The core factor

Gyms are filled with people trying to 'get abs' by doing thousands of sit-ups, crunches, planks and loads of other exercises to 'target the core'.

They have been led to believe that the key to having a great-looking stomach is to work the stomach muscles. But hold on... If this were true don't you think that all of the world's strongest man competitors would have super-chiselled abs? They are incredibly strong in their cores.

Unfortunately, getting a well-defined tummy is not as much about abs as it is about flab

You see, we all have six-pack abs. They are a group of muscles responsible for holding your spine in place. If you can stand upright, then you have the abs you so badly desire.

If you can't SEE your abs, it's because you have a layer of fat covering them.

If you can't SEE your abs, it's because you have a layer of fat covering them. Doing ab exercises makes your abs bigger. All this does is push the layer of fat further forward... it doesn't make your abs blast through the fat.

The most important thing to get right if you want to have a visible set of abs is to get leaner.

How?

The thing that makes the most difference is eating the right foods in the right quantities. Start with getting 80% of your diet from plant-based foods - veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, whole grains and legumes - and you're on the right track to get a tight, toned tummy.

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