What You Really Need for Flat Abs

Despite what you think, ab exercises are NOT the number one thing you need to do for flat abs. In fact, getting flat abs requires hard work, commitment and something else you have no control over: cooperative genes.

The only way to get flat abs is to lose body fat and you already know what that requires:

1. Regular cardio exercise
2. Strength Training for the ENTIRE BODY (treating the abs just like any other muscle in the body)
3. A healthy, low-calorie diet

You must get all three of these (especially your diet) right on a consistent basis in order to even get close to flat abs. And, something else important: If you've lost body fat and you still don't have flat abs, don't be terribly surprised. Many of us will never see that six-pack because:

* The body fat level required to get flat abs is lower than you can sustain with your current lifestyle/schedule, or
* The body fat level required is lower than is healthy for your body to function.

So, even if you follow a perfect program and a perfect diet, flat abs still may elude you. Does that mean you should give up? You shouldn't give up on exercise but, maybe, giving up the ideal of six-pack abs is exactly what you need to make your life better.

Giving Up on the 'Ideal'

Now you know the truth: The goal to get flat abs may:

* Require more exercise than your schedule will allow and more than you can mentally handle
* Require more attention to your diet than you're willing/able to expend
* Require more strict adherence to diet/and exercise than you have the time or energy to spare
* Not be in your genetic cards

If that's the case, maybe it's time to get rid of that goal. It may seem foreign to imagine an exercise life without it, but it's possible and tossing that goal may actually be a relief, allowing you to focus on what you CAN change.

Now's the time to ask yourself:

* Do I really want flat abs?
* Am I willing to work as hard as I need to to get them?
* If I will work that hard, am I willing to accept that it still may not happen, even if I do everything right?
* If I did get six-pack abs, what will that change in my life? What will flat abs actually do for me?
* What would happen if I let go of this ideal and focused on other goals?

Accepting that your body works as a whole and not in pieces and parts is the first step towards releasing that ideal body that lurks in your mind and embracing the one you have now--belly flab and all. Maybe it's time to finally let that goal go and realize you aren't a failure for not reaching it.