I have trained my abs every day for 132 days in a row. That’s a long time. That’s over four months of daily ab training. I would have hoped to have seen my abs by now, but alas, I do not. And why is that? Why would I not see them after training so hard for so long?
I can’t see my abs after 132 days of ab workouts because my body fat percentage is too high for my core muscles to be visible. While they have developed and grown in size and strength, there is a layer of extra fat covering them. Until I drop to between 6-9% body fat, I will not have a visible six pack.
There you have it. Despite my dedicated and consistent training, my elevated body fat percentage and lack of weight loss are the main things preventing me from finally being able to see my abs for the first time in my life.
Let’s look closely at the results of my ab training over time to try and find some honest pros and cons of training abs every day over long periods of time.
Some Background Information Before We Begin
I used to be obese. At 17 years old, I weighed in at 296 lbs. (134.5 kgs.). I was a very big boy. I am almost 34 years old now, so that was half a lifetime ago. Over time I came to my senses, and by July 30, 2019, I had lost 108.6 lbs. and was in reasonably good shape… by my standards, that is.
Still, it was time to take my fitness and body to the next level. It was time for something grand. It was time to dedicate myself to getting a 6 pack!
What Does My Ab Workout Look Like?
The choice of what workout to follow was pretty easy for me. I chose the 22 Day Ab Workout (NO REST!!!) by Jeff Cavaliere at ATHLEAN-X as my daily ritual to health and fitness. I had been a fan of his YouTube videos for years, and I sincerely trust his advice. I highly recommend watching the video in this link if you are looking for an ab workout to follow.
I have written at length already about the specifics of the workout. Specifically, check out the first update article I wrote to get all of the details: Can You Get Abs in 22 Days with ATHLEAN-X? (Honest Results) Don’t forget to watch the ATHLEAN-X YouTube video, too!
Once chosen, I simply performed this workout every day for 132 days in a row.
The Results After 132 Days of Training My Abs
After every round of the routine (22 days) I took a video and snapped some photos to keep track of my progress. As a reference, here are the exact dates for each round:
- Round 1: Jul. 30, 2019 – Aug. 20, 2019 (22 days)
- Round 2: Jul. 30, 2019 – Sep. 11, 2019 (44 days)
- Round 3: Jul. 30, 2019 – Oct. 8, 2019 (71 Days* / 66 days)
- Round 4: Jul. 30, 2019 – Oct. 30, 2019 (93 Days / 88 days)
- Round 5: Jul. 30, 2019 – Nov. 21, 2019 (115 Days / 110 days)
- Round 6: Jul. 30, 2019 – Dec. 13, 2019 (137 Days / 132 days)
Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? Yes, I did miss 5 days during the 3rd month. I became quite ill and was unable to exercise for 5 days. It’s was miserable, and I felt terrible that my streak had come to an end. Once fully rested and recovered, I picked up right where I left off and I have not missed a day since.
As an additional reference point, let’s check out my weight for each update photo that you are about to view:
- Day 1: 187.4 lbs. (85.2 kgs.)
- Day 22: 185.7 lbs. (84.4 kgs.)
- Day 44: 187.4 lbs. (85.2 kgs.)
- Day 66: 187.2 lbs. (85.1 kgs.)
- Day 88: 185.2 lbs. (84.2 kgs.)
- Day 110: 185.7 lbs. (84.4 kgs.)
- Day 132: 189.2 lbs. (86.0 kgs.)
One of these things is not like the other, right? My weight stayed pretty consistent throughout the first 110 days, with a slight decrease in weight. Then, something happened during this last round. I gained 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kgs.).
While that may not sound like much weight to some of you, I think you will see that the weight gain did have a visible effect on the definition of my abs… meaning that they are less visible and less defined, especially when compared to the picture from Day 88 when I was at my lowest weight.
Check out the photos and see what you think for yourself.
Here Are the Before and After Photos from Each Round:
Here Are the Before and After Photos from Day 1 to Day 132:
Day 1 – 187.4 lbs. Day 132 – 189.2 lbs.
I would argue that my body has changed for the better since I started training my abs every day. I am stronger and my body looks better. I think so, at least. But I still cannot see my abs after these 132 days of training.
I will admit, a part of me had hoped to have seen even more striking changes by this point. So, why don’t I?
Why I Do Not Have a Six Pack
The answer is simple. Despite having already lost about 108.6 lbs. over the last 14 years, I’m quite frankly still to fat to see my abs.
Being able to see your abs and having a visible 6 pack requires more than just a dedicated training program. It requires achieving a low body fat percentage. I found an article by Livestrong which claims that we must reach the following body fat percentages to be able to see our abs:
- Men: between 6-9% body fat
- Women: between 16-19% body fat
While I do not have data on my personal body fat percentage, I can assure you that I am still above 9%. I can continue to train my abs every day in perpetuity, but unless I focus more on my diet and nutrition, I will not see them.
This is the biggest lesson I am being faced with as I continue to train my abs every day:
Diet and nutrition are as important (probably more important) to causing changes in our bodies than we may like to admit.
Don’t get me wrong. I am very pleased with the changes and progress I have made already. I’m sure that if I continued on the same path that I am on I would continue to see changes as my muscles grow. Still, the changes will be quicker and visually more striking if I were to focus as much on my diet as I did on training my abs every day.
I thought that my diet had improved and that it was pretty good. It probably is, but the photos and the scale do not lie. My diet and nutrition can be better. Remember this should you embark on an abs-everyday training program of your own.
Fat, Broke and Stupid YouTube Video
I posted a YouTube video of these before and after results on my Fat, Broke and Stupid YouTube Channel. Check it out:
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Learn More About This Challenge
Want to see the most updated abs results of my continuing daily abs training? Head on over to my dedicated Fat, Broke and Stupid Abs Training Page to see how I am currently doing. You will also be able to find links to all of my other abs related articles and YouTube videos, plus more…