How Long does it Take to Get a Six Pack

People who are into weight training and exercising, to get that toned, ripped physique, often wonder about the time taken to get a six pack. Well, to be honest there cannot be a simple, single answer to this query, considering that our bodies are different, the diet we take is not the same too and most of us rely on different kinds of exercise programs. One thing though is sure, you have to literally slog yourself for hours and keep a control on what and when you eat, to get six pack abs.

Genetics
Genetics have a big role to play. Compared to women, it is easier for men to get a six pack for the simple reason that men naturally have more muscles in their body and women have a higher fat percentage. There may be some exceptions to this, but those are rare.

Body Type
Basically, body types are divided into three i.e. ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs. Ectomorphs are those who have small bones and are generally skinny. Endomorphs are those who are big boned and have high fat percentage. Mesomorphs are those who have a muscular body and at the same time very low fat percentage in the body. People who belong to the last category will take lesser time and find it easier to get a six pack abs.

Diet
The more willing a person is to make changes in his diet, the lesser time he or she will take to get toned abs. The timings of meal are as important as the abs diet. Ideally five to six small meals should be taken in a day rather than three large meals. Whenever we eat, our body has to burn calories to digest the food so if we eat frequently, it will lead to more calorie loss.

It is important to include any of the high protein foods such as lean meats, egg white, mushrooms, turkey, chicken, lentils, bacon, broccoli, yogurt, cornmeal, ham, what, beans, banana, peach, fish and salmon, in every meal as proteins help in speeding up the metabolic processes of the body, thus aiding in weight loss and keeping the body energized simultaneously.

Junk foods, fatty foods, processed foods and fried foods should be avoided. To get ripped fast, a person should include low calorie and high nutrition foods such as fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy foods, nuts, seeds, beans, lean meat and fish in the diet.

Exercise
The kind of effort one puts in his workout, is another factor that will determine how fast toned abs will show up. Ideally, the workout routine should be a mix of certain cardiovascular exercises, to lose fats from all over the body as well as abdominal exercises to tone up the muscles on the abdomen.

The cardiovascular exercises should be carried out thrice a week and can be anything right from jogging, swimming, aerobics to dancing, cycling or playing a sport. Six pack exercises should include all kinds of abdominal crunches such as regular crunches, reverse crunches, bicycle crunches, cross crunches, exercise ball crunches and oblique crunches. Some other effective exercises that should be included in the workouts are abdominal sit-ups, leg raises, side twists and side bends.

Besides the ones mentioned above, a person needs to be consistent and keep his motivation levels high. All of us, even the most sedentary of us, have six pack abs, it's just that they are hidden beneath layers of fats. So if someone really puts his mind to it, makes these dietary and lifestyle changes and exercises regularly, within a month the fat from the body will start melting away, revealing those well cut, ripped abs in due course.