6 PACKS !

Wondering how to get a six pack? Well, you're not alone. Lots of people want great-looking ab muscles. Why shouldn't they: 'perfect' abs - the result of a lean, well-sculpted midsection - are the ultimate sign of peak fitness and outstanding sex-appeal for both men and women!

The problem is that, for most of us, it's just not that easy to get a six pack. Some people are born with naturally low body fat levels and great-looking, maintenance-free abdominal muscles. The rest of us have to work our butts off in order to achieve the same results.

The good news is that just about anyone who's willing to make the effort can get great abs -- often within just a few weeks (depending on your current bodyfat levels). In fact, if you're already working out, chances are that you've already got a six pack. It's just covered with a layer of fat!

How to Get a Six Pack in 3 Simple Steps

Most people who have great-looking abs follow a proven 3-pronged attack that just about always works. It doesn't involve any silly ab gadgets or magic fat loss supplements. It's also not necessarily 'easy' but it is extremely effective. Here are the 3 steps:

1. Shed bodyfat

If you want great-looking abs you have to get most of the extra fat off of your body. It's as simple as that. You may have the strongest, most well-sculpted ab muscles in the world. But if they're covered by a layer of blubber no one will ever know.

In order to really 'see' your abs you'll need to get your overall bodyfat levels down to about 7-8% (for men) or 13-14% (for women).

The most effective - and fastest way - to shed bodyfat is to eat a very 'clean' diet, strength train at least 3 times per week, and perform some type of cardio at least 4 times per week.

A 'clean' diet is one based around lean proteins, vegetables, legumes, some whole grains, some fruits, a little healthy fat and LOTS of water. All refined sugar and fried foods should be completely avoided.

2. Build strong abs

Here's a little secret: if you already work out with weights (especially if you perform full-body free-weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, pullups, powercleans, etc.) you probably have very good abdominal muscles! Most 'big' free-weight exercises require you to utilize 'stabilizer' muscles, many of which are in your lower back and abdominal region. In fact, many pro bodybuilders and fitness models do little or no ab-specific exercise because their abs do so much work just helping them lift heavy weights (or their own bodies) into the air.

But, since you want to learn how to get a six pack fast, you should probably be performing a good amount of ab-specific exercise. Forget about useless movements that target upper abs, lower abs, inner abs, outer abs, etc. You really only need to do 3 movements to work your entire ab region:

• The Bicycle Maneuver
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Forearm Plank

Of course normal crunches are great too but the bicycle maneuver incorporates the basic crunch movement and recruits even more abdominal muscles. Many fitness experts agree that the above are the best ab exercises -- both for creating nice-looking abs and also for developing functional core body strength.

3. Bring out the detail

Once you get your bodyfat down and your ab strength up, now you just need to make your abs more 'visible.' Lots of people actually have a six pack AND low bodyfat levels yet still don't have the typical 'washboard' stomach. Why? Because for very light-skinned people and people with lots of body hair, the details in their well-defined ab muscles are just too hard to see.