Does the XXX ab machine/gadget work?
There are several types of abdominal machine provided in gyms and many more plastic varieties available in stores and via mail order. These things mostly are not much better than doing the ab exercises listed in this FAQ, many of them are significantly worse. The more complex ones that you find in gyms have the advantage of progressive resistance, but you can achieve very similar effects by simply holding weight plates during crunches. To evaluate whether a machine is worth using should be reasonably simple – if it encourages an ab contraction under a load it’s good, if not don’t bother. An ab contraction (as explained in Question 4) is when the sternum is pulled toward the pubic bone or vice versa as the main action. The fundamental thing is to have good form in ab exercises, no machine can force that. If you have the form, machines are not greatly useful. Dissenting opinions are welcomed (and will probably be included in the FAQ) as are reviews of popular ab gadgets and machines.
