A great friend writes me: "My goal this year is to get a 6 pack.  It is the most difficult part of my body to see muscle.  How would you do it?"

Well Marty, you exercise with intensity, are consistent with your routine, and eat a diet of lean meats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, you even include healthy fats.  So where is your six pack?  
   
Truth is it's there, under a layer of fat.  It's simple, fat is fat, no matter where it's at.  Whether it's on your stomach, your butt, ankles, face, or stubborn cellulite on your thighs, it all takes the same route to extinction.  Fat is stored energy - use it for fuel.

The healthiest, most efficient way to use fat for fuel is to create a calorie deficit by manipulating your input and output.  Let's use my 3 step method to uncover your abdominals. 

Step 1 - Lower your input by 200 calories:

* Increase your fibrous vegetable intake as you shrink your portion sizes of foods such as nuts, peanut butter, pasta, and meat (protein sources should be the size of your palm).  Think about grazing all day; eat 5 - 6 small meals. 

* Dissect your diet for foods you can purchase with fewer calories per serving.  Different dressings, toppings, prepared foods, and breads all vary in calories, choose lower calorie versions. 

* Instead of bread, I recommend La Tortilla wraps - they're high in fiber (14g each), low calorie, satisfying, and portable.  I even took a few bags on my recent trip to Las Vegas and purchased lunch meat at a convenience store.  This way, I was certain to stay healthy - 2,000 miles away from home.  

* Anything dry (crackers, cereal, chips, and pretzels) should be eliminated and think in terms of hydration instead.  Hydrated foods such as fruits and vegetables are more satisfying and help you get your water in.

* Ditch the liquid calories, sodas, juice, and specialty drinks.  Whole foods are more satiating, slower to be digested, and elicit a longer, more consistent, energy. 

* Drink at least 1/2 your body weight (in ounces) of water each day, more when you exercise.  Plump, hydrated fat cells are more easily used for fuel, hydrated muscles fire-up a powerful workout and contract better, and hydrated brain cells elicit a quicker response and improved memory.

* Drink green tea throughout the day and consider coffee before your workouts.  Coffee is a stimulant and helps release fat stores for use, keeps you energized, and is shown to reduce DOS, delayed onset muscle soreness that occurs 1-2 days after a workout.

Step 2 - Shock your body to burn more calories:

* Always make every repetition of every set of every exercise count toward your goal and leave the gym knowing you had a productive workout.  Arnold Schwarzenegger emphasizes the most important element of all exercises is to squeeze the muscle at its peak contraction - for at least three seconds.

* Check your workout routine for variables to change, such as exercise selection, reps., weights, timing, and your body part split (pairing of muscle groups for individual workouts).  

* Always go for intensity (not necessarily heavier weights) but push yourself to train hard and smart.  High reps., supersets, triple sets, and staying on your feet add up to greater energy, fat burn, and metabolism jump-start. 

* Cardio is best performed before breakfast or after weight training.  This is when your glycogen stores (energy in the form of carbohydrates) is most depleted and you will burn fat for fuel.  Intensity is everything, stop wasting your time and push yourself to perform like a machine, you will be fitter and smarter.

*Exercise your abs like an accordion.  As with all muscles; use resistance, lengthen to a full stretch, and squeeze the full contraction - holding for a three second count.  Visualize pulling your pelvic bone to your sternum and feel the burn as you create muscle fatigue.  

Step 3 - Check your work:

* After 10 - 14 days, look in the mirror and ask yourself: "Is what I am doing working?  Do I see a difference?  Are there ridges peaking out of my midsection?"  Think to yourself: "Are my pants getting looser?"  If the answer is yes, keep doing what you're doing.  If not, simply take some calories out (somewhere), squeeze your muscles with more intention, and stay on your feet as much as possible throughout the day.

So what are you waiting for?  Get in your kitchen, turn those nutrition labels upside down and write a shopping list of items you can purchase with lower calorie counts.  Then, sit down, write out a new workout routine and stick it in your gym bag for your upcoming workouts. 

And from now on: make every meal and every workout count toward your goal of lean, sexy abs.