Trying to define my abs (with pictures)

[MikeYikes122]

I'm an ex-runner from college and high school. It's been about three or four years since I've ran professionally, and I've started to show it physically. This summer when I was looking at old race pictures I really noticed that my body had really changed a lot.

I used to have cut abs and was really tone, but I gained about 15-17 pounds after I stopped running and really lost a lot of definition, specifically in my stomach area. Because I missed the way I used to look and feel, I started running 3-4 times a week in late July and have kept up with it pretty well.

I've lost five pounds of those 15 pounds - I'm down to 148 from 153, but I still don't notice much of a difference. I look a little bit more tone, but I can't really notice a huge change.

Here are some pictures of me that I took just a second ago:
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/keystonelight122/images/detail/#219/sosuave2ne8.jpg
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/keystonelight122/images/detail/#219/sosuave1td3.jpg

I realize I have some definition, but I want to be a lot more tone. Is the answer to keep losing weight or should I just start doing ab exercises like mad? As it stands now, I've been doing abs about once a week. I'd do them more, but it's been my experience that losing weight and cutting down body fat is the best way to get good abs.

I also should note that not all of my weight gain is fat. I started lifting weights after running ended (my teams never lifted a single weight). My bench press went up about 20-30 pounds. A portion of my weight gain is probably muscle in my chest area.

Any ideas as to what I should do?

EDIT: I just realized I didn't do a good job of telling you guys what I want to look like. I want to get one of those thin-ripped bodies, where I don't necessarily have big arms or chest muscles, but I'm cut and muscular looking.

Maybe kind of like a swimmer's or a runner's body.

Something similar to Justin Timberlake - sorry that is the best celebrity comparison I could find. I don't really like surfing google for pictures of topless guys:

http://barefoot.provocateuse.com/images/photos/justin_timberlake_01.jpg

 

[Warboss Alex]

at 148 you have no abs to define. put on some muscle first!

 

[Riegs]

Use a razor.

 

[Throttle]

given your imageshack username, i'd say the first step would be cutting out the keystone light.....

it doesn't really show in the pic you linked, but j.t. has significantly more mass than you, esp. around the shoulders & chest. that's probably the only time you'll ever see "significant" "mass" and "j.t." in the same sentence...

a couple months in the gym doing something like this:

http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=125444

would net you more than any number of ab-exercises. btw, there's a world of difference between a (distance) runner's body and the average swimmer's body.

 

[MikeYikes122]

a couple months in the gym doing something like this:

http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=125444

I would love to do that, but I have bad knees from running on hard surfaces too much in high school/college and literally can't do some of those exercises without inflicting a lot of pain on myself. Believe me, I have tried to squat before, and it is something I physically cannot do. Would it be acceptable to just skip the Monday exercise there or just do the exercises that don't put stress on my knees?

If that still will work out for me, I'll do it, and I will get committed and post a journal here.

The working out and going to the gym isn't the hard part for me. I actually kind of like to go - I can't really explain why. I have issues with maintaining proper diet because of my job. A lot of times I'm in a position where if I don't eat what is given to me, I starve.

So if you guys say I can still do this while taking it easy on my legs, say the word and I will get going with this routine and try my hardest to eat right. I bought Whey protein the other day and I have a blender and plenty of eggs to use to make shakes.

 

[Throttle]

if you really can't squat, you can still benefit from lifting.

i'm curious if you are able to squat down with just your bodyweight. a lot of guys get macho and try to overdo it on the squats. the only way your knees will ever stop hurting is if you build them back up. i'm no rehab expert, but with the help of someone who DOES know what they're doing, you should be able to modify a squat so that it doesn't cause pain...

have you ever tried deadlifting? gives many of the same benefits w/ potential less (or at least, different) stress on the knees. anyway, you could get a lot out of just adding muscle anywhere...

 

[MikeYikes122]

if you really can't squat, you can still benefit from lifting.

i'm curious if you are able to squat down with just your bodyweight. a lot of guys get macho and try to overdo it on the squats. the only way your knees will ever stop hurting is if you build them back up. i'm no rehab expert, but with the help of someone who DOES know what they're doing, you should be able to modify a squat so that it doesn't cause pain...

have you ever tried deadlifting? gives many of the same benefits w/ potential less (or at least, different) stress on the knees. anyway, you could get a lot out of just adding muscle anywhere...

I was thinking about this last night. I think I am just going to ease into it and see how it feels.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

funny...this isn't directed towards you Mike but given how many times i've heard guys say that..."Oh, i HAVE really Bad knees i can't squat" and then i go watch them dumbell/bench press and dumbbell curl themself to death. And i see guys who come on this board and says "I can't diet that way" or "I can't lift like that" without a decent reason shouldn't waste anyone's time on here. Enough with the "I can'ts" and go F#cking do it if this is what you want.

There are some guys who come on here and do there best to help...and then they have to try to convince these clueless noobs who have no idea what they are doing, get on the right path. I praise you hardworking individuals, i simply wouldn't have the patience lol

 

[JohnnyIrish]

I was going to physical therapy for my left knee to build up the muscle for about month (it had atrophied while waiting for a injury to heal) and now I work it myself at the gym getting it stronger (I'm at about 65-70% out of a 100 I'd say)

I don't know what damage if any your knees have.. and I am not a trained medical professional but in my experience with my physical therapy and continual knee exercise is it feels like your hurting it in the beginning.. However doing the exercises correctly with correct form (to minimize the strain/pressure on the knee), as I strengthen my leg muscles it holds the knee in place better with less pain, slipping and popping.. So the stronger I make the leg, the less pain I feel.

Maybe your experience will be similar.