At one time, I told people I definitely had "six-pack" abs. They looked at me, not wanting to laugh, but wondering where those abs lay. At the time I was "hopelessly" overweight. And yes, I was very much aware of it. Obviously one look at my physical condition and they knew there had to be a punch line.

I'd point to be my torso area and say "Yep, they're right there. Underneath the bags of potato chips and cheese puffs. If you look really closely you might be able to see it."

It doesn't matter right at this moment whether you can see your abs or not. We'll take care of that as we go along. What really matters right now is that you're committed to eventually seeing your abs -- and in the process strengthening them.

Now, even before we begin, let's get a few items cleared up. When you work toward your new look -- in the past it used to be called that "washboard" look. (But I guess more people know what a six pack is these days than a washboard.) -- you're going to be working more than just one muscle group.

And while you're calling them your abs, you also need to realize that many sports experts and fitness gurus are calling this midsection your "core." It's a growing trend not only in sports medicine to take care of these muscles, but even the medical community is learning that the