How long should it theoretically take to get a 6 pack from 15% bf?

[SuperTune]

I started at ~15% bf in may and have been cutting this entire summer, still don't have a six pack. In fact, I hardly see much noticeable difference at all but I've lost 10 pounds and my lifts haven't gone down at all so I don't know what is happening. It's the most frustrating thing I've ever done... it's like I'm just wasting my time.

I'm eating at ~300-400 below maintenance and doing sprints 6 days a week, along with other occasional cardio.

I am seriously considering giving up and just going on another bulk but for what purpose? So I could get fat again and still not be able to cut when I'm done? Fuarkkk

[MillerTime07]

You will lose water weight initially. It takes time to diet down. How accurately are you counting macros?

[Mrpb]

Six pack, usually roughly at 10-11%. You can do the math.

At 6'0", 180 lbs you might be quite skinny when you get there.

[Connor1226]

I'm 5'9'' and 9% body fat.
You can just start to see my upper abs and obliques. I predict I would need to be closer to 7% or under to really have a solid 6-pack

Getting very lean is very difficult and can be very frustrating.
My goal was to get a 6 pack as well and I was nearly there, only a few more pounds to go, but I had to stop after a 12lb loss. My body just didn't want to diet anymore and I cold tell my metabolism was slowing down. It was harder and harder for the weight to come off at a certain caloric intake and workout level.
I just started to go through a semi-reverse diet. My body needs to recover from this cut then I will go back and aim for the 6 pack again.
Plus if you break when your body needs it and your metabolism recovers, losing that next series of fat that gets you to that 6 pack will be much easier. If you keep pushing when your body is tired of dieting, it makes it very hard and if you push hard enough you might not be able to make it there healthily.

Transformations don't happen over night. This fact sucks, but it's life.

[Mrpb]

I'm 5'9'' and 9% body fat.

Measured how?

[SuperTune]

You will lose water weight initially. It takes time to diet down. How accurately are you counting macros?

Not to the "t" but I watch what I eat pretty carefully.

Six pack, usually roughly at 10-11%. You can do the math.

At 6'0", 180 lbs you might be quite skinny when you get there.

Yeah I figured as much but I was thought I could cut down to that level and then slow bulk for a long time.

I'm 5'9'' and 9% body fat.
You can just start to see my upper abs and obliques. I predict I would need to be closer to 7% or under to really have a solid 6-pack

Well chit. I hope your measurements are off... 7% bf does not sound like a good time for me.

[Connor1226]

Measured how?

Not by any professional means. I'm not going to spend tons of money to get tested for ****s and giggles.
That's my best guess based on measuring, online calculators, and that goofy machine that you hold out in front of you (which actually is pretty accurate I think).

[Connor1226]

Well chit. I hope your measurements are off... 7% bf does not sound like a good time for me.

You are 6 foot tall though. I'm smaller, so I will need to get my BF% down a little lower to show as much definition. Plus it can depend on how well developed you are underneath too. I think the more mass you have the better things show.

[Mrpb]

Not by any professional means. I'm not going to spend tons of money to get tested for ****s and giggles.
That's my best guess based on measuring, online calculators, and that goofy machine that you hold out in front of you (which actually is pretty accurate I think).

That machine is highly inaccurate.

And you are probably not 9%.

You can post a pic and I'll tell you if you're close to 9%.

[Connor1226]

Well what are we defining as a 6 pack here?
To me it's 100% all muscle is showing. No matter which way you bend your body it's right there in your face.
To me it's not even an outline of the muscle.

Why is uploading a pic so difficult on this site?

Either way half of mine is somewhat covered. Top part shows well, bottom, ehhh some fat making it a bit smooth. Especially when the carb intake goes up.

[Blacklac]

Screw abs. Glute striations is where it's at...

[Mrpb]

Why is uploading a pic so difficult on this site?

You can use your bodyspace or upload it as an attachment, when you click 'go advanced' when posting.

[Pancakes4gainz]

I'm 5'9'' and 9% body fat.

You're also 5'9" at 135 pounds. Guessing you don't have much mass to show off much of a six pack. Not bashing you, just an opinion.

[InItForFitness]

.

Why is uploading a pic so difficult on this site?

Upload to Imgur and link to embed.

[ThunderBee]

I'm guessing 3-6 months, depending on desired level of shredness

[ironwill2008]

I started at ~15% bf in may and have been cutting this entire summer, still don't have a six pack. In fact, I hardly see much noticeable difference at all but I've lost 10 pounds and my lifts haven't gone down at all so I don't know what is happening. It's the most frustrating thing I've ever done... it's like I'm just wasting my time.

I'm eating at ~300-400 below maintenance and doing sprints 6 days a week, along with other occasional cardio.

I am seriously considering giving up and just going on another bulk but for what purpose? So I could get fat again and still not be able to cut when I'm done? Fuarkkk

You can 'backwards engineer' a cut timetable if you have a good idea of your current body fat percentage.


Generally, abs will be well-defined when your body fat is at about 10% and you also already have some muscle development from having performed all the basic compound lifts (not just "ab" exercises) for a reasonable period of time. For you, that means you'll need to drop 5% of your body weight, or about 10 pounds of fat, while at the same time, retaining as much muscle mass as possible.


Figuring a conservative weekly drop of 1 pound per week, if you do everything correctly all of the time, your abs will appear in about 10-12 weeks.

[Connor1226]

You're also 5'9" at 135 pounds. Guessing you don't have much mass to show off much of a six pack. Not bashing you, just an opinion.

No, I think you are exactly right. I'm 23, only been seriously lifting for 9 months, and that's after several years of endurance running. I don't have a very good base underneath it all.
That's what I was touching on in post #8. You gotta have the mass under it to support it.

[InItForFitness]

No, I think you are exactly right. I'm 23, only been seriously lifting for 9 months, and that's after several years of endurance running. I don't have a very good base underneath it all.
That's what I was touching on in post #8. You gotta have the mass under it to support it.

At least you've got the right mindset bro.
That's going to take you a long way.




I started off at very similar stats.
Well 5'6 and somewhere between 140-145...never really tracked my weight accurately enough to know.

Always thought life was about having my abs show and being "jacked"...how clueless I was.
Almost 40lbs heavier these days, just as defined as ever, and finally understanding the difference between SKINNY and HEALTHY.

[BTee42]

The question isnt how long will it take to get down to ~10% bf, the question is how much muscle will you have when you get there. When your caloric output exceeds your caloric input you are going to lose weight, its that simple. the problem is that muscle is a far more efficient energy source than fat, so your metabolism is gonna feast on your hard earned gains like a chinese buffet if your diet/lifestyle isnt handled properly. Keep protein high (around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight if you can manage it) every day, lay off carbs after 8pm, lift heavy, drink lots of water (sometimes you feel hungry but really you are dehydrated, this will help keep calories low), and get plenty of sleep. If you are doing all of these things, then your calculations for "maintenance" may be off and need to be lowered. Also, everyones metabolism functions slightly different, so how you space your meals througout the day can make a huge difference, e.g. try eating smaller meals with greater frequency, eating less in the evening and more in the afternoon, etc. Like others have said though, 15% bf isnt so high that you would need to cut IMO, I mean, summer is almost over anyways, so getting an early start on winter and going for lean mass gains now wouldnt be the worst thing in the world.

[InItForFitness]

Keep protein high (around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight if you can manage it) every day, lay off carbs after 8pm,... how you space your meals througout the day can make a huge difference, e.g. try eating smaller meals with greater frequency, eating less in the evening and more in the afternoon, etc.

Congratulations on one of the worst posts of the day.

Please read something other than 'Flex Magazine' for your nutritional information.

[ironwill2008]

The question isnt how long will it take to get down to ~10% bf, the question is how much muscle will you have when you get there. When your caloric output exceeds your caloric input you are going to lose weight, its that simple. the problem is that muscle is a far more efficient energy source than fat, so your metabolism is gonna feast on your hard earned gains like a chinese buffet if your diet/lifestyle isnt handled properly. Keep protein high (around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight if you can manage it) every day, lay off carbs after 8pm, lift heavy, drink lots of water (sometimes you feel hungry but really you are dehydrated, this will help keep calories low), and get plenty of sleep. If you are doing all of these things, then your calculations for "maintenance" may be off and need to be lowered. Also, everyones metabolism functions slightly different, so how you space your meals througout the day can make a huge difference, e.g. try eating smaller meals with greater frequency, eating less in the evening and more in the afternoon, etc. Like others have said though, 15% bf isnt so high that you would need to cut IMO, I mean, summer is almost over anyways, so getting an early start on winter and going for lean mass gains now wouldnt be the worst thing in the world.

You wouldn't be trollin, would you, brah?

[unstrong]

Depends on the individual, really. I'm about 14% and I have some definition on my top 2 abs, but I store a lot of fat in my hips so it would probably require me to get to sub-10ish to have a decent six pack. Now, I don't really care about having a six pack so much, so I'll probably never get down low enough to have one. I'm okay with that. But, if a 6 pack is what you're really after, it's possible you'd have to get quite low. On the other hand, if you tend to store fat on your chest, back, arms, and legs (where I basically store none), you might be able to see a passable 6 pack at 13%. There's a large variance.

The question isnt how long will it take to get down to ~10% bf, the question is how much muscle will you have when you get there. When your caloric output exceeds your caloric input you are going to lose weight, its that simple. the problem is that muscle is a far more efficient energy source than fat, so your metabolism is gonna feast on your hard earned gains like a chinese buffet if your diet/lifestyle isnt handled properly. Keep protein high (around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight if you can manage it) every day, lay off carbs after 8pm, lift heavy, drink lots of water (sometimes you feel hungry but really you are dehydrated, this will help keep calories low), and get plenty of sleep. If you are doing all of these things, then your calculations for "maintenance" may be off and need to be lowered. Also, everyones metabolism functions slightly different, so how you space your meals througout the day can make a huge difference, e.g. try eating smaller meals with greater frequency, eating less in the evening and more in the afternoon, etc. Like others have said though, 15% bf isnt so high that you would need to cut IMO, I mean, summer is almost over anyways, so getting an early start on winter and going for lean mass gains now wouldnt be the worst thing in the world.

You waited a year after joining to finally post and this is your debut? lol

[BTee42]

I dont know anything about "flex magazine", just trying to offer some help based on what works for me. Maybe next time I should just list my height, weight, and vague information about my personal struggles like you. Why is it always the guys who are 5'6" who are so angry all the time?

[IH8RICE]

You wouldn't be trollin, would you, brah?

You know what has to be done......Me first

[aygung]

a six pack that is visible in daylight and a very visible satisfying six pack under artificial lighting (like gyms etc) will come around %7-8 bf. anything over this is just the feeling of six pack but not really visible. (for all the 6 abs) at %10 ish you can start to see only the upper 2. at %8 u can see the upper 4 and maybe feel the last 2. I am doing the same thing like an experiment right now. currently I'm at %7 ish. trying to get to %5.

it took me 3-4 monnths to come to %9 from %15, and 2 months from %9 to %7. it gets way harder after %8. (strict keto diet, 4-6 days a week 2hrs body weight training, 3-4 times a day 1 hr steady slow pace cardio)

"depending on every individual" part gets more important around %7 bf. fat reserves are scattered through the body and. I see pics of some people who say they have more %bf than myself here has absolute perfect abs. as I got measured few months ago, my trunk had the least bf compared to arms and legs and now I have even less bf%. my arms and legs got more defined. abs too, but not as much as legs and arms. if the info about other people's bodyfat they write on their pages is true, some may have better abs with higher %bf too. that is tho absolutely individual

[InItForFitness]

I dont know anything about "flex magazine", just trying to offer some help based on what works for me. Maybe next time I should just list my height, weight, and vague information about my personal struggles like you. Why is it always the guys who are 5'6" who are so angry all the time?

Feel free to post any stats + personal physique develompent/transformation you've accomplished that would be backing to your claims of this being an effective dietary protocol.



...although something tells me there probably isn't much.





Weaker trolls around this section lately.

[BTee42]

I didnt post to help you, or prove anything to you; I posted to help the guy who created the thread. If my post did not help him, then thats fine. If it DID help him in any way, thats fine too. Im just trying to help; but once again, you are not a part of the equation, you are just another person who should be trying to help the OP, not censor others attempting the same thing.

As far as my personal stats/photos, I would consider them impressive, but I dont think that is in any way relevant to what I said. I know successful strenth coaches who cant bench press 315, and I know a lot of very knowledgable nutritionists who dont have bf below 8%, as Im sure everyone does. That doesnt mean that they cant give effective advice on strength programs or nutrition.

[InItForFitness]

I didnt post to help you, or prove anything to you; I posted to help the guy who created the thread. If my post did not help him, then thats fine. If it DID help him in any way, thats fine too. Im just trying to help; but once again, you are not a part of the equation, you are just another person who should be trying to help the OP, not censor others attempting the same thing.

I did help the OP by pointing out the flawed advice provided in the thread.

*HINT ; It was yours *

As far as my personal stats/photos, I would consider them impressive, but I dont think that is in any way relevant to what I said. I know successful strenth coaches who cant bench press 315, and I know a lot of very knowledgable nutritionists who dont have bf below 8%, as Im sure everyone does. That doesnt mean that they cant give effective advice on strength programs or nutrition.

What you consider "impressive" is likely vastly different than what is actually impressive in regards to physique or strength.
Again though, feel free to prove me wrong.


I doubt you will and likely will continue with your e-statting and "claims".

[BTee42]

Oh ok, so if you dont mind please exlpain to the OP what advice I provided was flawed. The part about keeping protein high? Drinking water? Getting sleep?...Im sorry, can you enlighten me please, because I think it is pretty obvious that nothing I said was incorrect or flawed in any way. The only criticism could possibly be that the information is "obvious", which is not relevant in a thread asking for basic advice.

E stats? Claims? What claims have I made? lol Wow you are a joke, and obviously just posturing for the forum. I never said anyting about my lifts other than the fact that I think they are impressive. Are you going to claim to have authority over my personal opinion of my achievements/physique? I might think that benching 185 is impressive, or I might think that benching 405 is impressive, but you dont know because I never listed a single number; and frankly, what I consider impressive is not of your business and is compeltely subjective. You might think a guy who is 5'10" is impressive for example, whereas I consider that to be about average.

Like I said, point out what my first post included which was WRONG advice if you really want to help the OP and clear things up. As for the rest of what you said...

[InItForFitness]

E stats? Claims? What claims have I made?

You said ;

As far as my personal stats/photos, I would consider them impressive.

Oh ok, so if you dont mind please exlpain to the OP what advice I provided was flawed.

I'd be happy to

Please review the "advice" you provided below that is incorrect.

Keep protein high (around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight if you can manage it)

Unneccessarily high.
An intake of .6-.8g/lb will be sufficient in mass/strength retention during a cutting phase (as shown by reserach).

Given, if he wishes to consume higher, he is free to do so, however it is not beneficial in any regards to body composition.

lay off carbs after 8pm

The timing/consumption of his carbohydrates is not going to have a direct impact on body composition.

Why would he have to stop eating them after 8pm?