Getting six pack abs and losing stubborn belly fat seem to be quite a difficult task for many. It really all comes down to two factors. However, many do not realize just how important these factors are in order to have any success with losing stomach fat and getting six pack abs. What are they? They are, of course, exercise and diet. I’m sure you probably already knew that, but it comes down to how you follow these to reach your goal.

Let me first just get it out there. Forget the term “weight loss” completely out of your mind forever. It’s not about losing weight, it’s about improving your appearance to what you want. You can’t just expect to “lose weight” and you’ll be satisfied with yourself. Instead, you need to exercising and dieting to lose fat and build muscle. Now, when I day build muscle, I do not mean you have to become this big bodybuilder. No, becomes for most of you, I’m sure that’s not your goal at all. You just want to improve you’re overall appearance. However, in order to do that you need to improve your body composition, which is where building your muscles up comes in.

To point I’m trying to make is that since you want to improve your overall appearance, you’re going to have to burn fat and build up your muscles.

Losing stomach fat and/or getting six pack abs can be quite a task, but by following these 10 rules to getting six pack abs, you’ll be well on your way to a new and improved body.

Rule #1 - Eliminate all refined sugars from your diet. I know this is probably the hardest rule to follow, but it’s very important that you follow it. No more candy, soda, juices, etc that are high in sugar. Sugar turns into fat especially stomach fat. You know, that squishy padding on top of your abdominal muscles. With fat in the way, there is no way you’ll have a six pack.

Rule #2 – Drink water everyday. Although it’s very important to drink water everyday to stay hydrated, water also helps your digestive system and washes out toxins in your body. Drinking water will also help you burn that belly fat. Try to aim for about 8 glasses of water a day or so. I follow the rule of drinking where you take the number of half your body weight and that’s how much you drink each day in ounces. For example, for someone who weights 150lbs, they would drink 75 ounces of water each day.

Rule #3 – Eat 6 meals a day or eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Eating 6 meals a day (1 every 2 1/2 to 3 hours) will help increase your metabolism. This will help because your body won’t store as much fat like with a slow metabolism.  These meals should, of course, consist of healthy, natural foods like lean meats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.

Rule #4 – Eat Carbohydrates that are high in fiber. I’m sure you’re noticing the pattern that the first set of rules all has to do with your diet. This is because your diet is the most important when it comes to getting six pack abs. You could performing all sorts of ad workouts, but without the proper diet, you’ll  never see those abs in tall their glory. Throw out anything you’ve heard about carbohydrates making you fat. They are essential to a health diet, however it comes down to where you get them. Consume carbohydrates that are high in fiber like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc. This helps your digestive system, which is essential to decreasing the amount of fat your body stores.

Rule #5 – Along with Carbohydrates, eat plenty of protein. I like to stick to the 40-40-20 rule. This means that for the total amount of calories I consume each day, 40 % is protein, 40% is carbohydrates and 2-% healthy fats. For best results, you want to keep carbohydrates and protein very well balanced.

Rule #6 – Healthy Fats only. Avoid all that junk food that are loaded with fat. Consume only healthy fats, which are found in non-processed foods  like organic meats, avocado, olive oil, and coconut.

Rule #7 – Perform Ab workouts after each workout. I preferably like to perform about 2 different abdominal exercises after each workout whether the day was strength training or cardio.

Rule #8 - Stick with compound exercises. Many seem to believe that in order to get a six pack, all you need to do is perform abdominal exercises. However, just like your diet, other exercises that workout other muscles in your body is very important. This will help you build muscles and burn more fat and calories, decreasing the fat all over your body.

Rule #9 – Perform the right kind of cardio. Now, let me clarify, that doesn’t mean that there is good cardio and bad cardio, but there are some exercises that are more effective than others. Going on a jog on a treadmill for 30 minutes is fine, however you could be burning much more calories and fat faster if you performed interval training, instead of steady training. My interval training consists of a nice 5 minute warm-up, I may be walking or going for a light jog. Then after 5 minutes I sprint for 30 seconds and then job for 1 minute and then sprint again for 30 seconds. I do this for about 6 times each workout.

Rule #10 – Consistency. Just one word, consistency. If you want to get six pack abs, then you have to be consistent. Don’t think for a second that if you do a little bit hear and there, you’ll have a six pack. Not even close, you really need to stick with your routine to get the six pack abs you really want.

So those are my 10 rules to getting six pack abs. All of these are very important to follow if you want to get those six pack abs you’ve always dreamed of having or perhaps, once had. Stick to those rules and you’ll see significant results before your very eyes.