Instant Abs: The Five-Minute, Fast Results Workout

Having awesome abs doesn't have to mean doing countless crunches. In fact, you can build a rock-hard core without ever needing to do a single crunch at all. If you're looking for six-pack abs of steel in seconds to spare, these three core-challenging, bodyweight-only exercises are all you'll need to create a mighty midsection. To be honest, there are thousands of exercises you can do for your midsection. But I've found that after writing about health and fitness for over a decade, the workout routines that end up being the most effective for the average person are the ones that anyone can make time for.

When I wrote "The Body You Want in the Time You Have" for Men's Health, the editors told me the biggest issue readers had with exercise was having enough time to work out. So I devised a book for men and women that made it easy to exercise, even if you only have 10 minutes a week to devote to it.

To really make this abs program one that's impossible to resist, I designed it with that same theory in mind, choosing intense ab moves that offer more bang you're your buck -- so after five minutes, your abdominals will have little choice but feel their effects. Using three Pilates-inspired moves that punish your midsection from every angle, each of these three exercises keep your core muscles activated throughout the entire movement as you train them-so you yield even more results in even less time.

Now, the only excuse you have for not having a stronger, firmer midsection is ignoring this article. Give this workout a try three to five times a week and in a matter of weeks, you'll be glad you didn't.

Your Three-Way Routine

1. Toe Touch Sweeps
Lie flat on your back with your knees tucked up into your chest; arms down at your sides. Slowly extend your legs out and up so they're off the floor at a 45-degree angle as you simultaneously lift your torso off the floor at a 45-degree angle (You should look like the letter V). As you go, raise your arms up and reach as high as you can towards your feet.

Hold this pose for one to two seconds, then slowly raise your arms up over your head until they're in line with your torso (your upper arms will be next to your ears.) Slowly bring your arms down again so your hands are reaching for your feet once more, then slowly lower your legs, torso and arms back down to the floor. Do this entire cycle for as many reps as possible.

2. Crazy Eights
Lie on your back with your knees tucked up into your chest; arms down along your sides. Keeping your legs together, straighten them and raise them straight up so your heels are aimed at the ceiling.

Leaving your head and shoulders on the floor, slowly rotate your feet in a clockwise fashion and draw the number "8" in the air using just your feet. Once you've drawn it, reverse the motion and draw another figure eight, only this time, do it counter-clockwise. Draw as many "8's" as you can for one set. Repeat for eight circles (both sides). Do three sets.

3. V-Knee Tucks
Lie flat on your back with your knees tucked up into your chest; arms down at your sides. Slowly extend your legs out and up so they're off the floor at a 45-degree angle as you simultaneously lift your torso off the floor. As you go, extend your arms out in front of you with your hands along the outsides of your legs. This is the start position.

Now, slowly draw your left knee towards your chest, while keeping your right leg extended straight out in front of you. Straighten your left leg so you're back in the start position, then repeat the exercise, this time, drawing your right knee into your chest (keeping your left leg extended straight in front of you). Continue to alternate between your left and right leg for as many repetitions as possible.

To help shed the fat around your middle so you can see even more results, try these nutritional tips and this fat-blasting cardio workout.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have,Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and co-author of The Men's Health Gym Bible and Face It & Fix It: A Three-Step Plan to Break Free from Denial and Discover the Life You Deserve.