I've been hitting the treadmill for a half hour and hitting abs right after that, 3 days a week. It's been about a year now, and I've lost 35 pounds, but I still can't see my abs. What should I do?

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Michael Collins: Congratulations on losing 35 pounds. That's a great accomplishment!

 

If you're still not seeing your abs, there's likely 2 scenarios going on

 

(or a mixture of the 2)

 

1) You may still have some ways to go in getting your body fat % down. This is the biggest factor in being able to see your abdominal muscles. If you still have a thick layer of fat covering the abs, they will not be visible.

 

2) You're already sufficiently low in body fat, but your abdominal muscles are simply not built enough to be prominent. The abdominal wall is comprised of muscle- just as your chest and biceps. They add fiber in response to heavy training.

 

Genetics plays a role in how well you'll be able to see the abs, as well as the training effect.

 

Being that you can't change your genetics, your best bet is to build a solid set of abdominal muscles through strength training- add as much fiber as possible.

 

As far as getting the body fat down, you mention you do treadmill as your main activity. It's time to step your game up to some high intensity cardio. This will give you far bigger bang for the time and effort you put in.

 

Also, you didn't mention a strength training program. If you're on one now, continue to hammer away and look for ways to increase the intensity so that you consistently progress- which in turn will raise your metabolism further.

 

If you're not on a program, read this article and get started.
 

Your six pack is within your reach. Good luck!

 

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