How long does it take to build a “Six-pack”?

The answer depends on many variables, from training methods and calorie intake to the macronutrients provided by the foods you eat. Indeed, you can lift the best adjustable dumbbells all you want, but if you don’t eat enough protein and utilize the progressive overload principle, you won’t be able to pack on mass. But even optimizing the muscle-building process isn’t enough. Age, gender, and genetics play their part in deciding how successful your bodybuilding exploits will be.

There’s no strict timeframe for how long it takes to build muscle. “It all depends on the training regimen followed, nutritional adherence, rest, and so on, but, for a rough figure, to a 2018 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology which explores the role of skeletal muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis.

According to this study, muscle growth can be seen after about 10 sessions, but only after about 18 sessions is significant muscle excessive growth.

The study says that increases in muscle size in the early phase of resistance training (four or fewer sessions) are attributed to “muscle damage-induced swelling.” After 10 sessions, “a modest magnitude of muscle hypertrophy ensues,” and after around 18 workouts,” true muscle excessive growth.

Concluded that ”significant increases in lean mass” could be seen after just seven workout sessions performed over four weeks.

The study tasked 13 untrained men with performing dumbbell curls and shoulder presses twice weekly for four weeks. They would complete 8 to 12 repetitions, working until they could not perform anymore, and the weight was increased where appropriate as they progressed from session to session. Subjects also drank 500 milliliters of whole milk during training.

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Targeted training

If you want to grow a specific muscle or group of muscles, also known as hypertrophy, you need to perform exercises targeting them.

The best approach is to remove the guesswork from your exercise program. You may think an exercise focuses on a specific muscle or group of muscles, but do you know?
Booking a Personal Trainer on Elite Gym / Fitness for the exercises your performing can make a big difference.

Example of performing the leg press for glute muscle gains.

You may think your leg press routine is targeting your glutes, but the positioning of your feet may be targeting another muscle group altogether. If your feet are too low on the surface of the leg press, you’re working primarily on your quads. Sliding your feet up will help readjust your focus on the intended muscle.
Just small things can make a difference, so that is the reason you should use a personal trainer for your best.

Load

To grow muscles, you must put them under the proper amount of load,

Or in other words, if the weight you’re lifting or the number of repetitions you are completing does not challenge your muscles with the appropriate stimulus, they will not grow as efficiently.

When exercising for hypertrophy, generally, you want to increase the weight and reduce the number of repetitions. When talking about the weight used to exercise, also known as the load, fitness professionals measure it as a percentage of your one-rep max.

For muscle growth, you want to train using 75% of your one-rep max. This resistance should allow you to complete eight to 10 reps simultaneously. If you cannot complete at least eight, or if the weight feels too light, adjust accordingly.”

Training at higher and lower loads can stimulate muscle growth, but it is generally accepted that this load and an eight to 12 rep range is optimal for hypertrophy.

Nutrition

Nutrition is a critical aspect of recovery and will play a big role in helping you build muscle. Several factors come into play, including your protein source, protein quantity, carbohydrate intake, supplements, and when you take all of these in.

From the nutrition point of view, protein intake alongside resistance training is a potent stimulus for muscle protein synthesis.
At Elite Gym / Fitness, we have all kinds of Supplements to drink. Talk to us about what is best for you.

People that exercise regularly also need to eat more protein than the recommended daily intake.

To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2 to 1.7grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.

Looking at the protein needs of young male bodybuilders found the estimated average requirement of protein was 1.7g per kilogram of body weight, and the upper limit was 2.2g per kilo of body weight.