Late-night infomercials often highlight exercise devices that claim to chisel six-pack abs into your body. However, most of these contraptions do not work the abdominal muscles hard enough to get the results you desire in terms of losing belly fat fast. The key to working the midsection properly is to perform exercises that engage all angles in your core. Working the front of the abs, external obliques and lower back will help you develop a flat, well-defined midsection fast.
Crunches
Perform crunches to work the muscles on the front of the abs. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and keep your elbows open. Exhale and lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Keep space between your chin and chest to prevent straining the neck. Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat for three sets of 25 repetitions.
Side Crunches
Side crunches engage the external obliques to work the sides of the waist. Begin on your side with your lower arm in front of you on the floor and legs straight. Place your upper hand behind your head. Exhale and lift your upper body and your feet off the floor simultaneously, while crunching into your side. Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat for three sets of 25 repetitions on each side. Make sure to keep your hips even and don't let them rock back or forwards to facilitate the movement.
Planks
Planks work all angles of the abdominal muscles and the lower back. Start in a military style push-up position. Lower your body onto your elbows and hold for 30 seconds. Keep your spine in a straight line from head to toe. Repeat for three sets of 30 seconds. As your strength improves, increase the time to 45 to 60 seconds.
Burpees
Do burpees to strengthen your core. Begin standing with your hands at your sides. Place your hands on the floor and whip your feet back, ending in a push-up position. Perform one push-up. Jump your feet back in by your hands and stand up. Do one rocket jump straight into the air with hands overhead. Repeat for three sets of 15 repetitions.
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