THE ROAD TO A SIXPAK

What is the fastest way to build a great set of abs? I want to have a great set of abs next week for my girlfriend's party. One ad I read claimed that doing 10 minutes of ab exercises with its machine every morning gets you shredded. What do you think?

Fred Bimbrelle
Manhattan, New York

What do I think? I think you have to be a complete nitwit to believe an ad like that? Haven't you ever heard the expression, "Don't believe everything you read"? I hate to burst your bubble but there is no fast way to get a great set of abs.

Building an awesome set of abdominals takes a lot of hard work. To create and maintain a great sixpak you have to be consistent with your diet, weight training and cardio program. Believe me when I tell you that unless you are a genetic wonder you have to do all three of these things to sport a defined midsection.

Don't be fooled by the various advertisements, for ab machines and quick-fix diet programs. You are more likely to strike oil in your backyard than get a ripped sixpak by using one of these machines. Don't expect by using only this machine you will have abs like a Greek statue.

The same goes for those diet programs. You. just can't diet without exercising and expect to have a sixpak like a MuscleMag model. As I said before, all three of these components (diet, weight training, cardio) have to be in perfect harmony to get awesome abs.

Consider this point. Why do the abs of pro bodybuilders, fitness women and figure models look the best on the day of the show? Could it be because they train with weights, do tons of cardio and watch everything they put in their bodies for 10 to 12 weeks?

Why do actors who are commended on their new bodies always say they have been dieting and working out with a great trainer? The reason is that there are no quick fixes, magic potions or pills for obtaining ripped abs.

l suggest you read MuscleMag from cover to cover and then put together a plan with the three components I discussed earlier. Best of luck.