The secret to visible abs is no secret at all: You have to develop your core muscles and lower your body’s percentage of fat. You can train your abs all you want, but if your diet isn’t in check, you’ll never see that six-pack.

If you need to lose belly fat, your healthy diet should consist mostly of whole, unprocessed foods, such as lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limiting processed foods and added sugar helps prevent excess fat gain. Consume fewer calories than you burn daily if you have belly fat to lose.

Let’s face it—a toned and trim mid-section is an eye-catching sight. Beautiful to behold—it’s the sign of a truly fit body. But, those hard abs are more than aesthetics alone. Developing a six-pack will help to strengthen your back and legs and the exercises for your abs can help to train other parts of your body, too.

To get good abs, you have got to develop your core muscles. Your core is the center of your strength. So, just where is your core? The major core muscles are found in the belly and mid and lower back. These muscles engage regularly during the day, not just during exercising. They serve as the axis of all your activity—providing you the ability to stabilize, twist and bend.

Whether playing a game of tennis, simply reaching across a table to clear the dishes, stretching to reach the upper shelf of a bookcase, or bending down to pick up a child, you utilize very small muscles in the body to keep yourself steady. Even the act of walking relies on core muscle strength to stay upright. Certainly the large muscles of the legs are working hard to propel your body forward, however the large muscles would not be able to perform their function if not for those small muscles found throughout your torso, between your shoulders and your hips.

To engage your core, imagine that you are pushing your belly button towards your back. Not merely sucking in your gut, engaging the core wakes up all the abdominal muscles and prepares them for battle. When engaging your core, you should be breathing normally, so don’t hold your breath.

Practice engaging your core at all times, when you sit, stand, work and play. In addition to the above exercises, keeping your core engaged will really make a difference in the definition of your abdominal muscles. Focus on form and make sure your abs engage in every rep. Be consistent and persistent in your goal. You will get there and you will love the way you look.