Diet for a Six Pack

Everybody wants a trim and toned tummy. Having a six pack is the ultimate fitness goal. It's also one of the hardest to achieve.

It's a common misconception that it takes a lot of crunches to get a rock hard midsection. Abs should be treated like any other muscle in the body. They need rest for recovery in between workouts and they require focused and concentrated reps to stimulate growth. So if you are doing 500 rushed crunches everyday, you won't see the ripped midsection of your dreams.

Here are FIVE ways to get six pack abs

1. Trim the fat. Everybody has an awesome six pack. The problem is that it's hidden under a layer of fat. The trick to seeing them, is shedding fat. To do this you need to be more active and take all cardio workouts up a notch by regularly changing time, intensity and the type of activity.

2. Perform various ab exercises. Just sticking to the basic crunch won't cut it. I've found the most effective six pack ab exercises are leg/knee raises from a chin up bar, concentrated stability ball crunches and any crunch variation with a weight plate on your chest/behind your head. Remember that you need to treat the abs like any other muscle. Adding weight to the crunch stimulates growth to the abdominal muscles. If the muscles are bigger and there is less fat, the abs will be more likely to show through.

3. Nutrition. It's common to be doing everything right in the gym but still not seeing rock hard abs. In most cases, the problem is in the diet. Results are 50% exercise, 50% nutrition. While you are working toward your six pack drink a lot of water, lower your fat and carbs intake and raise protein consumption. Eat small, balanced meals throughout the day to kick start your metabolism and limit sugar, salt and alcohol.

4. Don't neglect the rest of your bod. There is no such thing as “spot reduction.” You can't work on only your stomach or any other part of your body. Performing full body weight lifting workouts is the way to results. Working every part of your body helps aid the six pack quest. It accumulates more calories burned and gets your bod looking fit and toned all over.

5. Time. Nobody gets the body of their dreams over night. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a six pack could potentially take years to achieve. Unless you are on a radical training and nutrition plan you should expect progress to be quite slow. The trick is consistency and weight room progression.

As you can see, the path to the six pack is not impossible. It just requires a solid diet, cardio, consistent full body weight routines and patience. Try these tips all together and be on your way to sporting the abs of your dreams.

Try It!