Abdominal crunches won't get you a six-pack on their own. You might develop the muscles, but you also need to change your diet and begin cardio training in order to lose the layer of fat that will otherwise cover them. In this sense, it is important to develop the mind as well as the body as mental strength and self-discipline are key to six-pack abs.
Diet Change
Stop eating junk food. Rid your kitchen of chips, cookies and cakes and anything else high in sugars or saturated fats. Liquid calories are just as bad, so no more coffee lattes or sodas. Instead, stock up on fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meat, nuts, seeds and whole grains. The Institute of Medicine recommends drinking plenty of water; 3.7 l per day for men and 2.7 l for women.
Plan
Changing the amount you eat and the times you eat is also important to achieve a toned torso. Replace the three meals a day with a routine of eating every two to three hours, so five to six meals a day. You can use LIVESTRONG.COM's MyPlate to determine your daily caloric intake. Once calculated, reduce this amount by up to 1,000 calories a day in order to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Working Out
Perform a balanced workout routine of alternate days of weightlifting and cardio. To help with six-pack development, focus on compound lifts to work the torso such as dead lifts and squats. Perform HIIT, or high intensity interval training, in your cardio activity of choice. This involves interspersing periods and high and low intensity, notes MayoClinic.com.
Ab Crunches
Perform a number of different ab exercises to work all of the muscles. Do crunch twists, reverse curls, hanging leg raises and the side crunch. You will find, as your muscles strengthen, that you need to add resistance, in the form of weight plates or medicine balls, to continue your six-pack development.
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