It seems like everyone wants to know how to get a great set of six-pack abs in "one easy lesson". Unfortunately, getting great abs requires both physical and mental work. It also requires a solid understanding of how and why people with well-developed abdominal muscles got there.

The reason this question comes up, is that getting there is easier said than done. Most of us believe that the key to getting ripped abs is a million crunches. We are bombarded on TV with a multitude of advertisements touting ab-exercise machines that are so much “better than” the traditional variety. In reality, the benefits of these gadgets are not nearly as great as those hawking them would like you to believe. So what is the reason that six-pack abs are so elusive?

The answer is that no matter how much you develop your abdominals, the six-pack will remain invisible until you remove the subcutaneous fat, which covers them. Sound obvious? If that were true, then everyone would focus on removing or burning fat as they built their abdominals. Your beautiful six-pack will forever remain behind the beer gut veil until you take positive action to remove it.

As mentioned above, getting “cut” involves removing fat – all over - while building muscles - all over, including your abdominals. These changes involve making a plan for both diet changes and muscle building. Making changes requires introspection – a hard look at your beliefs and habits. What is the optimal body fat percentage for your age and gender and how far are you from it? What are you eating? Do you know the caloric content of the foods you eat? How much are you eating - how big are your portions? How frequently are you eating? How much of your waking day are you physically active? Do work out now? How frequently? How long? What exercises are components of your routine? What is my level of aerobic fitness? What are your beliefs about eating. How do you view exercize? The answers to these questions will determine your plan.

Losing body fat is a simple equation - Calories In must be less than Calories Out. If you achieve that you begin to reveal that six-pack. The way to make the equation work to our benefit is to reduce the calories taken in AND increase calories expended. It provides the framework for developing a plan for eating the right kinds of foods in the right amounts and a plan for exercising to build all muscle groups. As lean muscle mass increases, the number of calories consumed will actually increase as well.

The answer to the question of “how to get six-pack abs quick” lies in a planned approach to create a negative balance in the calorie equation coupled with a systematic plan for building muscle and increase lean body mass.