Despite blasting "diet meals" in the Bowflex commercial, fitness model TJ Hoban tells TMZ -- he got his shredded abs nearly ENTIRELY by eating well ... not from using the Bowflex machine. Shocker.
According to TJ -- who proved his abs were 100% legit last night in Hollywood by lifting up his shirt -- the real secret behind a chiseled stomach isn't busting your ass on some trendy machine ... "It's all about diet man."
It's pretty crazy ... considering TJ squarely bashes diet plans in the Bowflex commercial -- claiming, "no diet plan" can build muscle and burn fat like the Bowflex machine.
We called Bowflex for comment -- no word back yet.
As for TJ's one super secret fat-melting ingredient in his ab-shredding diet plan -- check out the video ...