Thanks for the compliment. I'm not quite where I want to be, but am moving in the right direction. You ask how long ... 50 years! Naw...
From captions on the
photos, you can see that there was a 17 month span between dates. If I hadn't started at such an ignorant state, I certainly would have made quicker progress. While I have performed abdomnal/oblique weighted exercises in the past (based on the standard recommendations that everyone reads), I really think that since abs are relatively small muscles, they probably get plenty of stimulus when doing the major compound lifts.
I would have acheived quicker and more satisfying results (I think) by focusing more on heavier weighted exercises that target the larger muscle in the body (particularly the legs and back).