Developing a six-pack is not something which is going to happen overnight. A few thousand ab crunches may tone the abdominal muscles, but without correct diet and training they will remain hidden under a layer of fat on your stomach. Achieving your goal of six-pack abs, therefore, will take mental strength and discipline.
Strict Diet
Tailor your diet to meet your goals. Eradicate junk food from your life. Eat healthy foods to meet your body's nutritional needs. Put low-fat dairy, lean meats, fish, eggs, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables on the menu. Replace sodas and full-fat lattes with water. The recommended daily intake for men and women is 3.7 and 2.7 liters respectively, according to Institute of Medicine.
Meal Plan
Structure your diet over five to six small meals a day. Eat you biggest meal after you work out and make it high in complex-carbs. Use a BMR, or basal metabolic rate, calculator to work out the calories needed to sustain your current weight. Then create a deficit in your new diet. If you consume 500 calories fewer than your body uses each day, you should be able to lose about a pound a week.
Cardio Training
Perform regular cardio sessions to burn off the fat that will otherwise cover your abs. MayoClinic.com recommends using a hyper intensity interval training, or HIIT, strategy in your cardio. HIIT is simply alternating intervals of high and low intensity training. This results in burning fat more quickly than conventional cardio as it prevents the body from entering a comfort zone.
Abdominal Routine
It is important to vary your abdominal workout in order to work all areas of the muscles. The American Council on Exercise states that some ab exercises are more effective than others, and it places the bicycle kick first on this list, due to the fact that it keeps the rectus abdominis under constant pressure and simultaneously works the obliques. The Council on Exercise also rates the stability ball sit-up and the reverse crunch highly.
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