Hey ladies! I'm new to the site and need some recommendations.
I'm a 23 year old female, 5 feet 6.5 inches tall, 122 lbs, 17.6% body fat. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the progress I've been making towards my goals. However after having a 10lb baby a year and a half ago, I can not get my abs back in shape, I have tried EVERYTHING!!! I desperately want a six pack again and am becoming frustrated. I have recently read a few online articles, one suggested that perhaps I need to do a cutting phase, and the other that I need to drop to at least 12% bf in order for my abs to show up. The problem is when I am exercising or when I flex, my stomach is quite hard, but I want to be able to SEE it, not just feel it. Any suggestions. Currently I lift Monday-Saturday for about 45-60 minutes (different muscle groups each day) and follow that by 30-60 minutes of cardio (alternate stair stepper, eliptical and running). Eventually I would LOVE to do body building and figure competitions, but have no clue how to get started. Also I am a vegetarian and eat only dairy products, no meat or eggs, any suggestions on a detailed meal plan????Thanks for the help!

Welcome! This is a great place. I would also recommmend going to www.t-nation.com and posting the same post there. There are a lot of women there who compete in bodybuilding and/or figure competitions. I'm sure you will get good advice here too, but Chameleon is the only women that I know of here who competes. Congratulaions on already getting back in great shape after having a baby!

See, I didn't steer you wrong. You're already getting great responses over there. :tucool: Definitely read all of Christiane Lamy's stuff thoroughly. She really knows her stuff. And has built quite an impressive physique too. I'll ask the T-Mag mod to chime in too if she doesn't on her own. She's got a smokin body, and she has competed as well. Read the nutrition archives over there thoroughly, especially John Berardi. Chameleon on these forums would be very helpful too I expect. I haven't see her posting lately, though. You might want to shoot her a PM.

See, I didn't steer you wrong. You're already getting great responses over there. :tucool: Definitely read all of Christiane Lamy's stuff thoroughly. She really knows her stuff. And has built quite an impressive physique too. I'll ask the T-Mag mod to chime in too if she doesn't on her own. She's got a smokin body, and she has competed as well. Read the nutrition archives over there thoroughly, especially John Berardi. Chameleon on these forums would be very helpful too I expect. I haven't see her posting lately, though. You might want to shoot her a PM.
Hey, thanks for the rec to t-nation, I got some great info!