How long does it take to get abs? It depends on where your body fat is at presently. Having visible abs is indicative of low body fat, it is not indicative of how many sit-ups or crunches you can do. Many people think if you see abs on someone it’s because they do a lot of abdominal exercises and that’s just not true.
How long does it take to get abs? iStock-photo credit: jacoblund
They have lower bodyfat levels than 99% of society. Women carry more fat than men because of the hormone estrogen. So, for them to have abs their bodyfat would be a little higher than a man.
According to the Journal of Obesity women on an average have about 40% bodyfat and men have about 28%. What’s considered safe body fat loss is 1% of body fat per month. For a woman to see her abs her bodyfat would have to be at least 16%.
And if you do basic math and at a 1% bodyfat loss per month that would be about 24 months which is 2 years. And this is if we are extremely conservative on how much body fat you will lose per month.
For a man to see his abs if we are using the average bodyfat as your starting point it would take about roughly 14 to 15 months.
To lose body fat or weight to see your abs you need to be in a caloric deficit. You would first make dietary adjustments in how many calories you are consuming. To lose one pound per week you need to be in a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories. To lose two pounds per week you need to be in a daily caloric deficit of 1000 calories.
Cardio plus resistance training is the secret sauce in losing body fat on top of your diet. Cardiovascular workouts allow you to burn calories at the workout. Some good cardio workouts you can do are running, walking, jogging, swimming, gardening, dancing, etc. Weight-training workouts allow you to burn more calories after the workout.
Some good weight-training workouts you can do are resistance band exercises, dumbbell free weights, weight-lifting machines, bodyweight workouts, etc.
There was a study that showed that overweight teenagers who lifted weights and did cardio for 30 minutes a day at 3 days a week. They lost more body fat than the group who just did aerobic exercise only.
The Bottom Line is if you’re a woman and your bodyfat is in the average starting range of 40%, it would take conservatively about 2 years to see your abs. If you are a man and your bodyfat is in the average starting range of 28%, it would take conservatively about 14 months.
If you have any interest in trying any of our Ethical Supplement products to help you heighten your immune system or assist you with your fitness, weight loss or health goals. You can get a discount below at this link.
https://ethicalinc.com/product/appetite-suppressant/
About Author- Obi Obadike
https://ethicalinc.com/about-us/
https://about.sharecare.com/press-releases/sharecare-names-top-10-fittest-cities-america/
References
1) Boutcher SH. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes. 2011;2011:868305. doi: 10.1155/2011/868305. Epub 2010 Nov 24. PMID: 21113312; PMCID: PMC2991639.
2) St-Onge MP. Are normal-weight Americans over-fat? Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Nov;18(11):2067-8. doi: 10.1038/oby.2010.103. PMID: 20978478; PMCID: PMC3837418.
3) American Council On Exercise- https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/
4) Pietiläinen KH, Kaprio J, Borg P, Plasqui G, Yki-Järvinen H, Kujala UM, Rose RJ, Westerterp KR, Rissanen A. Physical inactivity and obesity: a vicious circle. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Feb;16(2):409-14. doi: 10.1038/oby.2007.72. PMID: 18239652; PMCID: PMC2249563.
