HERE'S THE SKINNY ON ABDOMINALS:

Cardio and diet are the keys to whittle your middle. Only by lowering your body fat percent will those etched abs show through. The abdominal is one long muscle that is attached to the bottom of your breastbone and to the top of your pelvis. So think again if you believe crunches and other abdominal exercises alone will slim a bulging belly. Without the aerobic exercise to burn fat cells and the right food to minimize fat intake, a round stomach will only turn into a hard round stomach and not the lean one you're looking for. So once you've incorporated aerobic exercise and a good diet into your routine here are some other tips to achieve a f-AB-ulous body: Finding new exercises is a great thing for the muscle. Changing the routine keeps your abdominals in constant adaptation and out of their comfort zone. Ab exercises should be done slowly and precisely. Take time to really work the abdominal with good form.
For example, if you're doing crunches make sure to keep your eyes focused on the ceiling and that your shoulder blades clear the floor each time you crunch. If you can do 15 repetitions without a hint of strain in the muscle then you're probably doing them incorrectly or the movement is too easy. Always keep technique sharp, slow down and feel the burn.

Don't forget to breathe when you work your abdominals. You engage the hard to reach deep muscle fibers when you completely exhale through your mouth when lifting and inhale through your mouth when lowering.

One more thing to remember: heredity is a huge factor in how your belly will look. Be realistic with your looks. Even if you're doing everything correctly, you still may not look like the model in the magazine.