We all want it: sculpted abs, devoid of fat, that will turn heads and elevate your confidence to new levels.

Will it dramatically change your life and actually make you happier? Probably not, but achieving a 6-pack is a common goal that can help motivate people to make smarter choices with their lifestyle habits.

There is truth behind the fact that physical activity, both in and outside the gym, is a vital component to getting a 6-pack, but that isn’t all of it. The other half of it is diet and nutrition, which, I would say, is most important for building a 6-pack.

Here is why:

If we just look at exercise, there are a couple of components that can attribute to building the 6-pack of your dreams. 

• Cardio:

Depending on where you are at in terms of body composition, cardio may need to be introduced into your workouts to help burn calories and lose pounds, making it more likely to actually see ab definition.

• Resistance Training:

Lifting weights, whether you want a 6-pack or not, should absolutely be a habit that is conditioned into your routine. Muscle mass looks better than fat mass (obviously), which will make your midsection aesthetically more pleasing. Furthermore, a greater percentage of lean muscle mass will improve your metabolism and help you burn more calories at rest. This is what we want to not only get a 6-pack, but maintain it.

Both cardio and resistance training will help get you to a more flattering midsection, but diet has to be dialed in if you want a 6-pack.

You can do as much cardio and weightlifting as you want, but if your diet is poor, all of that hard work will be for naught. The saying is true: you can’t out train a bad diet. Body fat percentage needs to drop if you want to see your abs, and no one can get a lower body fat percentage if they are overeating or eating low, nutrient-dense foods.

This mean quantity and quality matter. Calorie-intake needs to decrease, and the percentage of processed foods needs to drop as well. Sure, you may know someone who lost weight eating processed foods, but for the majority of people, a diet filled with sugary, fat-dense foods usually leads to cravings for more of these foods, leading to overeating. And generally, a nutritious diet will do wonders for your energy levels, which will motivate you to move more and continue to make better, health-conscious choices.

In terms of macros, protein is king. At least 20% of your diet should come from protein, while carbohydrates and fat intake will drop–but just a little. You don’t want to drastically reduce calories or cut a certain macronutrient because it is usually not sustainable, and will cause you to fall off your diet. I like to suggest a gradual decrease in calorie-intake (about 10%), just to avoid a major blow to your system. You’re likely increasing activity, so to be able to sustain performance levels, you don’t want to go too much into a calorie-deficit.

In combination with a better diet, the No BS 6-Pack walks you through how to get shredded abs with a series of exercises, along with the Ripped Abs Healthy Diet Guide to take your nutrition to the level it needs for the ultimate 6-pack.