This might be hard to take but the fact is, rock hard abs just won't appear overnight. You really have to train your abs hard to get them in a ripped state. The easiest way to do this is to have ab exercises in your weekly routine. You need to train them several times a week in order to see any results. You also need to perform the exercises correctly and remember not to rush them. Having an ab workout plan from the beginning will help you get results faster.

If you are a beginner then you should aim to train your abs at least 3 times a week. You can spread your routine through the week and exercise your abs on a Monday, Wednesday and a Friday. When you are just beginning, you shouldn't aim to do a set amount of reps, just concentrate on doing the exercise correctly and stop each set when it begins to become uncomfortable.

You can seperate the exercises throughout the week also. Here is a basic ab workout plan that will suit the beginner.

Monday - Crunches, Lying Leg Raises & Swiss Ball Crunches. You will perform approximately 2 sets of each exercise. Take things slowly and make sure you are doing them each correctly. These exercises should be self explanatory. If you don't have a Swiss ball, then try and find something similar that is safe to lie on.

Wednesday - Sit Ups, Leg Raises. This time you will perform hanging leg raises instead of lying leg raises. This helps the lower abs and the upper abs also.

Friday - Bicycle Crunches & V-Ups. This time you will move onto performing 3 sets of each exercise.

You will continue this ab workout plan for approximately the first 3-4 weeks of your training. For the next 2 weeks, you will increase the amount of sets for each exercise and build your abs slowly.

If you're already at an advanced level, then you will be able to perform more sets and more reps. You should still vary your exercises though, as each focuses on the upper abs, lower abs and also the side of the body.

How long it will take to see results will really depend on the individual. Some people with a low fat percentage may see results faster. Where as people with excess fat around their stomaches will take longer to see results, as they will be hidden beneath the fat layer. This shouldn't put you off from training your abs as much as you can though.

Just remember to stick to your ab workout plan each week and the results will come.