How long does it take to pump up your abs?
The answer to this question depends on the physiological characteristics of a person and his willpower: one person will be able to pump up their abs from scratch in a month, while for another a year will not be enough. Important factors for achieving a flat stomach are your body type and the degree of neglect of your abdominal muscles. If you have a lot of excess weight, you first need to get rid of it, and then start pumping up your abdominal muscles. How long does it take to pump up your abs? Systematic training plays a big role in this, and you can achieve success both in the gym and by working out at home.
Main Factors of Muscle Growth
Many people are still convinced that it is enough to go to the gym for 3-4 weeks before going to the beach. That's all! A toned figure is guaranteed.
In fact, your desire to get pumped up is not enough. There are certain laws of biochemistry and physiology that limit the rate of muscle growth. Let's look at them.
The rate of muscle growth depends on many factors:
- Genetic predisposition
Most professional bodybuilders are phenomenally genetically gifted people for rapid muscle growth. Usually these are pronounced mesomorphs (athletic body type).
Their complete opposite is ectomorphs (thin body type). The rate of muscle growth (as well as their total quantity) in ectomorphs is genetically highly limited.
- Hormonal background of the body
The level of anabolic hormones in our body is one of the main factors in muscle growth. The higher the level of anabolic hormones, the faster you can pump up.
The good news is that anabolic hormone levels can be increased through strength training, nutrition, and supplementation.
The bad news is that hormonal levels may be suppressed. Excessive and prolonged physical activity, stress, unfavorable environment, poor-quality food and much more can negatively affect hormonal levels.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons why professional bodybuilders resort to artificial anabolic steroids. To have a 100% guarantee of a consistently high level of anabolic hormones in the body.
- Correct training method
Different body types have their own specific training methods.
It is very important that you exercise according to a plan that is most effective for your body type.
- Nutrition
A properly balanced diet can significantly speed up the process of muscle growth. Nutrition accounts for 50-70% of success in muscle growth rate.
- Complex restoration of the body
Most amateurs neglect various factors to speed up the recovery process. Full healthy sleep, massage, sauna, physiotherapy - all this can significantly speed up the pumping process.
But professional bodybuilders use all this. And they are growing by leaps and bounds.
Is it possible to pump up abs in a month?
This is not an easy task, but it is achievable. You can pump up your abs in a month if you regularly train the oblique, rectus, transverse, lower and upper abdominal muscles. At the same time, it is important to follow a strict diet and provide your body with cardio exercise at least 2-3 times a week (running, jumping rope, swimming, aerobics are suitable for this). Since it’s possible to pump up your abs without exercise equipment, equipment or weights (weights, dumbbells, expanders), classes can be done at home. Basic rules to achieve quick results:
- It’s better to pump your abs in the morning (on an empty stomach) – at this time fat will be burned faster;
- You can pump up your abdominal muscles only with regular training;
- to get rid of extra centimeters in the waist, it is important to combine exercise with a diet, running or another type of cardio;
- While doing the exercises, watch your own breathing: perform twisting as you exhale and take the starting position as you inhale;
- Before pumping up your abs, be sure to warm up by doing a short warm-up, which will promote a rush of blood to the muscles being trained and make the subsequent session more effective;
- You should periodically change the set of exercises to work your abdominal muscles as effectively as possible;
- Perform the exercises smoothly, without jerking, at a leisurely pace to avoid injury.
Only a thin person can easily pump up their abs in a month, since sculpted abs on a slender body will be noticeable after 3-4 weeks of regular training. In obese people, a layer of belly fat will make it difficult to visually distinguish the abdominal muscles, so it is extremely important to take care of weight loss along with training to strengthen them. This will be facilitated by a low-carbohydrate diet, water regime, and jogging in clean air.
Quick pumping of the press
In order to pump up your body as quickly as possible, you need to simultaneously train the rectus, oblique and abdominal muscles (both upper and lower). In addition, you need to do cardio training at least 2-3 times a week. It includes running, jumping, swimming, etc. In addition, you must adhere to a strict diet. You can perform all these tasks not only in the gym, but also at home. It’s difficult to say exactly how long it will take to pump up your abs to a six-pack; it all depends on your initial shape. But with training like this, it can take about a month or two.
How long does it really take to pump up your abs?
Before answering this question, you need to understand the structure of the abdominal press. It consists of a group of muscles, among which there are four main ones - external oblique, internal oblique, transverse, rectus. Before you start training, you should choose a set of exercises that involve each of the listed muscles. How long does it really take to pump up your abs? Since much depends on the level of training of a person and his physique, it is impossible to answer the question with certainty. Obese women/men need to lose weight first, and how long this will take is unknown.
The intensity of your training, as well as its frequency, will also have a big impact on your results. Anyone who exercises 3-4 times a week with a training duration of at least 20 minutes will be able to notice tangible results after 3-5 weeks. Since the female body is different from the male body and increases muscle volume more slowly, girls will have to pump their abs longer to achieve six-packs.
Up to the cubes
To make your stomach more prominent, you need to work out your abs regularly, but you won’t be able to achieve a noticeable result quickly. Beginners should not overdo it, immediately heavily loading the body, otherwise you can injure muscles that are not accustomed to such loads and cause general malaise for a couple of days. To pump up six-pack abs, it is more important to monitor not the number of repetitions, but the intensity of exercise and the pace of crunches.
How to quickly pump up your abs to six-pack size? The recommended training regimen is to perform 15 repetitions of crunches in 15 seconds, then take a break for 30 seconds and repeat the exercise. You can make your abdominal muscles strong and sculpted only if you perform different types of movements that will provide stress on all muscle groups. In how many days can you pump up your abs? A man without excess weight should perform 100 body lifts and the same number of leg lifts 2-3 times a week for a month to form cubes; a woman will have to work more often and longer.
To the girl
It is more difficult for women to achieve the formation of six-pack abdominal muscles than for men. This is due to the structural features of the female body: protein is absorbed more slowly, as a result of which the process of muscle growth also takes a longer time. How much should a girl pump her abs to achieve tangible results? Even in a month, if you follow certain rules, you can achieve six-pack belly fat. To do this you need:
- follow a daily routine: go to bed on time, eat at the same time and only healthy food, drink a lot of water, walk in the fresh air every day;
- exercise in the morning to speed up your metabolism;
- before performing exercises, be sure to stretch and warm up the muscle tissue;
- It is advisable to combine crunches with jogging (the latter first, then after a break of 5-8 minutes do abdominal exercises);
- It is worth changing the exercises every week, since the body quickly gets used to the loads and stops responding to them, slowing down progress.
To remove belly fat
Even if you follow the training program regularly, you may not make progress. To remove belly fat, it is important to follow a number of rules:
- Low carbohydrate diet . You can lose weight only if you minimize foods containing fat and fast carbohydrates (sweets, flour, carbonated drinks, alcohol, etc.) in the menu.
- Drinking regime . There will be no weight loss without water, since liquid is directly involved in the process of fat breakdown. It is recommended for an adult to drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day.
- Sleep and stress avoidance . The figure is highly dependent on the nervous system: the hormone cortisol, produced during stress, causes the body to store fat. To remove extra centimeters from your waist, you need to get enough sleep and try to remain calm in critical situations.
How Much Muscle Can You Gain... REALLY?
Year after year, thousands of smart people around the world never stop discussing how quickly and how many kilos you can actually gain. More than one study has been conducted on this topic.
Based on all this, over the course of your entire life you will be able to approximately gain the following amount of muscle mass (without resorting to medications):
- Average for men: about 18-22 kilograms of muscle over a lifetime;
- Average for women: about 9-12 kilograms of muscle over a lifetime.
Please note that in this case we are talking exclusively about muscles and not about weight. Of course, you can gain much more weight than muscle.
Also keep in mind that these are averages. There are always exceptions to any rule, who either cannot reach even the lower limit of the average, or easily exceed all the upper limits. This is influenced by a number of factors, so the indicators for each person will be different (we will talk about these factors a little later).
But for most people, most of the time... this is the maximum amount of muscle mass you can gain in your lifetime.
What exercises should you do
Among the wide variety of crunches and other exercises for developing the abdominal muscles, experts highlight several of the most effective. So, to pump up your abs, experienced trainers advise including the following six-pack exercises in your program:
- Vacuum . This method of strengthening the abdominal muscles is recognized as one of the most effective. At the same time, both external and internal abdominal muscles are worked out. Stand up straight. Slowly take a deep breath, stretching your lungs, then exhale, pulling your stomach in as much as possible. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then inhale and exhale again, pulling your stomach even more inward, trying to touch it to your spine. Repeat the exercise 10-20 times.
- Plank . How to do the exercise correctly? Press your hands and toes into the floor, remove the arch in your back, tensing your whole body. Stay in this position for 40-90 seconds, while trying to breathe evenly.
- Regular crunches . You need to lie on the floor, bend your knees, put your hands behind your head and begin to smoothly lift your body up without jerking. The body should twist and not rise straight.
- Leg raises . Place your hands and feet on the floor. Alternately, you should lift up one leg, then the other.
- Bike . You need to sit on the floor, place your hands behind your head, and stretch your legs forward (feet should not touch the floor). Bend your legs one at a time and move towards them with opposite elbows, twisting your body diagonally.
- Side crunches . Bend your knees, lie on the floor, with your arms extended forward. Twist your sides of your core to touch your hands to the opposite toes of your feet.
So, how long will it take to pump up your abs?
It all depends on regular training; those who work hard every day will be able to see the desired result in just 1 month. If you pump your abs 10-15 times a month, the maximum effect will occur only after 3 months. It’s difficult to answer the question of how long it takes to pump up your abs:
- It makes no sense for very overweight people to take it until they lose weight. This may take 1 year or more.
- Light overweight is removed faster with specially developed diets and physical activity. Therefore, the first results can be seen after 1.5-2 months.
- Slim people do better, they can pump up their abs in just 2 weeks, and by 3 weeks they should have their first six-pack. To do this, you need to pump your abs 2 times a day for 20 minutes.
The most important thing is the load. With systematic loads in the gym or at home, pumping up the abs at half strength and slowly, the result may turn out to be weak.
Abs in a month - reality or myth?
By performing these basic exercises you can achieve the desired result in just 1 month. So, your daily workout will only take 30 minutes, let’s start:
- Lying on the floor, you need to bend your legs at an angle of about 60 degrees, put your hands on the back of your head and raise your body so that you can touch your forehead to your knees. At the exit you need to fix the position for 3 seconds. We do 3 sets of 18 times.
- Take a lying position, bend your knees, and place your hands at your temples. Slowly rise, turning the body so that the left hand reaches the knees, and then the right. You need to do 15-20 exercises in each direction.
- You need to lie on the floor and stretch your arms along your body. Slowly and simultaneously raise your torso and legs until your forehead touches your knees. We freeze in this position for 2 seconds. We do 2-3 sets of 20 exercises.
It is worth remembering that each workout should be combined with 6 meals a day. Otherwise, the body will not have enough nutrients to build muscle tissue.
Your goal and features of abdominal training
Before you start training, you should familiarize yourself a little with anatomy. The press consists of a muscle group that is divided into four muscles:
- internal oblique;
- external oblique;
- transverse;
- straight.
Each muscle is responsible for its own system of movements, and they should be pumped up using various exercises. The rectus muscle should contain the cubes themselves; it is responsible for the work of the pelvis and back (lower back). The transverse muscle is located across the entire surface of the abdomen, with which you can achieve a flat effect. It needs to be pumped up using exercises in which you need to raise your legs high.
The external oblique muscle is pumped up using exercises such as various types of twisting, twisting and leg lifts. The internal oblique muscle can be pumped up using circular movements of the pelvis, bending and turning the body.
How long does it take to pump up a girl’s abs?
Everyone’s body constitution is different, so to create ideal abs, some will need only 2 weeks, while others will need as much as 2 months. If a girl is not overweight, eats right and leads a sports lifestyle, then the task can be solved quickly.
By using a standard system of exercises and exercising regularly, you can pump up beautiful abs to six-pack abs in just a month. Training should be carried out 6 times a week, preferably twice a day.
You don’t have to go to the gym, you can do the exercises at home, you need to pump up your abs for 20-25 minutes in the morning and evening. This way you can save time and money.
Pumping up your abs to get rid of your belly
People who suffer from extra pounds will not be helped by pumping up their abs. Belly fat will not be removed. However, exercise will help keep your muscles toned so that your stomach does not protrude. To do this you need to do the following exercises:
- Lying on the mat, hands behind your head, bend your knees and spread them slightly to the sides. Raise your torso and reach with your right elbow towards your left knee. And then vice versa, we press the left elbow to the right knee. We repeat the exercise 15 times in 3 approaches.
- We lie down on the floor, bend our legs at the knees and place them shoulder-width apart. Now, tensing our abdominal muscles with strength, we lift our body off the floor and stretch our arms forward as far as possible. We do 3 sets of 15 times.
- You need to lie down on the mat and put your hands behind your head. Slowly raise the pelvis, while the lower back should be in its original place, and return to its normal position. Now we change the course of the exercise: we leave the pelvis in place and raise the lower back, trying to strain the abdominal muscles as much as possible.
By performing the above exercises, you can remove an unwanted external flaw (your stomach will stop sticking out), tighten your abdominal muscles and pump up your abs.
How to eat
There are important principles for creating a menu for people who want to get their figure in order and pump up their abs. The most important of them is to reduce the consumption of fats and fast carbohydrates to a minimum. The layer of fat that forms due to such food will interfere with the training process, in addition, it prevents the formation of cubes, hiding them. Since the body still needs fats, they should be obtained from olive oil, seeds and sea fish. How to eat to pump up your abs:
- a third of your diet should consist of proteins (fish, meat, dairy products), the rest should be complex carbohydrates (cereals, vegetables);
- to pump up abs, it is better to eat little and often;
- During a sports diet, it is recommended to take a vitamin complex;
- It is important to drink water between workouts and during exercise;
- To remove extra centimeters on your stomach and achieve cubes, completely give up sugar and products containing it.
The Role of Nutrition in Building Muscle
It is common knowledge that 50% of muscle growth depends on proper nutrition.
With the help of nutrition, the body receives macroelements (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), vitamins and microelements. All these substances are very important for us. They, one way or another, accelerate muscle growth.
Even fats! And this is not a mistake. For example, fats are involved in the synthesis of anabolic hormones. Well, we have already talked about how important anabolic hormones are in rapid muscle building.
Basic nutritional recommendations for quickly building muscle are as follows:
- The protein intake rate is 2 grams per 1 kg of body weight. For example, you weigh 70 kg. Then your daily protein intake is 140 grams (70kg*2 grams = 140 grams)
- In protein foods, priority is given to animal products. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products.
- The carbohydrate intake rate is 1:3. That is, for 1 gram of protein there should be 3 grams of carbohydrates. For example, your daily protein intake is 140 grams. Then carbohydrates will account for 420 grams (140 grams of protein * 3 grams of carbohydrates = 420 grams)
- In carbohydrate consumption, priority is given to complex carbohydrates (cereals), vegetables and fruits.
- The total calorie content of the diet is 50 kcal per 1 kg of body weight. For a weight of 70 kg this will be 3500 kcal (70kg*50kcal=3500 kcal)
- Number of meals 4-6 per day
Taking nutritional supplements will also help you gain muscle mass quickly. The most effective in this direction are:
- Vitamin and mineral complexes
- Creatine monohydrate
- Protein
- Complex amino acids
- Selected amino acids (BCAA, L-glutamine and others)
- Gainers. Suitable only for people who have great difficulty gaining weight. The rest should be used very carefully so as not to gain “ballast” in the form of fat.
How many times a week should you pump your abs?
The abdominal muscles are no different from others on the human body. To pump up your abs, you need not only to regularly perform suitable exercises, but also to follow a diet. This is important because it is physiologically determined that excess fat deposits often accumulate in the abdominal area. How often do you need to pump your abs to see results? For a thin person, whose muscles are close to the surface of the skin, 2-3 full workouts per week will be enough, but for a fat person, 4-5 sessions may not be enough. If your goal is to lose weight, then at least 5 times a week you need to pump up your abs and run for 30 minutes.
Now about the numbers
In conclusion, let us summarize our reasoning. So, for the average person to achieve success in bodybuilding, he needs 2-3 years. Moreover, after a year of active training, you will be able to see a certain result. The main thing here is not to stop and continue your development. Bodybuilding should not be just a sport for you. This is a way of life. There are athletes who have been training for 15-20 years, but have not yet achieved maximum results.
If someone claims that you can pump up your body in a couple of months, don’t believe it. One year is a realistic period for people with good genetics, two to four years is necessary for everyone else.
In a day
The answer depends on the initial data of a particular person: how prepared his body is for training, whether there are any health problems, the percentage of excess weight. In addition, the number of repetitions depends on what goal the athlete is pursuing. So, if a man/woman wants to remove excess fat in the abdominal area, but does not have physical training, then you should start with 10-20 repetitions. The load is gradually increased, reaching 50-60 repetitions. How many times a day should a more prepared person do abs? The total number of twists must be at least 100.
What you need to pump up your abs as quickly as possible
First, decide what is the reason for your dissatisfaction with your own stomach: it is excessive muscle weakness, which provokes sagging tissue, or accumulated fat in the abdominal area. In the latter case, do not rush to start abdominal exercises. After all, even experienced trainers find it difficult to say
How long do you need to pump your abs to get rid of your belly fat? Before this, experts recommend going on a diet for a couple of weeks, eliminating foods high in carbohydrates from your diet. When excess fat deposits have passed, you can safely begin training, gradually increasing their intensity.
Regularity in training is very important. When asked how many times a week to pump up the press, experts unanimously answer: for beginners - three, for experienced athletes - at least five. Well, the question of how many times a day you need to pump up your abs often brings a smile to the faces of trainers
After all, the number of repetitions does not matter, their intensity is important. In order for your abs to be clearly visible within a month, you need to perform at least 10 lifts in 30 seconds.
Moreover, the pace needs to be increased every week. Remember to perform several approaches at a time, taking a short break of 30-40 seconds between them. If the desired result is not achieved after a month of high-quality (!!!) training, use a variety of sports equipment during training, such as a gymnastic roller, dumbbells or an expander.
How many approaches to do the press?
Each exercise should be performed in at least 2-3 approaches, and the number of repetitions is selected by the trainee based on his capabilities. A beginner needs to do as many repetitions as his strength allows, but it is not advisable to overload the body (if you experience discomfort in the abdominal area, the workout should be completed). Only experienced athletes can do about 4-5 approaches to the press, and the number of repetitions can vary: increase or, conversely, decrease with each approach.
How often to pump your abs
With maximum effort, you can get “iron abs” in 4 weeks. The speed of obtaining results will depend on intensive training. You need to pump your abs often. The more often and longer the classes last, the faster the goal you have set for yourself will be achieved. During the first 2 weeks, the abdominal muscles will tighten, and after 3 weeks you will be able to boast of ideal relief.
Training frequency by week:
- 1 week – 10 minutes twice a day;
- Week 2 – 20 minutes twice a day;
- Week 3 – 30 minutes twice a day;
- Week 4 – 40 minutes twice a day.
Anyone who has the desire, motivation and strength can pump up their abdominal muscles. The main thing is to choose the right exercises!
See an effective set of exercises for the abdominal muscles:
How long does it take for a girl to get pumped up at home? How to pump up a girl
Girls, just like men, want to look slim, fit and even a little muscular. Now you will learn how to pump up a girl, and if the representatives of the stronger sex direct the main emphasis on pumping up the muscles of the arms and chest, then girls are more inclined to pump up their legs, buttocks and abs. Although it wouldn’t hurt to pump up your arms and chest a little at the same time.
A gym instructor will help a girl get pumped up in a month. He will also tell you that women do not have to carry a barbell. If you want to pump up your arms, then take dumbbells. At the same time, they should weigh no more than 12 kg, since heaviness negatively affects the female productive organs.
If you still feel drawn to the barbell, just take the bar from it - it’s also not heavy. It would be enough. To train the triceps, a common “female” exercise is the bench press. Take the bar with a narrow grip and go ahead.
There are also special exercise machines in the gym for pumping up your legs and buttocks. This includes lifting weights with legs, leg presses and many other interesting things. But the best option for girls would still be an exercise bike and a treadmill.
Choose what you like best. The main thing is not to overdo it with the number of approaches, which often happens with women. Therefore, an experienced instructor is simply necessary for the fairer sex.
How to pump up a girl at home
Girls can pump up at home. Training should include:
- Abs pumping. As an option, raise your legs up from their lying position.
- Jumping to higher ground. Very useful for the muscles of the buttocks and thighs.
- Squats.
- Lunges forward.
- Sumo squat.
- Exercise with dumbbells.
We do everything in 3 approaches, 10-12 times. We conduct classes three times a week. Between approaches - a mandatory rest of 2-3 minutes.
How long does it take for a girl to get pumped up?
How to pump up a girl quickly is the most important question for the fairer sex. Nobody will give you an exact answer. If the classes are constant, then within six months you will be in good shape. If you are genetically inclined, then even faster.
The main thing is to remember to drink a lot of water and eat right. Under no circumstances should you cut down on your daily diet when training. After all, very often girls, while “burning fat,” mistakenly think that they need to eat less and exercise more. It is not right. You don't need to eat less, you need to eat right.
Forget about cakes and pastries, pizza and pasta. Instead, lean on meat and fish, cottage cheese and vegetables. And then the result will not take long to arrive.
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.
Main conclusions
How long it takes to see those treasured abs depends on the individual, and not just on his perseverance in achieving his goals. On average, the path to a sculpted belly takes:
- 3-4 months for a person who does not have belly fat;
- 6-8 months for girls with a slender build;
- more than six months for people who tend to be overweight and have subcutaneous fat around the waist.
In any case, everyone will have to work hard. And this is 3-4 times a week for 40 minutes. In the first 2 weeks, the body will get used to the stress. You should also follow a diet that contains enough protein and no simple carbohydrates. And also maintain a daily routine.