How Long Would it Take to Get Abs With an Exercise Ball?

An exercise ball allows you to solely target your abdominals for an effective workout. The problem is, getting abs to show have very little to do with how many crunches you can perform -- with or without an exercise ball. Rather, how long it takes to get abs depends on your fitness and body-fat percentage. It is possible to estimate how long it will take to get visible abs by monitoring your body fat.

  1. Crunches on an Exercise Ball

    • Abdominal workouts on an exercise ball can help you tone and strengthen your core. The American Council on Exercise commissioned a study that determined that crunches on an exercise ball is the most effective abdominal workout overall. Start by sitting on an exercise ball with your feet firmly on the ground. Walk your feet slowly until your lower back and buttocks are resting on the exercise ball and your torso and thighs are parallel to the ground. With your hands across your chest or behind your neck, raise your torso up to a 45-degree angle or until you feel the contractions in the abs. Hold the position for a few seconds and repeat.

    Building Strong Abs

    • When working out your mid-section, aim for 10 to 25 repetitions in two or three sets. Strengthen your obliques by performing crunches on an exercise ball with a twist. Simply flex your waist and twist to one side when you raise your torso in the crunch position. Continue alternating between your left and right side per repetition. As with other body workouts, your abdominal muscles need rest between exercise sessions. Add two or three ab workout sessions weekly to your full-body workout regimen. Perform between 150 to 300 minutes of cardio weekly to help you achieve visible abs faster than doing ab workouts alone.

    Your Body-fat Percentage

    • After developing your abs with consistent exercise, there is still the issue of body fat. Most men need less than 10 percent body fat for their abs to show, according to Men’s Health. Women require much more body fat than men for menstruation, so developing visible abs is unlikely because women need at least 10 to 13 percent essential fat, while men only essentially need 2 to 5 percent.(ref5)

    The Calculation

    • To determine how long it will take for your abs to show, you should estimate your body-fat percentage with a skin fold test using a caliper or a bioelectrical impedance analysis. There are no guidelines for how much body fat you can lose but it is generally accepted that a 1 percent reduction per month is achievable. Therefore, an individual with a 14 percent body fat percentage may need to exercise for at least four or five months for visible abs.

    Reducing Body Fat

    • There is no shortcut to reducing body fat. Ensure you consume about 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of weight to maintain your abdominal muscle. Lean protein sources include chicken breast, oats, beans and lentils. The rest of your diet should come from complex carbs such as green vegetables and fruits, along with healthy fats from oily fish and unsalted nuts.