You can have the abdomen you've always dreamed of with the right combination of eating, cardiovascular activity and strength training. To see the best results, plan on spending 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week either strength training or doing cardiovascular exercises.
Proper Weight
It is not possible to have great looking abdominal muscles without eating the right foods in appropriate portions. If you have excess body fat, you cannot just do sit-ups to reduce your stomach size and define your abs. If you need to lose weight, your first step is cutting your caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories per day with the goal of losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
Quality Food
Eat the right kinds of foods to maximize your success. Make sure to eat whole, unprocessed foods. Eat plenty of protein-rich foods such as lean meats and eggs. Include foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and nuts. Eat complex carbohydrates like oats, brown rice and starchy vegetables throughout the day, but after an intense strength-training workout, choose a simple carbohydrate like fruit. Avoid foods high in sodium, and those that contain trans fats or have empty calories.
Cardiovascular Training
Increasing your cardiovascular strength through regular exercise is necessary when building a great body. You must keep your body fat percentage low in order to see the definition in your abdominal section. Bodybuilding.com recommends long cardio workouts, interval or fartlek training, super-circuit training and cross training. Cross training and long cardio workouts include biking, jogging and using different pieces of cardio equipment in the gym. Interval and fartlek training incorporate high bursts of energy during your regular cardio routine, and super-circuit training requires you to switch strength and cardio training in the same workout session.
Strength Training
Plan on working your abs two days a week if you are just beginning. Rotate the exercises you perform each time, but be sure to include crunches in every session, such as the basic, twist, reverse and bicycle crunch. If you are working out in a gym, use the captain's chair to do hanging knee raises.
Use a stability ball to perform the hip roll. Place your calves and feet on the ball while lying on the ground. Then lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your abdominal muscles for two to three seconds. Release and repeat. Include leg lifts and holds to further strengthen and define your abdominal muscles.
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