I remember very clearly, at age 12, showing off my abs to my family.

"Look at them," I said, lifting my t-shirt to expose my flat stomach, and poking each protruding muscle in turn. All six of them.

"I've been working out," I smugly informed those in the vicinity, chomping away on their sausages and steak hot off the barbecue.

The adults laughed. Having a six-pack when you're a sickeningly skinny pre-pubescent child is quite the hilarious joke. Of course they didn't burst my bubble - that popped all on its own just a few months later.

That was the last time I had real, visible abdominal muscles. When I was a child.

Sure, I've gotten pretty close over the years, occasionally I'd be really into my sport, or running, and they would do their darndest to break through. I've had a strong stomach, a kinda slim stomach, a pretty flat stomach, but I've never had the kind of stomach I'd really want to show off. A showing off stomach is another level.

Imagine your top riding up as you reach for the top shelf, and thinking: "Oh yeah, go on boys, enjoy." The boys being the ones that are gathered in your kitchen for some unknown reason.

I want some lovely defined obliques, a subtle washboard, and just a pinch of fat covering it all, offering a touch of femininity to proceedings.

What I currently have is this:

Yep. I just posted a picture of myself in a crop top. That just happened.

And while I don't have any major beef with my body, I figure it could get a whole lot more awesome with the addition of a sweet-ass six-pack.

See?

I work out, I eat well, and yet the washboard has alluded me thus far. But I think I can get there. In fact, I don't think it's that far away at all - but it's that next level shit - I'm going to have to take some serious action to get there.

That means stopping being crap with my food choices (I'm good, but not that good), kicking up my workout regime, adding more intense ab exercises, drinking lots of water, getting heaps of fibre, and watching how much I eat.

I want to see how hard it is for me to get abs, so I'm going to go hardcore for seven days and see what happens. If I feel like I'm making progress, then I'll know I just need to push harder for longer and I'll get there. If nothing happens, I'll know whatever I'm doing just ain't enough.

I'm about to throw everything at it. I'm going to use the awesome Nike Training Club app, pilates, PowerPlate, a bit of BodyRock.tv, running, all the abdominal exercises I've posted to my Health & Wellbeing board on Pinterest, I'll start the two hundred situps challenge too, keeping up my motivation with my Spotify workout playlist (FYI: listening to sexy songs makes you 'work' like you're in da club - try shaking your money maker, or lighting your ass on fire) and we'll see what happens.

Let's get us some abs!