We all dream of having six pack abs. Why then do so few people have them? Getting a flat, muscular stomach is more than just doing some exercises…it is a lifestyle change.

All of the programs out there like P90X and all of the others are great and offer incredible workouts. Many do offer diet plans and advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but they all fail because the novelty wears off and the reality comes to the surface. It takes a lot of time to do an hour workout each day and prepare all the meals needed to maintain the program. For most body parts deviations are acceptable; however, abs play by a different set of rules.

The solution is to incorporate variety. Just like our financial advisers suggest diversifying, your body wants the same thing. Our abs and core are a very complicated muscle group. There are not exercises that work every single core muscle at once. This means that doing the same programs with the utmost discipline will not sustain a healthy core.

To get a six pack, the first thing you need to do is get your diet under control. Just like a financial budget, you need to watch how many calories you are taking in and how many you are burning. You will never win the battle of the bulge if you can’t complete step one.

Next, morning exercise is vital. When you do something that gets the heart pumping and muscles flexing early on in the day, your body continues to work throughout the rest of the day. It has been proven that when you do morning exercise, your metabolism spikes and your body will continue to deplete its fat stores for up to 36 hours later. I would suggest finding a 15-minute yoga routine. It will focus your mind and run your muscles through their paces first thing. Just do a search for 15 minute yoga routines and you will have plenty to choose from.

Even these two things will not get you to your goal. Next, there needs to be ab specific exercises three times a week that push your core to failure. P90X’s ab ripper program is my favorite system to accomplish this when I can’t make it to the gym.

Lastly, after all the dieting, morning exercise, ab specific exercise, there is one more key ingredient and that is cardio. A solid cardio routine of three days a week for at least 25 minutes each time helps your body to better process those calories and a strong heart keeps the oxygen flowing to your recovering muscles.

Abs are one of the hardest muscle groups to get toned, but with a lifestyle change you will get there in time.