This is the most frequently asked question among those who have decided that they need to pump up their abs, just get their stomach in order, or make their figure beautiful.
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this, since people are all different. We all have different body types, different percentages of body fat, weight, height and metabolism that must be taken into account.
Let's look at each factor separately to answer the question.
Everyone has abs, but how long does it take for them to appear?
Every person has abdominal muscles on his stomach.
It is simply a group of muscles in the abdominal area that are needed to keep a person upright and to bend and turn the torso in different directions.
Speaking specifically about six pack abs, they refer to the largest muscle in the abdominal area: the rectus muscle.
It occupies the area from the lower ribs to the crests of the iliac bones and alternates in a checkerboard pattern with a unique group of tendons, which give the muscles their relief in the form of cubes.
There are even smaller muscles that are also associated with a sculpted, pumped up belly, these are the oblique and transverse muscles.
Why do you need to know this? It is important to understand that you have all these muscles, but they are hidden under a layer of fat.
Losing belly fat is something that people often forget about. It doesn't matter how well you exercise or how powerful your muscles are if your belly is covered in a layer of fat.
This fat is deposited between the skin and muscles, protecting them but also hiding them.
There is a method that will help you determine approximately how long it will take to pump up your abs. First you need to know your body fat percentage. It can be calculated here.
In order for abs to appear on the belly, the fat percentage should be 7-8% in men and 16-18% in women. If your current body fat level is, for example, 18%, you will need to lose 10% if you are a man. Let's say you burn 0.5% fat per week through cardio training, basic abdominal exercises and proper nutrition. In this case, it will take you about 20 weeks to pump up your abs.
This is just advice and not a scientifically proven method. It is necessary to take into account other factors that will either accelerate or delay the result.
A few final words
The abs are, of course, the muscle group that gives the body an aesthetic appearance and has long been an indicator of good physical fitness for many. But I repeat once again, the picture will be much more complete if, in addition to the abs, other muscle groups are well developed!
The main thing is to remember to watch your diet - eat high-quality and healthy food to keep the level of subcutaneous fat low and then you will be number one on the beach, if of course you need it.
That's all. Subscribe to the blog, read interesting articles and share with friends! See you soon, comrades!
Genetics and body type
Each person loses weight or burns fat differently.
Depending on genetics, a person’s body parameters can be classified into one of three body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.
Ectomorphs are naturally slender and have problems gaining weight, while endomorphs gain weight more easily and quickly and are prone to obesity. Mesomorphs are in between the first two types, they have an athletic build and can manage their weight without much effort.
Few of us have a specific body type. You are most likely a mixture of all three types, with a tendency towards one particular type.
Our genetics influences more than just our body composition.
It also affects how and where fat is stored in the body. So before your body decides to burn belly fat, you can lose weight in your arms and legs.
This means that the coveted 6 pack appears only after you have spent fat in other places on your body.
The news, of course, is not pleasant, but not everything is as hopeless as you think. Believe me.
Abs training program for girls
To pump up a girl’s abs quickly and efficiently, you should take the following training as a basis:
- warm-up - from 3 to 4 minutes;
- crunches - 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
- leg raises in a lying position - 4 sets of 10-12 times;
- rotation of the kettlebell in a standing position - 3 sets of 15 times on each side;
- aerobic movements (sit-ups and cycling) - 3-4 minutes with breaks of 10 to 15 seconds.
This complex should become the basis for creating beautiful abs.
Lifestyle and genes
Now that we know that genes influence body composition and the amount of fat deposits on it, let's talk about something specific. Namely, about one specific gene that was discovered relatively recently in 2007, the fat gene.
This gene determines the number of fat cells in the body and where they will be distributed. By the end of puberty, this gene will almost complete its work, and your body will have as much fat as was programmed by nature.
So it should work normally.
Recent research has shown that lifestyle and environment have a direct impact on genes in general . In the case of the fat gene, diet and lifestyle can either increase or decrease the number of fat cells in the body.
An unhealthy diet and an inactive lifestyle can turn your body into a big bag of fat, with more fat than nature originally intended.
Knowing this, you can try to adjust your lifestyle and diet so that the fat gene works correctly.
In my opinion, the right diet is the key to getting six-pack abs at home. It doesn't matter how well you exercise if you eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods day after day.
Again, each of us needs a different meal plan to lose fat and lose weight. It will depend on your body type and body fat percentage. There are a great many diets to choose from, but I personally follow 5 rules that helped me lose weight and get rid of belly fat.
- I eat a lot of protein foods.
- My last meal is 3 hours before bed.
- I do not eat foods containing large amounts of unhealthy carbohydrates, namely bread, buns, crackers and other fast food.
- I eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and other foods that are healthy and have been proven to reduce body fat, including belly fat.
- I drink a lot of water.
How to remove fat from problem areas of the abdomen?
This big secret is that you need to gradually lose weight and build muscle mass.
It all comes down to a proper and balanced diet, and not to the use of miracle supplements.
Let's determine what problem areas there may be:
If you are a guy, then this is a protruding lower abdomen and drooping sides. If you are a girl, then these are definitely the hips and sides, where fat is deposited first.
In other words, you can try to find these problem areas on your body yourself.
And to get rid of them, you need to wisely combine physical activity and diet.
The right amount of exercise
Sometimes people, having decided to change their body and really pump up their abs, rush from one extreme to another. They spend hours on the treadmill or in the gym, sweating profusely.
This approach doesn't work.
First, the body will quickly adapt to long-term cardio training, which will become even longer over time. Here you can safely ask the question: in how many months can you pump up your abs, because you will have to wait a very long time for the result.
Excessively intense and/or long-term workouts increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
In small doses, cortisol promotes fat burning. But when its levels are too high for a long time, the exact opposite happens. The body begins not only to accumulate fat, but also to break down muscle.
Losing muscle mass can affect the body in a number of ways, weakening the body and increasing the risk of injury. Moreover, increased cortisol slows down metabolism.
Even while the muscles are burning calories.
And if you exercise correctly, your metabolism will occur faster, even after training and several days later.
Short, intense workouts that focus on strength put the body into a state called the afterburn effect (EROC). During and after exercise, muscles need oxygen to create fuel and to recover from exertion.
Interestingly, every liter of oxygen the body uses consumes 5 calories. This means that after a workout, muscles burn more calories than usual just because they are trying to recover.
This will only happen if the training plan is built correctly.
High intensity interval training has the greatest impact on EPOC.
You can do walking, running, aerobics, etc. It is better to train 3-4 times a week so that the muscles have time to rest and recover.
Hours of training in the gym will not bring the desired results for the abdominal muscles.
Dietary changes
- Avoid refined and processed foods such as frozen processed foods, sausages and sausages.
- Replace refined carbohydrates with whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal.
- Limit your grain intake to ½ servings.
- Eat six small meals a day instead of 3 large meals.
- Eat lean protein, chicken, fish or eggs should be the basis of every meal.
- Fill ½ of your plate with vegetables.
- If you need a snack, eat a handful of raw nuts, avocados, olives or green peas.
- Drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
- Eliminate beer, wine and alcoholic beverages from your diet.
- Do not wash down your food with water. Drink water 20 minutes before meals or only 60 minutes after your last meal.
- Eliminate all foods containing sugar. Replace the usual sweets from the supermarket with fresh fruit, but in limited quantities.
Gradual increase in load
In addition, after one approach you should feel a slight burning sensation in the area of the muscles that the exercise is aimed at. Only in such a situation can you achieve good results. How many times a week should girls work out their abs? It is necessary to increase the number of repetitions gradually. Otherwise, you won't be able to achieve a highly effective workout. Speaking about the time of the training process, it should be noted that it should not differ from other types of training. You need to choose a set of exercises that will last up to 15 minutes at the very beginning. Gradually, the training time will need to be increased to one hour. Don't forget about warming up. Before starting the exercise, you should run in place, rotate your body, and bend to the sides. Due to this, it will be possible to warm up the abdominal muscles.
Rules for fast leveling
For results to be as fast as possible
and very effective, you will have to adhere to some rules:
If initially the body does not have excess fat, then abs will be visible after a month of exercise. If you are overweight, then as you pump up the cubes you need to take care of burning fat. Excess weight will make it difficult to visually distinguish abdominal muscles from fat. And to lose weight, you need to adhere to:
- water regime - drink the required amount of water per day;
- low carbohydrate diet;
- systematic jogging in the fresh air.
The most common myths
We have figured out the question of how many times a week you need to pump your abs to lose weight. Before you begin, there are some myths you should know about.
- If you lift your torso while lying on the floor, you can get a thin waist. In reality, due to this exercise, the number of folds on the entire body decreases, and not just on a separate area. So you will lose weight in general, and not just in those places where there is a lot of fat.
- Those who play sports games do not need to pump up their abs. This is also incorrect. An important principle of sports training is to have a specific goal - a flat stomach. Knowledge of how to pump up the press correctly will help with this. In turn, most sports do not focus specifically on the abdomen.
- Muscle will immediately turn into fat if you stop doing the training program. Muscle fibers are unable to turn into fat. They can only decrease in volume. After this, the body will burn fewer calories, muscle mass will gradually decrease, and the person will begin to gain weight.
