How quickly can you pump up your abs?
As for the timing, on average, it takes at least a month of regular exercise . It is better to exercise every day, spending half an hour on exercises. Assurances that there are miracle programs that can help you achieve perfect abs at home in a week are simply a myth.
The task becomes more complicated if the girl is overweight. A layer of fat on the abdomen more than 1 cm thick will hide the cubes even during the most intense exercise. In this case, strength training is necessarily accompanied by weight loss exercises (running, walking ), healthy eating and drying the body .
Cutting diet for six-pack abs
The benefits of diet combined with abdominal pumping
Many people are interested in how to quickly pump up a six-pack girl at home, because they do not want to cooperate with gyms. In fact, exercising on exercise machines is beneficial. If possible, you should visit such establishments. You can develop an individual program and focus on problem areas of the body. Home exercises combined with exercise equipment will give the fastest results. Any trainer will confirm that training will be ineffective without proper nutrition.
Despite all the training efforts made, you will not be able to see abs without the right diet. We are not talking about a starvation diet, but about a varied menu without unnecessary harmful substances. The main task is to burn excess fat throughout the body. It's no secret that to achieve such a result, you need a mandatory daily reasonable calorie deficit. It turns out that a person’s energy expenditure must exceed his energy consumption. Each of us requires a certain energy reserve, which is replenished from food. By creating the right calorie deficit, the body will draw resources by burning subcutaneous fat. For the sake of a beautiful body, you will have to learn to count calories in accordance with your goals, the type of training you practice and your lifestyle.
Components of abs diet
Along with food, it is necessary to receive the entire spectrum of vitamins, valuable minerals, vital fiber, the optimal amount of water, as well as the well-known set of nutritional supplements. If you practice an unbalanced diet, then health problems are inevitable. A person is bothered by the feeling of hunger; he cannot build a beautiful body through training. The diet must certainly include vegetable dishes, various fruits (fruits with a high GI must be kept in moderation), all known types of cereals, and most importantly proteins. Most experts call for split meals; you can eat about 5 times a day, in small portions. Also, the correct time should be allocated for each type of food. It is advisable to consume any carbohydrates before lunch. Meals in the second half of the day should be filled primarily with proteins. If you indulge in foods rich in carbohydrates in the afternoon, you will definitely not be able to use up the calories you have received. They will be stored in fats. You should definitely exclude from your diet all foods and dishes that are not beneficial.
It is quite possible to create beautiful abs and remove extra pounds in a few months. It all depends on the person's motivation. You need to spend at least a quarter of an hour a day pumping your abs.
How to properly pump up abs for girls
Now let's talk about the basic rules of the exercises. Even if you plan to exercise exclusively at home, you will not need special sports equipment. It’s entirely possible to do it on your own. It is best to do the press while lying on the floor, as we need a rigid base. Be sure to use a special mat for yoga or fitness classes.
Start each session with a warm-up. It doesn’t matter in what form - muscle stretching , gymnastics, dancing. Well-warmed abdominal muscles are the key to more effectively performed basic exercises. You need to start exercising 2 hours after eating and no later than 2 hours before going to bed.
Abdominal muscle anatomy
When it comes to the abs, it will be useful to know that the abdominal muscles are not limited to 6-8 packs and, moreover, there are no upper and lower abs. Cubes are only the visible part of the abdominal muscles, under which lie deeper layers. The abs, like the lumbar muscles, belong to the core muscles. This is a whole complex of muscles responsible for stabilizing the pelvis, hips and spine. Strong core muscles mean beautiful posture, a flat stomach and a healthy spine.
Anatomy of the core muscles:
- rectus abdominis muscle;
- oblique abdominal muscles;
- transverse abdominis muscle;
- adductor muscles;
- small and medium gluteal muscles;
- muscles of the back of the thigh;
- infraspinatus muscle;
- coracobrachialis muscle.
The complete muscle atlas presents the following picture.
Abdominal muscles:
Core muscles:
Abdominal exercises for girls at home
Next, we will talk about the most effective exercises for girls for each of these muscle groups. In most cases, the abs need to be pumped while lying down.
Exercises for the rectus abdominis muscle
In the superficial layer is the rectus abdominis muscle, which is responsible for the visibility of those same cubes, provided that you have a low percentage of fat. This is a single paired muscle that is located on the anterior abdominal wall. It is not divided into either upper or lower abs. This division is adopted only for simplicity of expression. The rectus abdominis muscle consists of 6-8 cubes, the number of which is determined genetically and cannot be influenced.
| Classic twist - lying on the floor, legs bent at the knees, hands behind the head. Raise the upper part of the body 20-30 centimeters from the floor, and freeze in this position for 3 seconds. We do 2 sets of 15 movements. For greater load, you can use a ball. |
| Backbends - lying on your stomach, legs extended, hands clasped behind your back. We lift the upper body, lifting it as high as possible from the floor, fixate ourselves, and take 5 slow exhalations. 2 sets of 10 movements. |
| Lying leg raises are a strength exercise for pumping up the abs, performed while lying on your back with straight, outstretched legs. The legs slowly rise up, becoming perpendicular to the floor surface. 1 set of 10 movements. |
| Accordion – the exercise is performed while sitting, legs straightened forward. Slowly lift them from the floor by 20-30 cm, fix them for a few seconds, then pull them towards the chest. 2 sets of 15 movements. |
| Walking steps - lying down, legs extended, hands behind your head. Raise your legs 45 degrees from the floor and quickly make “stepping” movements. 1 set of 35 “steps” per leg. |
| Raising the legs and pelvis from a supine position - lying on the floor, legs bent at the knees. Using the strength of the abdominal muscles, we lift the pelvis and straighten the legs above the head. 1 set of 25 movements. |
| “Scissors” – lying on your side, legs extended and raised 30 cm from the floor. With straight legs we perform swinging, crossing movements. 2 sets of 30 movements. |
| Research shows that there is no difference in exercises for the “upper” and “lower” abs. All of them involve the entire rectus abdominis muscle, only some exercises to some extent work more on the upper section, and some on the lower. |
Exercises for oblique abdominal muscles (external and internal)
Girls should not get carried away with exercises on the oblique abdominal muscles, much less perform them with weights. Frequently performing side and cross twists, bending from side to side using additional weight does not remove the sides at all, but makes the waist even wider. Therefore, if your goal is to remove your sides and strengthen your oblique muscles, minimize or completely eliminate lateral dynamic exercises and pay attention to the side plank (this exercise will be discussed below).
| Cross twisting - the exercise is performed lying on your back and in a half-sitting position, legs suspended, knees bent so that the calves are parallel to the floor surface. We stretch one leg at a time and hold it in this position for several seconds. 2 sets of 15 movements. |
| Tilts from side to side - in a standing position, rhythmically bend to the right and left. For additional load, you can use dumbbells. 3 sets of 30 bends in each direction. |
| Lateral twist - lying on your back, legs bent at the knees and pulled up to the chest. Keeping the upper part of the body motionless, we throw the bent legs from side to side using the force of the press. 3 sets of 30 movements. |
| The big misconception of many girls is that they think that exercises on the lateral (oblique) abdominal muscles will visually make the waist narrower compared to the hips. On the contrary, developed lateral muscles make the waist wider and the figure more straight |
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Core exercises
There is only one exercise for the core muscles - the plank, in which all muscle groups are involved at once. It is not aimed at pumping up cubes, the main goal is to strengthen the muscle corset, which allows you to make your stomach more toned and your waist narrower.
Classic plank
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If you don’t have enough strength to do the exercise, try a lighter version - with emphasis on bent knees. As you master it, you can move on to more complex variations of the plank.
Side plank
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Plank with push-ups
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Plank jump
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Plank with arm extension
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Transition bar
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Plank
Let's move on to exercises that will help you get sculpted abs on your stomach. And first we will look at the plank exercise. We highlight it separately for the simple reason that it is a universal exercise for the abs. And not only for the abs, but for the whole body: the muscles of the back, arms, shoulders and legs are also involved in the exercise.
And it’s quite simple to do: you just need to lie face down on the floor and rest on your outstretched, straight arms and toes. Stay in this position for several minutes. The main difficulty in the exercise lies in the static position - you cannot move or arch your back.
To increase the load on certain parts of the press, some plank options are possible. You can focus on one arm with your torso turned to the side, you can pull your legs up to one of your arms, etc.
We recommend reading: Is it possible to train at night?
Abdominal training program at home
As practice shows, working out your abs every day is not only useless, but also harmful. The abdominal muscles, like other muscles, need to recover, which will take at least 48 hours. Therefore, we will consider a training program for girls, designed for 2-3 sessions per week, alternating a set of exercises. Training for girls should include:
2-3 exercises for the rectus abdominis muscles; 1-2 core exercises; vacuum exercise.
First set of exercises:
| Exercise | Approaches | Repetitions |
| lying leg lift | 3 | 15-20 |
| "harmonic" | 3 | 15-20 |
| side twist | 3 | 15-20 |
| exercise "Plank" | 3 | 30-60 sec |
Second set of exercises:
| Exercise | Approaches | Repetitions |
| "steps on weight" | 3 | 15-20 |
| lifting the legs and pelvis from a lying position | 3 | 15-20 |
| "scissors" | 3 | 15-20 |
| exercise "Plank" | 3 | 30-60 sec |
Third set of exercises:
| Exercise | Approaches | Repetitions |
| deflections | 3 | 15-20 |
| classic twist | 3 | 15-20 |
| leg straightening | 3 | 15-20 |
| exercise "Plank" | 3 | 30-60 sec |
To make it more convenient for you to practice, we have prepared a special table on how to pump up your abs at home in 30 days .
The table file can be downloaded completely free of charge from this link.
How long does it take to achieve results?
The abs of girls (before and after photos show how their figure changes over time) who regularly train become beautiful and sculpted in about 6-8 weeks. But the duration of this process is affected by the initial state of the figure.
Representatives of the fairer sex who started exercising while overweight will need more time to get results. First of all, excess fat must go away, and this can take several months or several years.
A set of abdominal exercises must be selected so as to involve its lower, upper and lateral zones. When creating a training program, you should also take into account the girl’s age, weight and health status.
With regular exercise and proper nutrition, you can get a toned and beautiful stomach in a few weeks, as evidenced by the before and after photos of those who decided to take care of themselves.
Exercise "Vacuum"
The exercises described above will not help you lose excess weight, make your stomach flat and reduce your waist circumference. With their help, you will give it relief (the cubes will become noticeable) and only on the condition that you do not have excess weight.
But there is one exercise in which the internal abdominal muscles, which are responsible for retracting the abdominal wall, are involved. This is a vacuum exercise . By doing it daily, you:
- reduce the percentage of internal fat;
- get rid of a distended abdomen;
- make your waist visually thinner;
- you will get a flat stomach without the risk of pumping up your abs.
Technique for performing the “Vacuum” exercise:
- stand up straight or take a lying position;
- slowly take a deep breath through your nose;
- With a powerful exhalation, get rid of the air, drawing in your stomach as much as possible;
- stay in this position for 10-15 seconds.
- exhale. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
If you are not trying to get six-pack, but just want to tighten your stomach and make it flatter, then this exercise is just for you.
In building a six-pack, 90% of success comes from diet. Therefore, if you are overweight, reconsider your diet. And remember, by pumping up your abs, you will not make your stomach thinner, but only give it definition. And then, provided that the percentage of body fat is minimal.
Physical exercises to burn fat
Another way to remove the layer hiding the aesthetic cubes is aerobic exercise. That is, those that are aimed not at building muscle mass, but at increasing the tone of the body as a whole.
Running, swimming, aerobics, dancing, skiing - all this, it seems, does not put a significant load on the abs.
However, these exercises can bring you closer to the appearance of sculpted abdominal muscles.
That is why, in order to get a spectacular photo of the abs, a guy or girl may need to not only do the “corner” and “bar”. But also jumping rope, waving your arms, pedaling a bicycle.
In a word, do not disdain types of activities that help burn calories and reduce the percentage of fat in the body.
To summarize, it is worth noting that in order for you to have beautiful abs as quickly as possible, you must do intense abdominal exercises for a month or two.
And then spend about the same amount of time burning excess fat by doing aerobic sports and adhering to the recommended diet.
At first, this whole process seems quite complicated. But gradually the training becomes more interesting, and my health improves. After the first weeks, you will feel that your body listens to you better.
And what a joyful, inspiring moment is that moment when you notice the first results!
We recommend keeping something like a diary. Take a photo of your abs at least once a week.
It can be quite unusual for men to move around with a camera in front of a mirror. But when, having lined up the resulting pictures in one line, you notice progress, you will feel new strength in yourself. Things like this really motivate me to continue.
