Just a few minutes a day can turn flab into abs to be proud of. If you can find just 8 minutes, this abs workout will incinerate belly fat and shape and tone your mid-section.

You can work all your abdominal muscles effectively if you do this simple workout that covers just four moves in eight minutes. We will do only these four exercises:

• Classic Crunches
• Planks
• Cross Crunches
• Rope Climbs

That’s all it takes! If you want to, you can modify the exercises to make them a little harder, to push yourself further. Or if you are just getting started, you can make them less strenuous and ease your way in.

The important thing is to focus on your form. It’s not about how long you spend working out, but rather how well you execute the exercise – more on that subject later on. So follow along with the video below, doing each exercise for 45 seconds, and taking a 15-second rest in between. Then all you have to do is repeat everything…easy, right?

Getting Your Form Right

Now you know what to do, and how little time it takes. So to make sure you get the very best out of this short routine, let’s get into form in more detail. That will allow you to maximize your results and optimize your fitness. We’ll go through the exercises one by one:

#1. Classic Crunches

The great thing about classic abdominal crunches is that they are simple to perform. You are not trying to do a full sit-up – you are only aiming to stimulate your rectus abdominis muscle. By keeping the range of motion shorter, you ensure that you are focused on that muscle only, building up strength and endurance.

To do this exercise correctly, start flat on your back. Your knees should be bent, and your heels close to your buttocks. Then raise your hands to your temples, keeping your elbows at a 35-45 degree angle from your body.

Bring your shoulder blades off the ground, exhaling as you do so. Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly allow yourself to fall back to the floor.

#2. Planks

Planks may seem demanding at first, but they can do wonders for your abs. Learn how to do them correctly, and you will firm up your abs at a rapid pace.

To start, place your hands directly under your shoulders, a little more than shoulder-width apart. The position is the same as if you were about to do a push-up.

Push your toes into the floor while squeezing your glutes to stabilize your body. Use your legs to help you in the move, but don’t lock or overextend your knees.

Stay focused on a spot on the floor about a foot beyond your hands. This will keep your neck and spine in good alignment. Ensure that your head is in line with your back.

Stay as still as you can in this position for about 20 seconds, without allowing your body to sag. Keep your form as rigid as you can.

#3. Cross Crunches

Cross Crunches are a great way to build a great all-round fitter look because they bring additional muscles into play, while still giving your abs a great workout. Focus on getting a good range of motion to get the most benefit.

Start by lying flat on your back, bending your knees to around 60 degrees. Your feet should be flat on the floor, and your hands placed loosely behind your head.

Curl your body up, bringing your left elbow and shoulder across your body. At the same time, bring your right knee in towards your shoulder. Reach out with your elbow and do your best to touch your knee, exhaling as you do so.

Don’t let your elbow do all the work, however. Ensure that you are contracting your abs at the same time. Then repeat the exercise on the opposite side of your body. Continue alternating from side to side until you have finished.

#4. Rope Climbs

You don’t need an actual rope for this exercise…we are just pretending! The whole exercise is done sitting on a mat. You can do this exercise with your feet flat on the ground, but you can make it more intense by raising your feet off the ground.

Stretch your right hand high in the air, reaching up as high as you can. Then pull on an imaginary rope, as if you were hauling yourself off the ground. Then repeat with the other arm, and keep going until you finish the exercise.

More Great Abs Tips

Do this abs routine once a day, and you will be amazed at what you can achieve. Just think…at eight minutes a day, that works out at less than an hour a week. That’s a small investment to transform the way you look, right?

To help you get optimal results from this program, here are another ten tips that will help you take your results to the next level:

Believe in your ability to get results. We’ve all had disappointments in our efforts to get into shape, but that doesn’t mean you’re not capable of doing the job. Past failures are not an indication of future performance…believe you can do it!

Stick to your exercise routine consistently. Just eight minutes a day really is enough to get impressive results, but only if you stick to the routine day in, day out. You can take a rest day once a week, but don’t be tempted to skip too many routines…it will slow your progress.

Follow a high-protein, low-carb diet based on eating 4-6 small meals a day. This will help you curb hunger and keep your energy levels high throughout the day.

Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. You burn fat at a faster rate when you have the right level of hydration, because your metabolism will run at a higher level. You should always drink 6-8 glasses of water per day.

Don’t hold your breath! When you are working hard on an exercise, it is tempting to hold your breath until you finish a rep. But your muscles need oxygen to function, so it is important to keep breathing regularly and naturally.

Although we want to get through this workout in eight minutes, don’t try to do it any faster. You will get more from each rep if you do the exercises at a slower pace, forcing your muscles to support you through the full range of motion.

Remember that diet is just as important as exercise. There is no point in building up great abs muscles if they are hidden under layers of fat. You need to get down to a low level of body fat for your abs to show through. For women, this level is about 14 per cent, and for men it is around 12 per cent.

Start the day with a good breakfast to kick start your metabolism. Many people skip breakfast thinking they will shave off some extra calories. But all too often, their energy flags by mid-morning, and they binge on sugary or fattening snacks to boost their energy. That is counterproductive!

Be sure to get enough sleep every night. Your muscles don’t grow while you are working out; they grow in the recovery stage afterwards. Cutting your sleep short may mean you are missing out on vital muscle growth.

If you want to do some additional activity to complement these abs exercises, try yoga or Pilates. These are great for building your core strength, as well as improving your overall flexibility.

Work Up to Amazing Abs

So now you have a solid and workable plan for building up to impressive abs in a relatively short space of time. No matter how busy you are, you can always find eight minutes in your day to do a quick workout, right?

So don’t put this off…make a start today. Then try to do your workout at the same time every day from then onwards. If you do this every day for 30 days, your new routine will become a habit – and then it will be much easier to stick to your plan and see real results.

Then six months from now, you can look in the mirror and think…WOW!