How to Get a Six-Pack

Achieving a six-pack is no easy feat, but having your dream abdominals can be obtained by focusing on three separate areas: nutrition, cardio, and abdominal exercise.

Nutrition: It is said that "abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym," and that certainly rings true. In order to reduce the fat in your stomach area and allow your abdominal muscles to show, you need to do the following:

1. Use online calculators to determine your calorie requirements per day (BMR), and then subtract 500 from that total number. This is the amount of calories you can subtract from your daily diet to ensure maximum fat loss.

2. Reduce sodium in your diet. Sodium promotes bloating, which of course hides the six-pack you desire.

3. Drink lots of water. Again, water reduces bloat and flushes toxins from the body, speeding weight loss.

Choose Whole Foods: Whole natural foods, instead of processed ones, are digested faster and contribute to the flat lean look necessary for a six-pack.

Cardio: Cardiovascular exercise helps the body in many ways, but in terms of weight loss it is vital to maintain muscle tone and reduce overall body fat percentage.

1. Aim for 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise 5-6 days each week in order to reduce body fat.

2. Strive to keep your heart rate elevated, but not at it's maximum. (Roughly 60%, or around 130 BPM) This encourages the body to use fat stores for energy instead of using glycogen (from recently consumed carbohydrates). Consider investing in a heart rate monitor so you are able to check and confirm you in the fat-burning zone.

Abdominal Exercise: Of course, everyone who want a six-pack is familiar with these exercises. Vary your routine for best results.

1. Work Your Abdominals: This means mat work, or traditional crunches and sit-ups. Aim to do these 3 times each week.

2. Back Exercises: Many people forget that a strong back promotes better posture, which makes your stomach look flatter and supports your core. Add in the "plank" exercise, which uses abdominal, oblique, and back muscles in one single move.

3. Rest: Don't try to work the same muscles every day. Take at least 24 hours off between the same body part, in this case abdominals.

Vary your routine for best results