Sculpting a decent four-pack requires tenacity, but it's carving out your lower abs to complete The Magnificent Six that really takes some dedication. And not just in the gym. “You can’t out-train a bad diet,” says Phil Learney, personal trainer at The Third Space gym in London. Forget what you thinkyou need to do to pack muscle on your midriff and combine Learney’s simple nutritional rules alongside his precisely calibrated workout routine to get great definition in just four weeks.

Diet

Use Learney’s 10 simple nutritional tenets to supercharge your core musculature. “Employ these dietary changes and you’ll spark up your metabolic rate and get your mid-section functioning correctly,” he says.

1. Avoid refined and processed foods wherever possible.

2. Try to eat six times a day – around every three hours.

3. With every meal, use a portion of protein as your base. Think eggs, fish, chicken, and other lean meats.

4. Between meals snack on nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, or small bags of snap peas.

5. For breakfast and your second meal, make sure you get some starchy carbs – oatmeal, rye, or sprouted bread – and a piece of fruit.

6. For lunch, sweet or regular potato, brown rice and quinoa are all excellent options.

7. For your evening meal, try to get some veg – but avoid root veg and any starchy carbs.

8. Drink lots of water.

9. Every 10 days give yourself one cheat meal. It can be anything you want. This might seem strict, but if you’re trying to reveal your abs in just four weeks such gastronomic sacrifices are necessary.

10. Consume one of these post-workout shakes as soon as possible after your workout. Aim for around 40-50g carbs and 20-30g protein. “This stabilises your hormonal system to enable tissue regeneration and keeps blood sugar stable,” explains Learney.