Diet for a Six Pack

With the warmer weather comes the pressure to look good in a bathing suit. This means it's time to start eating better and hitting the gym on a more routine basis. But just because you're sweating it out on the treadmill for hours doesn't mean that you will have the toned stomach that you want. To get a six pack, you need to focus on not only cardio, but also doing the right exercises to tone your stomach to get the six pack abs that you've always dreamed of. Here are five easy steps to getting a killer stomach.

1. Diet- Diet and exercise go together like cookies and milk. Every successful exercise program needs to be supplemented with a good diet. Fiber is perhaps one of the most important most often ignored nutrients for a flat stomach. Aim for around 30 grams of fiber per day and be sure to accompany your fiber with a filling protein source such as plain nonfat greek yogurt, egg white, lean white meat chicken or a lean cut of meat such as sirloin.

2. Cardio- While overdoing cardio is not the answer, the right amount of cardio is neccesary to achieve your six pack. Warm up with a few miles on the treadmill before you hit the mat. If you're looking for a lower impact exercise, swimming and the elliptical trainer are great alternatives to running.

3. Medicine Ball- Consider this the key to a six pack. Using a four to six pound medicine ball can drastically increase your results. Sit on the floor with your legs up in a “v” position, balancing on your seat bones and hold the medicine ball to your chest. Move the medicine from hip to hip stopping in the middle each time. Do this for 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

4. Stability Ball- A stability ball that is approximately 65 cm in width is an inexpensive but extremely effective abdominal exercise tool. If you belong to a gym, you will likely be able to find one there. Sit-ups on a stability ball are more effective than your traditional sit-up. You can also lie on the floor with your feet on top of the ball, knees parallel and lift your body up and down 20 times for 3 sets. Performing a plank and holding it for 60 seconds on a stability ball is another great abdominal exercise.

5. Inclined Bench- Using an inclined bench allows you to do traditional ab exercises but get more bang for your buck. Using a weight or medicine ball, lay back on the inclined bench and perform traditional sit-ups. If you have an exercise partner, throw the medicine ball to your partner and have him catch it and throw it back to you and perform a sit-up before you throw it back.