Building ab definition

So I have a flat stomach, no pooch at all, but I was just curious what should I do to build more definition.  Any replies will be greatly appreciated.

Resistance training will increase the size of your abdominal muscles.  Lowering your body fat helps them to stand out.

I rely mostly on the big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, etc) for ab development.  I'll throw in a few sets of weighted leg raises or weighted crunches throughout the week to "top them off".

Diet is what really makes them show up for me, though.

i wonder this too all the time.

so i do have some pooch, i'd love to get rid of it, but its like impossible and if i keep trying to lose weight.. i dont know im already obsessive about it and my mum wants me to stop going to the gym or atleast cut down my running.. but i realyl wanna get some ab definition.

real push ups and doing the plank strengthen your whole core. on tops of things like crunches etc, those might help!

Thanks for the tips!  And to Sophiecore, do you drink soda?  If you do, you might want to cut that out.  I gave up drinking my one daily can of sprite and my stomach seem to flatten pretty fast.  I also try to consume at 25-30 grams of fiber each day.  Just be patient!

Diamond pushups and crunches. beleive me it works. Cardio also because the key to a flat tummy is low body fat.

nope. i dont drink soda. alcohol on the occassion, but i never drink soda.

hold your stomache in tight when you work out. 

I too have a problem with my lower abdomen.  No matter how many sit ups I do or how thin I get my stomach is never tight?  I was very underweight due to triathlon trainin and even at 12 % BF my stomach was still on the softer side.  I am 5 6 and now 125 and solid but again my stomach is on the soft side and have a little pooch.  I was wonder if food allergies coudl contribute to it.  I cannot loose any weight bc i would not look healthy I am very muscular and lean with long limbs.  Any insight?

sometimes there is nothing you can do, if you bf is low and your diet is correct you might just be one of the people that will always have that pouch. try doing more cardio to bring your body fat down to about 10 which is tough to maintain but if you can, you should see the results you desire.

Hi frans1s- I also am 5'6" and around 125 (depending upon TOM) and I have a very squishy midsection due to gaining and losing 50 lbs for each of my 2 babies. I was working at a physical therapy office and got very into a STOTT Pilates mat class that one of the physical therapists was teaching. Wow, did it kick my butt, however, I also had more energy and stronger leaner muscles than I had while I was a gym rat in my 20's. And boy did I have abs!!!! Except for the loose skin that will never go away (it's just too stretched out) I had an eight pack hidden underneath. Just remember to load up on your calories as this takes alot out of you, I thought I was eating enough but I went down to 115 right before my 3rd baby and 3rd 50 lbs pregancy. Now I am trying to motivate to get back to my beloved Pilates class but I work full time and the kids take most of my energy when I get home. Sorry, it's not about me ;) I hope I was of some help.

frans: well first of all twelve percent body fat could be lowered. I am 5 6 and 150 lbs and my body fat is about six. So you being twenty five pounds lighter you can get it. Running and other cardio is good but be sure to mix it up. Do abs almost everyday, you need a break sometimes and use no weight resistance. Do high reps and squeeze the contraction into your stomach. Make sure you do lower ab excercises and uppers and obliques. V ups, leg raises, crunches, reverse crunches and crossover crunches are a good routine. Hold your leg raises out in front of your for a couple seconds during every rep. But most importantly you must not do jst abs and cardio. Your core is a reflection of overall body strength, balance, symetry and coordination. Everything you do invloves abs. Kickboxing is nice for your abs, as well as wrestling and plyometrics. Yoga is good for your abs. Walk around at all times with your stomach flexed. You need to do explosive power lifts to such as squats deadlifts cleans bent over rows military presses etc. Do every excercise standing up. And watch what you eat and drink (green tea is useful for burning fat). Eat first thing in the morning and work out after. Dont eat at night. The more active you are all day long the better. Eat little meals every so often and absolutely no soda cakes sweets and not too much bread. If u need a sweet eat candy. It boosts your metabolism momentarily. But it is bad for you. You must do activites that involve the whole body, not just be in the gym. It will be more fun that way too. Simply having a catch will improve your abs

Compound exercises like squats and deadlifts will give your abs a killer workout. The trick is to really concentrate on engaging your core on every lift. My core feels extremely worked over after every lifting session I do. Much more so than any amount of crunches I used to do. In all honesty, the only ab-centric exercise I do is bicycle crunches twice a week (3 sets of 25) to hit my obliques. Other than that, all my ab work comes from lifting.

However, developing the abs is only half of the equation. You want to be able to get the definition to let the six pack come through. The only way to lose abdominal fat to let the abs shine through so-to-speak, is by improving your overall nutrition and eating habits. You could have the strongest pair of abs in the world, but if your eating habits suck, you will never lose the fat in your mid section.

Protein, complex carbs from whole grains, fruits/vegetables, healthy fats, and a lot of water will do the trick. Make sure to eat 5-6 small meals per day. Take one day per week where you have a few cheat meals.

Yeah, I absolutely loathe ab exercises such as crunches in any of its variations but I certainly have some definition and can pretty much attribute that to weight lifting exercises. As vyperman suggested: squats, dead lifts and so on. Anything that forces you to naturally stabilize your core has worked for me. 100 sit ups on the floor are just insane as far as I'm concerned.  I'm reading New Rules of Lifting  and the entire section focused on the core utilizes workouts that involve the swiss ball. They make your muscles work harder because you have to stabilize yourself and the movement. So swiss ball crunches, reverse crunches, etc. Try doing a dumbbell press on a swiss ball and you'll feel the core muscles working pretty hard as well. 

Like I said, ab workouts basically make me cringe so I have found something I do like (weight lifting) to kind of make up for it.