how do I get six-pack abs when i am an intense swimmer?

Question

i have been swimming intense workouts seven days a week for eight years now. The are 3 1/2 hours long. one hour everyday is spent on dryland training (running, jump roping, medicine balls, some ab work) but i still do not have abs. if it were anyone else i would just say work hard, but the problem is that i work so hard that sometimes i throw up. i need something to get the abs of my fellow teammates.

Answer 1

1. Abdominal muscles that you "see" are not nearly as important as the actual core strength that you have created. A six pack will not help you swim any faster.

2. You may be running, jumping rope and other forms of cardio, but without maintaining the proper intensity you won't burn the fat necessary to get that "six pack". You may feel like you're working, but you might not be working hard enough. Barfing is not a proper indication of intensity either.

3. Talk to your coach or training staff and let them know about your concerns. They will most likely tell you that you are worrying about something that needn't be worried about. However, they may recognize that you are having trouble with your intensity levels or possibly with your diet. Therefore, you would need to adjust your training levels (based on your body fat levels, weight, height and body mass index).

4. Carbs are not going to help you with your "six pack" quest. Eat the right kinds of carbs- complex, as well as lean protein- chicken/beans, and cut out unecessary sugars and starches.

Look at any successful swimmers and notice that they rarely have "six pack" abs. The sprinters tend to because of the high intensity nature of the 50. However, some of the most successful swimmers do NOT have "abs of steel". Janet Evans, Tracy Caulkin, Mary T. Meagher, Pablo Morales, Matt Biondi, Jon Naber, etc. all had/have flexible, supple and STRONG core muscles. The strength you have is mor important in order to swim fast. Stop worrying about vanity and focus on intensity.

Answer 2

Not every body type is capable of having six pack abs. Some people, especially women, carry their body's necesssary fat deposits in the abdominal area. Some people can get definition but will never have that washboard look. It's part of your biology in some cases.

On another note, training seven days a week is pretty - overly intense, to put it nicely. Your body is probably angry at you for not giving it enough time to heal after you train! Take a day off, even Ironman triathletes only train six days a week. To do any more is detrimental to your health and very risky.

Answer 3

try sit up?
buy the bowflex
eat more protien and carbs