8 Pack Abs (Upper Two)

[felguard]

After watching the movie 300, I've been given the hunger to achieve the upper two. I tried googling how to get an 8 pack but all I see are 6 packs. So my question is, do you have any idea on any workouts that primarily works on the top 2 to gain those 8 packs? Thanks.

[Admin]

It is really a mater of body fat % more than adding more muscles.

[felguard]

I see. So cardio workouts are the ones that'll help me lose my lower body fat. Is there any specific workouts that target the upper abs?

[Admin]

There is really no such thing as spot reduction you need to lose fat over your whole body to lose it over your abs. What you eat is critical, but sounds like you are in pretty good shape why not focus on performance rather than 8pk vs 6pk.

[felguard]

Oh I see. Right now, I'm being carb conscious. I try not to eat rice, bread, noodles, etc. I'll try to do all types of ab work outs and hope that the upper two just comes along with it. :D Thanks.

[Tupperwhere]

brown rice and wheat bread are not bad for you!

[Admin]

I would recommend replacing whole wheat bread and brown rice with fresh fruit and vegetables if you are trying to drop weight.

[Rhino]

hehe. I got the opposite problem. My upper two are more defined and can't see my lower two. :P

I do a lot of crunches and sit ups, those work my top six well.. even though my bottom ones are hiding :(

Also another good exercise, I don't know what it's called, but I do this:

Feet shoulder width apart
Take dumbell in right hand and lean all the way to the left
come back to center.

switch hands and then lean other way. This works mostly lower back, obs... but helps the abs a bit.

[fitnatic]

I've read in quite a few magazines and also have attended a few lectures in regard to being a personal trainer and so on. I am trying to learn more as I go. But anyway, there is not an upper ab or lower ab, it is one muscle-the rectus abdominus. There are exercises that you can do to work the abs without doing crunches and so on, work circuit training, power your legs like in a jump up in the air contracting the abs at the same time-several reps, remember to always contract your abs in any exercise you do. Interval training is also great. I go to a Cardio Kickboxing twice a week and as long as you keep your abs contracted in all your moves you're working the core. It's all in the core. Now Im learning so people have different opinions, it's just working for me. I don't have 6 pack abs but my definition of my whole stomach area don't look half bad.

[Admin]

Welcome fitnatic!

[JoeBerne]

As a former bodybuilding fan I remember seeing guys who were absolutely shredded (extremely low bodyfat) with varying #'s of boxes in their "pack." Think of Boyer Coe - no matter how ripped he got he never had more than like 2 abs. The boxes you're talking about are formed by tendons that wrap across the abdominal muscles. The # and location of those tendons are genetically determined, not training related.
So when you see people with an 8-pack and others with a 6- pack it just means the former group has a differently placed tendon that appears to separate the muscle into more units (it's just a surface condition anyway - the muscle isn't actually split apart). If you have a nicely defined 6-pack another 2 boxes may come in at the bottom if you have some soft tissue to lose down there but it may just be all you're ever going to get.
I happen to like the look of a 6-pack more anyway, but that's aesthetics and just my opinion.