Two of the biggest questions asked by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts are “what is the fastest way to get a six pack?” and “when will I finally have abs that show?”. There is no one size fits all exercise or routine that will provide ideal results across the entire population. A variety of both direct and indirect ab exercises, that strengthen all of the core areas and muscle groups, should be used and some exercises may work better than others. What about the time frame before you develop visible abs, how long will it take before you reach this goal? The answer depends on many factors and there are some calculations that you can use to arrive at the right answer for you.

Direct Exercises

Many fitness enthusiasts believe that direct abdominal exercises are the best way to get a six pack but this is not always the case. Direct exercises will help you target and isolate single muscle groups and they are typically harder to perform. Walking planks and sit up, stand up exercises are just a couple of direct ab exercises that  can help develop strong muscles in the abdomen and core.  Because these focus solely on the targeted groups they do have limitations though, and indirect exercises may provide broader benefits and faster six pack results.

Including both direct and indirect exercises for the abdominal muscles can speed up the results seen and help create a six pack faster. Some of the most common direct exercises used by weightlifters and physical fitness enthusiasts include:

• Mountain climbers
• Walking planks
• Decline bench knee raise
• Standing cable crunch
• Sit up, stand up
• Barbell rollouts
• Side planks
• Weighted Roman chair sit ups
• Hanging V style leg raises

Indirect Exercises

For a six pack that is highly visible and abs that are really ripped indirect exercises can be the way to go for professional lifters and fitness enthusiasts who are serious about this area. In fact some of the best six packs and abs around the globe can be found on weight trainers and bodybuilders. Indirect exercises target a number of different muscle groups in this area so they give faster results and better definition. These are also referred o as compound lifts and they help to improve the strength and the stability of the core.

Indirect exercises are important for developing an awesome six pack but that doesn’t mean that direct exercises should be eliminated completely. A combination of both types will ensure a well rounded workout regimen that ends up targeting and developing all six pack muscle groups. Some of the best indirect exercises for a faster six pack that can be seen include:

• Deadlifts
• Tricep push downs
• Kettlebell wind mills
• Overhead squats
• Straight arm lat push downs
• Overhead presses
• Squats

How Long Will A Six Pack Take?

How long before a six pack starts showing? The answer to this question depends on the individual. Bodybuilders and gung ho fitness enthusiasts may get faster results than those who only include one or two workouts in the weekly schedule. In order to find out how long it will take for six pack abs there are some calculations that can be used. How much body fat percentage do you have and how developed are these muscles right now? If the abs are moderately developed then they will show the six pack at a higher body fat percentage. Weak and underdeveloped abs may not show through even a small layer of body fat.

In order to get a visible six pack fat loss is needed and this should not be viewed as weight loss alone. When weight is lost this could be water or muscle tissue as well as fat, but when the actual fat loss percentage is calculated a more accurate evaluation can be performed. The percentage lost may be 1%-2% or it could be a fractional percentage instead, and the six pack abs will not be visible until a target body fat percentage has been reached. For men this is typically between 7%-8% of body fat and for women the percentages usually allow visible six pack abs at between 11%-12%.

The Equation

In order to determine how long it will take to get six pack abs there is a simple equation that can be used. This is:

Starting body fat percentage-7 for men, 12 for women / the body fat amount to be lost each week=the number of weeks before a visible six pack can be seen.

For example:

A woman who starts out at 24% body fat and who can safely lose 0.6% each week would use the following equation: 24-12/0.6= 20 weeks before a six pack will start to be visible

A man who starts out with 16% body fat and who can safely lose 0.7% each week would see results in 13 weeks. And the equation would be 16-7/0.7= 12.857.

Source

http://www.sixpackfactory.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-get-6-pack-abs-formula-inside/

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/freaky-abs-monster-guide-shredded-six-pack.html