Oki doki, instead of posting a whole bunch of threads...i thought maybe this would be easier...or it's not and my plan wil backfire...lol

1. By doing a whole bunch of sit-ups, such as 3 reps of 30, will the small "love handles" at my sides go away, and the wee bit of a puge at the lower abs go away? Or do I need to do cardio first?

2. Should I work on cutting the fat such as "love handles" doing cardio exercises before I start working at sit-ups and abdominal exercises?

(and ANOTHER question..lol)
3. Can one do unlimited amounts of abdominal exercises, as long as there is strength left, or are working these muscles the same as weight training?

Any advice is helpful, thanks!

Sorry, you cannot spot reduce fat. No matter what you've seen on TV, if you want to see your abs, you must work on diet, baby, diet. Your abs are there, but you have fat on top that covers them. So, you must get rid of that fat. How do you get rid of fat? Mostly with diet, then with weight lifting, and finally with cardio. A good combination of all 3 will be lethal to that fat. But situps and crunches are no better for getting rid of belly fat than arm curls or squats.

Read the sticky post at the top of the Fat Loss forum that Marcus wrote about nutrition. It is very helpful. That will give you a good diet. You can get great abs by just following a good diet (actually, you'll just be able to see the abs you already have).

Then, if you start lifting weights, you'll have a great advantage in losing weight. Weight lifting is what I would start second if I were beginning a program to lose fat.

Then, if you are really ambitious, you can add good cardio workouts. Do some activity that keeps your heart rate about 65-75% of maximum for about 30-40 minutes at a time. If you can do it in the morning, before you eat, it will be even more effective for you.

I hope this helps.

Welcome to the forums, you'll find lots of good help and encouragement here.

Oki doki, instead of posting a whole bunch of threads...i thought maybe this would be easier...or it's not and my plan wil backfire...lol

1. By doing a whole bunch of sit-ups, such as 3 reps of 30, will the small "love handles" at my sides go away, and the wee bit of a puge at the lower abs go away? Or do I need to do cardio first?

Ab exercises will not burn the fat around your stomach. That is entirely up to your diet, lifting and cardio to do. However, ab exercises can help develop a nice 6-pack for when the fat is gone.


2. Should I work on cutting the fat such as "love handles" doing cardio exercises before I start working at sit-ups and abdominal exercises?

You're young and at a great age to get into some great shape. I would try making healthy choices in your diet and stay as active as you can. You didn't mention your current weight and/or body fat, but if you are looking to lose fat, at your age, it's quite simple if you eat pretty healthy and stay active.


(and ANOTHER question..lol)
3. Can one do unlimited amounts of abdominal exercises, as long as there is strength left, or are working these muscles the same as weight training?

Depends what you mean by "unlimited". At your age, I was doing crunches pretty much daily. I did about 100 a day and maybe some other variations here and there. I started doing that when I was a bit younger than you (like 13 maybe), but either way, I ended up seeing pretty damn good results. (I also was eating healthier, taking martial arts classes and did push-ups and pull-ups daily as well.)

it is true that that you cant spot reduce but no matter what anybody tells you keep doing crunches and situps...because even tho you need to lose the fat around your abs doing crunches and sit ups will make it look better when you lose the fat.....and dont forget to do the lower abs with leg raises and do side crunches...when i first started doing crunches i never did leg raises or side crunches and noticed that my lower abs were not getting any better...and if you want those abs to show you need to start doing lots of cardio and stay active as much as possible and lifting weights

it is true that that you cant spot reduce but no matter what anybody tells you keep doing crunches and situps...because even tho you need to lose the fat around your abs doing crunches and sit ups will make it look better when you lose the fat.....and dont forget to do the lower abs with leg raises and do side crunches...when i first started doing crunches i never did leg raises or side crunches and noticed that my lower abs were not getting any better...and if you want those abs to show you need to start doing lots of cardio and stay active as much as possible and lifting weights

You need to be careful with side crunches. I can't swear to it, but I've heard a few trainers (reputable ones) say that by building your obliques too much, it can give a pretty bad love handle look if you don't have very low body fat.

Just something to think about.

thanks for that info i never knew side crunches could do that..maybe i shouldnt do them as much

thanks for that info i never knew side crunches could do that..maybe i shouldnt do them as much

Like I said, I've read it a couple places and it actually makes sense. However, I doubt the occasional side crunches will hurt you. It's probably more along the lines of really working them to the point where they could grow enough to look as such. Either way, I minimize my oblique work.