Gaining weight/ Six pack abs Topic

Zak 06/18/16
I'm 6ft 3 inches and weigh 168 lbs. I want to get a six pack but also gain some muscle mass. Looked everywhere on what to eat to get a six pack and what to do and still confused. Thanks

Asphesteros 06/13/17
Everything worth looking at that I've looked at says it's body fat percentage first, AB development second. I'm in a similar boat, 6'6" but currently 210, at around 20% body fat (down from well over 30% a couple years ago). For me it's obvious what's still covering my abs, but at 168 you're likely under ideal weight if anything. You might be in the dreaded skinny-fat zone, or conversely if your body fat is south of 13% maybe you actually just need to bulk up and develop the actual muscles more. It's also possible you're just unlucky and your body just favors keeping abdominal fat until the very end, meaning you'd need a super low body fat parentage to see abs. Everyone's different. No matter what, figuring out your body fat percentage is where to start. Fat under the skin covers your muscles. You want muscles underneath to show through, you got to make the muscles developed, sure, but you got to make the fat covering it overall to go away. It's really not any more mysterious than that.

There's lots of methods to get a handle on your body fat percentage, and all of them suck, but the US Navy method might be best for you, since it just needs at tape measure and a scale, and focuses on your midsection which is what you care about.

http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

This tool is also great for giving you a idea of what body weight you'd want to be, and how to get there (in conjunction with MND of course): https://tdeecalculator.net/

Dietician 06/18/17 replied to Zak
Hi Zak- I am curious what your calorie and protein budget are from MND and how you feel the budget is working? As you likely know in order to reduce body fat while also maintaining lean body mass you must create a negative energy balance. In addition to reducing your calories make sure you are eating enough protein and hitting the weights consistently. We suggest trying to lose no more than 1# a week. Finally, patience is key. It takes a long time for our bodies to change and yet our minds what to see instant results. Asphesteros's post has some interesting points. Let us know if you have any other questions! Best, Joanna (Dietician)

Gaining weight/ Six pack abs