Whether you’re hitting the gym to improve your sporting performance or look your best, establishing a solid muscle base and lowering body fat are the goal of most training regimes. Finding the best regime for you, your body shape and lifestyle is the hard part, along with the patience and determination required to succeed.

Seeing results in muscle gain and weight loss won’t just depend on how intense your workout is. First, you need to realise that some of the things you thought you knew about exercise are completely wrong. ‘Want big biceps? Do biceps curls.’ ‘Want a six-pack? Do crunches.’ This sort of advice has formed the basis of many training programmes – but it’s inadequate at best and plain wrong at worst.

A six-pack is top of the list when it comes to desirable body parts for men, yet the abs muscles often cause confusion when it comes to training. Here, we outline the science behind the six-pack and the best exercises for building yours.

Your six-pack is actually one sheet of muscle, called the rectus abdominis, which extends from your ribcage to your pubic bone. So any abs-specific exercise will work the entire area, but your rectus abdominis is supported by your external obliques, internal obliques and erector spinae. Together they support and manipulate your spine to form your 'core' - the muscular region that connects your upper and lower body. A strong core is vital for performing any dynamic movements in sport and for preventing back pain. So abs training is not just for show. It will make you stand taller and perform better in all areas of life.

Here's a selection of the best exercises for beginners to experts in building a rock-hard six-pack, plus variations so that you (and your muscles) don't get bored.  

Unless you burn fat while building mass, your hard-earned muscles will be hidden. The quickest way to fail on your fat-fighting mission is through a lack of discipline. But even if you are properly motivated, you need to ensure you aren’t making silly mistakes that will stall your belly fat burning progress.

• Banish stress 
• Get plenty of vitamin C
• Train with weights
• Don’t avoid fat
• Balance your fat intake
• Get a good night's sleep