The elusive six-pack.

Something we all want but what most of us just can’t seem to get.

It’s not genetics and it’s certainly not a stroke of luck.

Forget diet pills, crunches, and ab machines.

The fact is, diet pills aren’t natural.

Heck, most of them don’t work anyway.

Crunches can end up hurting your back, and ab machines are … well, pointless.

Maybe you’ve already tried and failed.

Maybe you’ve simply gotten tired of trying to figure out how to get a six pack fast.

Whatever your reason, this short guide will give you insight to some key steps to helping you obtain the ideal look for your abs.

The 2 Key Steps to Getting Six Pack Abs Fast

Watching Calories

This is a fundamental step and one that you’ve heard countless times before … watch your calories.  Again, this is VERY IMPORTANT.  Watch how much goes in and how much goes out.

If you don’t reduce your calories, it won’t matter how many different exercise routines you do.

You simply won’t see a difference.

You have to burn more calories than you consume or you’ll just end up having a layer of fat floating over your stomach (among other areas) covering the muscles you worked so hard for.

Another important tip … consume the right type of calories.

All calories are not the same so don’t go crazy with donuts and sodas.

Don’t expect your body to process these types of calories the same way it would with vegetables or other foods that have any nutritional value because it won’t.

Exercise

The second step is to concentrate on exercise routines.

There are a number of exercises you can do that will get you ripped abs.

You’ll just have to follow some of the programs or create your own routines and stick to them.

One of the most popular and effective ab core exercises are the planks.

There are a various plank exercises you can do and if done correctly, they can be very effective.

They build isometric strength for posture not to mention your waistline.

Leg raises/lifts are another great exercise you can perform for your lower abs.

The weight of your legs becomes the resistance and after the first few reps you’ll understand why these are so effective.

There are many, many other ab core exercises you can perform.

Some exercises are full body routines that happen affect your abs indirectly.

Just do a quick search online and you’ll find some decent instructions freely available for you to follow.

Buying a Program

What if you just want to follow a video program from your home?

If you are looking for an ab program, here’s a tip …

Consider the instructors and/or the fitness regimen itself.

You’re working out from home for a reason(s) so if the instructors are requiring you to use certain pieces of equipment, you can just eliminate those from your list if you so choose.

Although having the equipment they mention in some of the videos may be beneficial to some degree, you don’t really need to follow those routines.

Focus on the programs and routines that only require the use of your body weight … and NO CRUNCHES or SIT-UPS.

Crunches and sit-ups are old school and can only end up hurting your back.

The types of programs and instructors we would recommend following are those that train with athletes.

That’s a surefire way to get your abs and the rest of your body looking the best it has ever been.

Take fighters for example, most of them train their core for strength and power.

That’s why they are considered to have the best and strongest abs in any sport.

One recommended program is 4 Minute Fighter Abs.

Created by Andrew Raposo, a North American Muay Thai (Kick Boxing) Champion and a 2 time Provincial Gold Medalist in boxing, 4 Minute Fighter Abs takes routines commonly used in high-intensity interval training workouts or HIIT and breaks them down into short intervals totaling around 4 minutes a day making it perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time to spend working out but want to do the most effective ab core workouts within that short time frame.

Combine it with a strength training program and you’ll torch the layers of fat quicker than you know.

Read our 4 Minute Fighter Abs review if you want our full opinion on it.

Another program you may want to consider is Shaun T’s Insanity Fast and Furious Abs DVD.

Chances are, you’ve already heard of Shaun T or his Insanity program and if you’ve ever tried it, you know how incredibly effective it is.

The Fast and Furious Abs takes bits of the Insanity program and creates an effective abs workout routine that is guaranteed to get you a six pack fast.

Remember, you don’t need crunches or sit-ups to get rid of that waistline and you certainly don’t need any tools or operations.

These two are only suggestions but come highly recommended due to their effectiveness and how quickly it affects your waistline.