Getting great abs requires a successful exercise program paired with a healthy diet. Focus on exercises that strengthen and tone your abs, as well as cardiovascular exercises that burn calories. The trick is finding a program that you enjoy so that you can stick with it.
Resistance Training
Work your abs with resistance training. Use weight machines, free weights, stability balls and your own body weight for a full workout. Make basic crunches more intense by doing them on a stability ball. Sit with your lower back on the ball and feet on the ground in front of you so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle, then do crunches as normal. Intensify crunches by holding free weights to give your abs more resistance to work against.
Pilates
Join a Pilates class or watch a Pilates video to tone and strengthen your core. Pilates movements focus on proper breathing and strengthen your deep abdominal muscles. To get a preview, try the hundred. Lay on your back with your legs extended at a 45-degree angle. Raise your head and shoulders off the ground, curl your chin to your chest and extend your arms so that they are by your butt. Pump your arms up and down five times while inhaling and then pump arms five times while exhaling. Repeat this 10 times so that you count to 100 and then lay back down.
Balancing Exercises
Incorporate balancing exercises into your lifting program. Sit on a stability ball or stand on a balance board while working your arms with free weights. Try bicep curls and chest presses. This will force your core to tighten in order to keep you from falling.
Cardio
No matter how strong your abs are, you will not see them if they are covered in fat. The only way to lose fat is by burning more calories than you eat. Cardiovascular exercise, or activity that raises your heart rate, burns calories quickly. You can burn more than 700 calories in an hour of running, for example. Other popular cardio routines include step aerobics, in-line skating, swimming and bike riding. Try to do 30 to 40 minutes of cardio activity at least four times a week.
Nutrition
Follow a healthy diet to avoid gaining fat in your stomach area. Get protein from low-fat dairy and lean meats. Choose whole-grain products whenever possible, and limit alcohol intake. Eat foods high in fiber because they make you feel full. Break your meals up into several smaller meals instead of three big meals to avoid overeating.
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