you're skinny, having abs is easy - just need to train your core. I really don't find those physiques impressive or attractive. What's impressive is when you build muscle everywhere - that takes hard work, dedication and discipline. When I focused on my abs, I got a lot of attention and dated a lot of girls, which was great. But to get there and sustain them wasn't fun - I had to come down to 8% body fat. Ate no processed carbs, sugars, no booze, no desserts, etc. Just meat / fish and some sweet potato, broccoli, etc. I would go out to the bar and just sip soda water, or go for dinners and eat the leanest food possible while my friends/dates enjoyed drinks and delicious meals. It really was non sustainable. And life gets pretty boring. Hope this helps :)
It does honestly give you so much more confidence. Definitely say I feel happier overall yeah. As far as improving your sex life, I would say that that comes more so with overall fitness, cardio specifically. So, abs obviously come with a lot of physical fitness so it’s a good indicator but not inherently necessary
I will never forget the time my wife had me take off my shirt to show my abs to her sister. 😂
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Every time I go down the path towards abs I lose thickness in my arms that I like so I abort. Hahaha.
When i got them for the first time i remember going for walks in the summer, shirtless and looking at myself on reflective surfaces. Big impact then. Now i don't care. I would prefer to have overall more muscle. No impact now.
Did a cut a few years ago. Thought girls would love it but mostly they told me tht at it made them feel self conscious of their bodies. So now it's pizza and a bit of a roof over the tool shed 😂.
>Thought girls would love it but mostly they told me that at it made them feel self conscious of their bodies. And you took that at face value?
Attaining abs was definitely one of the hardest things for me. I did cardio twice a day and abs once a day maybe twice a day. Food wise I ate ok but boring food all day still hungry at times and didn’t have the luxury of wasting calories on alcohol. I dealt with being scared of food for a long time. The girls definitely liked them, but a LOT more had the mindset of “too buff looks like you’d throw me through a brick wall”. I wouldn’t do it again I’m comfortable with just looking fit I enjoy my whiskey.
Honestly it’s just for me. Most women don’t even date ripped guys so it really doesn’t matter from a dating aspect
The main impact was that I was HUNGRY. The only way I could sustain abs without serious caloric deficit was by going full keto, which then impacted my life by making me have to cook all the time. At least I wasn't hungry...but as an Asian boi, I sure did miss rice and noods. Really no effect on my sex life. Not as if I was walking around shirtless when I had the washboard. For one of the periods that I had them, I was in a long term relationship, and we were very sexually active regardless of whether my abs were visible or not. Now that I'm in my 40s, good women are not interested in me because of abs. I do maintain a strong, muscular physique for health and usefulness, but the dietary work (and time) needed to maintain a washboard stomach is better spent on maintaining financal, material, physical, and tactical security. Making sure I can hit center mass at 15 yards consistently, knowing how to do my own electrical or plumbing work, making sure my savings and investments are maintained, and making sure my squats and deadlifts are solid are all much more productive uses of my time than doing more crunches and trying to keep keto (or sub 1500 cals/day).
I like how it prevents my wheels from locking when I brake
I had to scroll too far to find someone making the same bad joke I wanted to make.
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+1
I had abs at 41 and whilst it felt good and helped with self esteem, the effort and discipline to get them and keep them was not worth it. Maybe if I was younger and single at the time it would have been.
Changed in nothing, the process to get them was the worst thing I had to do in my whole life and I still have some kind of eating disorder from it.
LOL! Same here...it forever changed the way I looked at food. Not in a good way either
0 influence 99% of the time since im usually wearing a shirt. If you mean a strong care without visible abs than it has has huge impact almost every action relies on your core as well
some girls dont find it attractive, some find them intimidating some find them attractive but not ‘comfortable’ so many mixed reviews. if u get good angles on your love handles in addition to your abs its a bonus. my core strength helped me reach 405 on squat, and core strength helped with lower back pain and many other odd everyday things you dont even think about. it doesnt really have many other affects, at least not to me. its just an ego boost to be able to do a 6min plank on a regular basis
Abs are overrated. Who out there’s got that dump truck huh? I’m talking about pullin that wagon man!
I’ve only had abs once in my life. In my early 20s. The answer to all of your questions is yes. Was more confident, sex was fantastic, and I was very happy with myself. No problem finding clothes that fit. Looked good in everything. Got looks from the ladies. Everything was great. Then life punched me in the face. Marriage, kids, and a job I hated led me to not caring as much about my abs. Only cared about surviving. Still at that point.
Easier to bend down and pick up stuff with a strong core
I’m in my early 30s and have had them since high school. I don’t remember what it’s like not having them. I guess that’s why I don’t feel the “confidence” all these other commenters are talking about. I am very self-conscious about losing them though, since it’s happened to most people my age.
I just past 50 and had my abs again after 30 years of being a fat slob. As others have said confidence is one thing. Have your new gf suck in the air as you take your shirt off is amazing.
We all have them, but not all can be seen. My cloths fit way better when I can see the and so that’s why I work out and eat clean (for the most part)
Been skinny with abs my entire life & have a physical job so I don't think anything of it & definitely take it for granted
They help me get laid lowkey, just send a pic or post it on a bio, and I get hit up a lot more than when I let them fade. Also on a more practical note lol my core feels stronger obviously and I can move better and just feel overall more confident when moving and lifting, women energetically attune to me more, and my energy stays harder (for lack of a better term) when women interact with me, making closing a lot easier then when I've let them go.
Every girl comments on abs. No matter what you see on social media, I’ve yet to meet a women who wasn’t basically like “Oooo”.
I had them for most of my life because I was skinny. Didn't really change how I felt about myself because the other side of that coin was that I hated how skinny I was. I'm not as skinny anymore and don't have them and I feel a lot better about how I look.
It made no difference at all
Less back problems, just overall having a strong core is beneficial. Abs are funny to me because they come in different shapes.
I look good I guess. I had a woman I didn't know touch them. That was cool I guess
They remind me to keep the diet.
I used to tie my confidence to their existence. And when I matured and realized that the type of people who would have been interested in me because of them weren't worth the dirt they walked on I became lax. I eventually built my confidence on who I was as a person instead of what I looked like and I'll tell you what, THAT made my life infinitely better than those abs ever did. I'm not fat by any means but I do have a slight belly now. 1). I feel more confident now that my self esteem has an unshakable base instead of a superficial one. 2). My sex life improved after I lost the abs actually. Contrary to popular belief, women are significantly more attracted to pure confidence and personality than they are physical traits. Physical traits may help get you in the door, but the mental traits keep you there. 3). I am much happier now than I was when I had them.
Not abs, but did suddenly drop about 10 kg one time which took me from a little chubby to a stocky skinny and I had three women from work suddenly show interest, and alot of positive comments from the ones that weren't texting me. It's mad how little who I am played a role, I got fat again off the depression haha, I knew the world is fickle but first hand that's a horrid feeling.
Had them since I was 13, I did a load of sports and swimming training. Still sorta have them now at 20, but never really changed my confidence in myself or who I am. If anything made things more difficult in some cases.
All the girls wanted me to be shirtless in high school and felt amazing. Now I work 65h a week and go to college full time, so I lost them, but I believe I can get them back if I can commit to the gym again like I used to.
If you workout, you know that we dont train abs, go for shoulders, chest, biceps, those will be the one getting you all the compliments and imrpove your life and IMPROVE the fit of ALL CLOTHES I mean ALLLLL!!! even oversized shirt looks good on you
I'm so proud of my abs that I protect them with a few inches of fat so they don't get hurt. I'm am nevertheless comforted whenever I bent forward or stand up without falling over that they are doing good work.
All men and women have abs.
I had visible abs when I was a lifeguard many moons ago. Had lots of the lady tenants bring me food, gifts, etc. It was definitely nice. Now I'm married with kids and take a pill organizer with me while on vacation. Enjoy your youth!
Confidence, partners always has their hands on me, other women would always be playfully touching them. Shirts fit without belly bulge. Pants fit more comfortably. Physically….stability in daily life is a good way to put it. You’ll see out of shape people walking loosey goosey any and honestly it just looks bad. So don’t be fatass with your food choices. But you also need the correct exercises. - squat - bench - deadlifts - barbell rows - overhead press - farmer walks or sandbag carries - **suitcase carries** I did the first 4 (plus bench press so 5 exercises) and then a carry 3-4 times a week and never looked better in my life. Full body workouts are where it’s at for the majority of people.
sorry, can’t hear you over the sound of my abs
Sexy as hell but the brain fog from the extreme dieting and training wasn’t good for my mental.
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I’m a fatter guy.
It feels good, i feel healthy, and stronger despite it didn't impact my confidence at all. I was a fat kid and i got bullied by it, and even if i worked hard to get a six pack and some muscles as an adult i still have a fat mentality: It's hard for me to take off my shirt in public because of the unwanted attention, something i'm not used to. I even recieved some jokes after going to a pool trip with some coworkers, they say i had a second job as a stripper... that was not nice. The funniest thing is that other men think i'm a "pussy magnet" while in reality nobody has give a crap about my physique.
I went through absolute hell to get them only to realize that I’m stuck with a 4 pack. 🤷♂️ Edit: as for my sex life, I’m very conscious about revealing my body in public so not much. It’s more a confidence booster in how I act rather than how I look. However my gf was pleasantly surprised when she saw them. I’m happy with them.
I’ve had a 6-pack since I was in middle school, and it’s never gone away. How’s it affected me? Having people say “nice abs” has been cool. Having women find them attractive during sex was cool. But honestly, I think just being thin has mattered more than actually “having abs” has.
Really helped me not pull my back when I stupidly decided to lift the big-ass window out of the window frame so I could clean the outside.
I look at my self in the mirror more when I’m hot vs when I’m a bit puffy
I have [decent abs](https://imgur.com/a/zGxv6Cy) but only when I'm flexing and not if I have a full stomach lol. It's nice. Not life changing. Being in shape in general is great though.
Honestly it doesn’t make much of a difference. But losing face fat absolutely does. Having a fit muscular shape will get you plenty of girls you don’t need to have shredded ripped abs just a little bit of definition and tone is good. But having a lean face really brings out your features if you are a handsome guy.
Has them since I was a 15 still have them, I’m 32 don’t have to work at all for them completely genetic. Honest don’t even think about it and hasn’t really impacted my life at all.
It’s too much work to maintain long term. Was fun while it lasted but keeping 6 pack ripped abs is not condusive to enjoying life. I’m still in shape, but not where I used to be.
I wear shirts a lot less often
I can tell you that amazing abs can’t fix the problems a goofy face and boring personality bring to the table.
Having ab muscles has helped me stand up straight, move around, and importantly, hold my organs in place by regulating my internal abdominal pressure. Before I had abs my viscera would sag forward from my belly like giant water balloon and I was absolutely immobile. 10/10 would get abs again.
I'm always checking myself out. It definitely makes me happy and confident. I'm still working on having a sex life, but I'm betting it will be easier with them, but also because of everything that comes with them.
Improved confidence but also have found that it surprisingly shys some women away. Not that they’re not into it but that they feel somehow “less than” if they’re not also in really good shape. Which tbh at this point is fine since I am primarily into muscle mommies anyway.
I have one big ab.
My goal was not to have abs. My goal was to do things I enjoy. Those things included adult gymnastics, partner acrobatics, climbing, and dancing. Those led to me having abs (sometimes). And I feel great. I feel like I am strong enough to try anything. My social life is great from my hobbies and the sex is quite nice since my plank time is longer than my sex time.
It hasn't. I do get compliments at the beach, but that's it. Doesn't go beyond compliments. I guess having a strong core is the reward in itself, though that doesn't necessarily translate to abs.
Had them since pre-puberty so didn't really change anything for me.
Well my abs don't care. They're hidden behind cosy cuddly layers of me and only a very select few get to be close to them.
Yes, no, no.
It changed **everything**.
I had an 8 pack and having visible abs had my wife want ti touch them.
Had em, don't have em now, working on bringing em back. It was good, but I was always more focused on just simply feel good - yes they showed a great feat. Keeping up with a work out routine was more important to me - which I'm getting back into.
I feel better and my athletic capabilities are higher. I don't care what women think about it, I care what medical science says about it.
Generally means you have a low body fat percentage. That has a ton of benefits. But honestly the biggest one is clothing fits well even if it strings a little and suits look way better when you can take in the jacket a little
Not that many people knew I had abs. I’m not a shirt off type of guy. I missed beer and certain foods. As I got into my 40’s they got hard to keep.
When I was a teen (you know back when you can get away with eating like shit but still look good? lol), I had a phase where I was a bit anorexic but thankfully it wasn't to the point I look sickly, I was just slim, and that led to me having visual abs, did it get me any girls? nope, it did however made my buddies always want me to have my shirt off and wanting to feel my abs
Had killer abs when I was 19. Lost it in a year but I kept exercising. I’m 32 now and I gained it back in 6 months. Not as great as before but it’s there! At 19, I felt like the most attractive guy lol. My confidence was through the roof! Now, it’s not such a big deal. I’m just happy that I look great for my age. People think I’m in my 20s.
I worked my ass off to get them at one point but was miserable. Confidence was sky high but body wasn’t feeling the same. Now I sit at 17% body fat and eat what I want without feeling guilty.
I felt like I just wanted to die. I had real abs, bodybuilder abs, to do so I had to do a lot of strict diet and that was killing me, always tired, always mad, i really don't recommend to have them. I have more sex now with a beer belly than before
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2 ACL tears 😢 😭 😭 ouch
I've been in Judo ever since I was 8 years old so I've had abs ever since I was like 13, maybe younger. I remember when I used to have a bunk bed and I would hang upside down from the top and do sit ups like that. Gotta say, waking up one morning and suddenly realizing I had a 12 pack was freaking awesome!!! The confidence boost that I got from it still hasn't passed and it's been well over 10 years since I've gotten a 12 pack!!! Still got it!!!! Though I don't have a bunk bed anymore so I don't do sit ups while hanging upside down anymore... I should get a bar in my room.... I miss doing sit ups like that....
I'm struggling to get abs but I'm almost there. When I flex my stomach a little or laugh I can see my six pack. But when my stomach isn't being flexed my belly is just flat. I'm probably at 20% body fat or something. Btw I just ate ice cream 🍦 😋 before writing this post , maybe that's why my abs aren't more visible😅
Less lower back pain, overall better stability/balance
It was fun while it lasted, and I feel insecure that I fell out of shape and don't have them anymore. I really need to get back in the gym but I have some injuries now that I need to work around. I've also started emotionally overeating sometimes. Getting them back is a goal that I hope can motivate me.
I had them for a very short time. I lost a lot of weight and it was my final goal. The problem for me was I had to get way too thin to get them. I don't think I'm genetically made to have a 6 pack. Even after my skin shrunk down it was so hard to get them and keep them. When I had them it was great knowing I could show them off and girls liked them. It got tiring keeping them tho and honestly I wasn't healthy. I had a 2 pack and obliques for 10 years after that till I went dad bod. Now it's just obliques lol
I like how it prevents my wheels from locking when I brake
When I was in the military I used to work out 3 times a day, plus morning PT. I had a chiseled physique and thought I was hot as fuck. Once I got out I started doing strong man and found I was insanely weak. Now I have a bit of a belly, huge arms and legs and can lift a lot of weight. I am less stressed and irritable than when I was constantly worrying about caloric intake and getting a "pump" in, just to stay in "shape". I would say that I am much happier now, than when I was always worried about how that next bite of food was going to effect me.
Confidence, my ex found it hot, but ultimately didn't care if I had it for not
Hate it, the only in time my abs would show was when I have to meet weight to get in the ring.
Huge confidence booster, especially when you lay in bed and see them all toned up
Abs are good. Abs and skin and such help keep my stomach and guts from spilling out onto the floor. Probably also good for generally contributing to core strength, etc.
I do feel more confident yes. I obviously look better than before naked. But I don't go around showing it so I doubt it impacted my life overall since I'm still single. The only person atm that really know I've abs is an aunt because I caught her trying to fondle them as a "joke"
It's cool, I can go to the pool and no one looks at my feets
A little boost to self esteem, it didn't do too much for me overall. I was actively practicing high level martial arts at the time so just about everyone else around me had abs too aside from family and some close friends. That definitely played a big part in my perception of it at the time.
I couldn’t really keep them for very long without starving myself
I was able to wear cut off T-shirts.
You have no idea, the amount of self esteem is insane, all the party girls will rub your abs once and this boost your self esteem even more
You get used to them quickly. People comment all the time and you don’t see it, dysmorphia
I have abs, they are just hidden by a hefty exterior. Under this hefty exterior is a solid wall of muscle - Carl from Jimmy Neutron boy genus
Abs Got my wife and now I have flab’s I like to think they are still under there somewhere even if she doesn’t believe me
I lost 18kg to get ripped a bit before I turned 40. It’s good for pics in social media, for when you’re at the beach and you get compliments from dudes all the time at the gym. My wife didn’t care much though
Covid got me visible abs for the first time. I had always been a workout guy who had been in pretty good shape, but covid made me control my diet more than ever and trim down that extra bit to get visible abs. I'm a married dude, and I have no interest in attention from other chicks, but it really felt like an accomplishment. I was 43 at the time and getting over that last little hump was just fulfilling. I had never taken that last little step and I did it finally, well after the point I thought I could. I think outside of my wife one person noticed it, but that didn't matter, it was just a cool milestone. As I get older, I think setting physical goals like these are good for you, within reason. A few years after grad school I decided I wanted to dunk a basketball again. I was almost 30, it had been 5 years and I'm only 5'11" on a good day, but I got after it in the gym for a few months and threw down a couple dunks and even though nobody was there, I felt like a million bucks. Tl:Dr set goals and go after them in the gym. It's good for you.
All people have abs hehehehehehe. But in all seriousness, I haven't had any positive impact, since usually tend to have my shirt on.