![]() Many of the units are inexpensive and include videos and booklets that provide a mini-course in ab conditioning and overall fitness. ![]() According to the study, researchers found that most of the claims made by ab machine manufacturers are greatly exaggerated and that the devices worked no better to stimulate muscle activity than good old-fashioned crunches or sit-ups.īut despite the surrounding hype, ab machines may not be without certain value. Fifteen to 20 minutes a day of high-intensity ab exercises is the minimum time required.Ī recently released study by the American Council on Exercise backs up Brungardt's evaluations. Assuming you're thin enough so that your washboard abs will be visible, producing the bulges and sculpted cuts seen on fitness models requires multiple sets of exercises and high repetitions. Will they deliver abs of steel in a few minutes a day? Again, no, according to Brungardt. The way to lose weight, according to Brungardt, consists of a 3-part plan: Regular muscle conditioning, regular aerobic workouts and a diet-preferably under the supervision of a doctor-that reduces intake of fat and calories. To lose weight somewhere on the body, you must lose it everywhere. Spot reduction, according to Brungardt, isn't physiologically possible. Will they reduce the spare tire around your gut? No, again. But unless you're as thin as a supermodel, the results will be hidden beneath a layer of fat. Regular usage may tighten stomach muscles (rectus abdominus, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse abdominus). Unlike the compact, lightweight roller devices, the Ab Works is a substantial, health-club-quality piece of equipment.Īfter working up a sweat with each of the units, it became clear that ab machines are genuinely capable of promoting flatter stomachs, but they also suffer from a classic fad-driven trait-overstating the benefits.įor example: Will they give you sculpted, rippling, sexy abs? No, according to Brungardt. A foot assembly at the lower end is used to add resistance during an exercise known as a reverse crunch, performed by pulling the knees up to the chest while the upper back remains motionless. The Ab Works is a padded sit-up board cut in half and hinged in the middle. The seventh unit is in a category by itself-the Ab Works by NordicTrack. Minor variations differentiate the units. The U-tubes provide a surface for the devices to perform a rocking/rolling motion when the grab handles are pushed forward. The upper tube functions as a grab handle. The lower connecting tube has a padded headrest. They are the Ab Coach, Ab Roller Plus, Ab Sculptor, Ab Toner, BodyShaping Ab Blaster Plus and Weider Ab Shaper.Įach model is composed of a pair of U-shaped metal tubes joined by a pair of connecting tubes. Six of the seven units in our test virtually copycat each other. Ab machines are intended to eliminate the strain and, according to manufacturers' claims, do much more. But studies by manufacturers and fitness organizations have found that exercisers often cite neck and lower-back strain as reasons why they stop doing crunches. off the floor while keeping your lower torso (lower back) in contact with the exercise mat.Īccording to Brungardt, doing crunches is simple and effective and no apparatus is needed. From this position, you raise your upper torso about 8 in. It begins with lying on a mat with your knees up, feet on the floor and hands crossed over your chest or lightly touching your head. So do these machines really work? The answer may not be what you expect.Īs gym rats know, the most frequently recommended exercise for building up the abdominal muscles is called a crunch. Since Brungardt's book was published, a whole industry dedicated to producing abs of steel has sprung up. In addition to being a personal trainer at the Crunch Gym in New York City, he's the author of a book that virtually started the abs craze in 1993, The Complete Book Of Abs. Then, we enlisted fitness guru Kurt Brungardt to help analyze their physiological value.īrungardt is a whip-thin, hard-bodied former wrestler who is one of the best-known fitness experts in the country. We worked out with each of the units for about two months, becoming familiar with their design, construction and directions. (Two devices didn't make it into the test. In the end, we wound up with seven different devices and thus began a rigorous, hands-on Popular Mechanics comparison test. In fact, we made four calls and ordered four different units, then went out and purchased five more at a sporting goods store. We were as curious as you about whether they really worked, so we picked up the phone and called. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
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