What is the best AB workout machine inn the market?
149408
Absolutely, positively, without a doubt NONE!!!  Save your money and stay away from any and all AB machines if your interested in showing off a six pack.  \n\nFor the upper abs, focus on crunches which effectively work the abdominals better than sit-ups or any machine on the market.\n\nFor the lower abs, keep in mind there is very little muscle tissue there so decreasing levels of body fat is the most effective way to bring out the best in this area.\n\nRegarding exercises for the lower abs, you need to try and disengage your hip flexors (psoas muscles) as much as possible so that they don't override any efforts to contract your abs. That's why it's very important to never anchor your feet under any fixed device when doing situps. \n\nHanging leg raises, v-situps and reverse curls are among some of the best exercise for this region.\nAlways make sure your pelvis curls up to maximize lower abdominal contraction during these exercises.\n\nHere's a link with a complete list of ab exercises:\nhttp://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises_abdominals.html\n\nAlso here's a tool to help you evaluate your stength in this region compared to the population average (note: only anchor your feet for testing purposes only and not during your workouts)\n\nhttp://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/sit-up_test.html\n\nI would advise to seek the advice of a personal trainer for proper execution and intensity.
1132688
There is a product on the market called the Ab-Lounger.  You might want to check into this.  Use Ab-Lounger as your keyword.
851977
The best ab video I've done is Pilates Abs Workout with Ana Caban.  It really focuses on the abs with very good results (as long as you do it)!\n\nSome other videos that I like are Self Bikini Ready Fast and Self Slim and Sleek Fast.  These both feature Ellen Barrett and are circuit-style workouts.  They have a lot of standing ab work that is different, but effective.
1179319
Hi, I'm a personal trainer. If you still can, I would get my money back. This machine is a poorly designed contraption that makes it HARD to use your abs. The design allows you to "cheat" by pulling with the arms or the thigh muscles. The hardest part of the exercise is trying to use the muscles it's designed to target. I would spend my money on a couple of sessions with a personal trainer to design you a program you can follow.  There are also some great workout videos such as "Great Abs Guaranteed" from www.beachbody.com that are a good workout with no equiptment. I have personally worked with clients who used the device and it was easy to see that they were not working their abs much at all.  Also, the machine focuses on only 1 major muscle group when you abdominals are comprised of about 6. Pilates is actually about the best exercise out there for abdominals if you can find a class. The videos are hard to follow and don't explain the details very well.
765781
We have found The Total Gym to be wonderful.  It really has so many exercises (80+ if you really follow their video and instructions, or you can pick and choose).  The resistance exercises allow you to exercise without pressure on your joints. We enjoy the ability to work out at home without having to go to a gym.  And the Total Gym has the workout apparatus that makes it possible for you to do much without going to a gym.   See their website for much more information.  Also, we enjoy The Urban Rebounder, which is like a mini trampoline, and when we put music on, it's a lot of fun and A LOT of exercise.  They have DVDs to keep your training interesting, from Beginner through all kinds of dance, sports, or other kinds of exercise.  I mostly use the Ballet DVD and my husband generally uses the Skiing DVD.  The only objection to it that we have it that the bouncing is hard on the bladder - - -but if you start off easily and work your way to more endurance, it's fun.  Home Shopping Network (HSN.Com) has it for about $99.00 right now.
906648
go to www.bellaonline.com under weight loss and fitness they have great ab exercises
967422
I bought my elliptical a year ago and it is still very quiet... I found it in consumer reports as being one of the best...\nthe brand is schwinn.\nit was 'best' for under $1000, and $1000 - $2000.\ngood luck
414662
The AB Lounger? It sure looks like it would be but it would not be if you don't use it everyday.\nThe key is to do something every day.\nJust do 50 crunches a day and it will show results.\nDo 5 minutes a day of crunches, EVERY day and you will see results almost immediatey.\nThe ab lounger looks like it would be good for someone who is already pretty toned in the mid section. For anyone else, especially a beginner, it would be too difficult and they would get discouraged and give up.\n\nThere is a belt calld the Flex Slimtone belt sold on http://www.hsn.com that I ordered and IT is pretty good. You have to put it on every day for 20 minutes and it shocks your stomach muscles so they contract over and over. But it STILL is not as good as plain old crunches if you do them every day. But the belt is good if you are lazy about it. It works some, not as good as crunches, but some.
226000
My opinion is to BUY it. Workout at home saves you time, and you can take a shower right after at your own place. Good idea to have one at home.\n\nThe Nordic Track CX 938 Elliptical is an extremely popular elliptical trainer with buyers.  Priced at $599 it is certainly affordable for many elliptical buyers - but is it worth it? Here's a review of the Nordic Track CX 938 Elliptical to help you decide if it's right for you. \n\nMain Features:\n\nSMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance - Magnetic resistance uses magnetic pull to create the resistance in your workout.  This makes for a very quiet workout.  Choose from 10 intensity levels to target specific workout and conditioning goals. \n\nOversized Pedals - helps you find a comfortable foot hold or change the length of your stride for an optimal workout.\n\niFit Compatible - The Nordic Track 938 CX can run optional iFIT.com® workouts in addition to the workouts built-in to your console. This can help fight off exercise boredom and burn more calories over the long run.\n\nClearView™ Backlit Console - This easy to read, backlit console keeps track of speed, time, distance, calories, carbs, pulse, resistance and revolutions per minute\n\nTarget Pacer - This tool lets you know when you need to work a little harder or slow down – so you know you can optimize your exercise time and burn max calories.\n\nNordic Track Warranty - All Nordic Track elliptical trainers are covered for one year on the frame, motor, parts and all labor charges.\n\nWorkout Fans -  Four fan settings let you choose between low, medium, high or AutoBreeze™, which automatically changes the airflow to match the speed of your elliptical.\n\nPros: The Nordic Track CX 938 elliptical is one of the better 'economy' buys on the market, especially with the silent magnetic resistance and the one year warranty.  If you are on a tight budget, the CX 938 is truly affordable. It also is fairly smooth and silent.\n\nCons: This is a very basic elliptical.  It does not offer incline capability (as does the upgraded Nordic Track 998) and the console is limited. While the 1 year warranty is ok, don't plan on using this machine for years.\n\nBottom Line: At this price point, if you are extremely limited in funds, the Nordic Track CX 938 is definitely a good value.  It is quiet and smooth in operation.  \n\nHowever, if you can spend a bit more there are several other better options like the Nordic track 998 or even the Schwinn 418.
917653
I have an elliptical.  It's fun, it works, and it gives a great workout.  I have one I got for around $800 from Dick' Sporting Goods online, so you aim for a nice one, but I wouldn't buy one without trying it out.  Go to your local Y and work out on one -- see if you like it.
453179
You haven't mentioned the specifics of your workout routine and what you've done that isn't working for you.  So here is some specific information about working the abdominals.\n\nFirst and foremost, stay away from any ab machine as they are simply a waste of money and barely effective.\n\nThe abdominal muscles work just like any other muscle and have to be challenged as such.  High-repetition crunches will work nothing more than your endurance.  If you want muscular abdominals, you have to challenge them with resistance and good form just like you would your chest, your back or any other muscle for that matter.  Targeting the correct muscle fibers and energy system is imperative.  This means you should never enter into the aerobic phase of this exercise, ideally keeping it under 2 minutes at most.  \n\nThink of rolling a carpet and contracting fully on the top of the movement and squeeze.  If you do them correctly, you shouldn't be able to do more than 30 crunches.  Any more than that, and you're probably doing them half-azz, incorrectly or with a partial range of motion.\n\nFor the upper abs, focus on crunches which effectively work the abdominals better than sit-ups or any machine on the market.\n\nFor the lower abs, keep in mind there is very little muscle tissue there so decreasing levels of body fat is the most effective way to bring out the best in this area. Hanging leg raises, v-situps and reverse curls are among some of the best exercise for this region. Always make sure your pelvis curls up to maximize lower abdominal contraction during these exercises.\n\nAs far as fat loss goes, cardio, cardio, cardio. In the morning, on an empty stomach at about 70% of your maximum heart rate for about 30-45 minutes. This combined with a common sense diet will quickly shed body fat so you can actually see those abs you've developed. \n\nI would encourage you to seek the advice and guidance of a personal trainer in your area for further education on these principles. Please ensure you start off at a very basic level for crunches and cardio if you are a beginner.\n\nHere's a good list of ab exercises:\nhttp://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises_abdominals.html
1002463
the top 3 ab exercises according to men's health magazine are:\n\n1. swiss ball crunch - targets your medial abs and saves your back\n2. the air bicycle - lie on your back and cup your hands behind your head. bring your right elbow to your left knee, then alternate like a bicycle\n3. hanging leg raises - this targets the lower abs\n\nsorry, only the air bicycle can be done without equipment... but i also recommend the video called '8 minute abs'.... it's a crazy 8 minute ab workout which done daily will give you rock hard abs in a month.... you can find it on the net actually
1088801
The best ab exercise is the bicycle sit up where you bring your knees up and you altrenate touching your elbows to the opposite, it should look like you are riding a bike with your legs. For pecs, regular old pushups are great especially if you go all the way down past when your arms are level with the floor. They make a set of bars to get a deeper push up too. In the gym you can use a machine called a Pec deck, it's like doing butterfly's in an upright seated position.
1083386
If you're looking for higher end commercial treadmills, there are quite a few reputable dealers online with great prices.  I'd check out treadmillscentral.com or fitness909.com.  They tend to have some of the lowest prices.\n\nThe Treadmill Sensei\nhttp://www.treadmillsensei.com
440696
First and foremost, stay away from any ab machine you see on TV as they are simply a waste of money and barely effective.\n\nIt is also important not to confuse the term sit-ups with crunches which are the effective method to exercise your upper abdominals.  The abdominal muscles work just like any other muscle and have to be challenged as such. If you want muscular abdominals, you have to challenge them with resistance and good form just like you would your chest, your back or any other muscle for that matter. Targeting the correct energy system is imperative. This means you should never enter into the aerobic phase of this exercise, ideally keeping it under 2 minutes at most. \n\nThink of rolling a carpet and contracting fully on the top of the movement and squeeze. If you do them correctly, you shouldn't be able to do more than 30 crunches. Any more than that, and you're probably doing them half-azz, incorrectly or with a partial range of motion.\n\nFor the upper abs, focus on crunches which effectively work the abdominals better than sit-ups or any machine on the market.\n\nFor the lower abs, keep in mind there is very little muscle tissue there so decreasing levels of body fat is the most effective way to bring out the best in this area. Hanging leg raises, v-situps and reverse curls are among some of the best exercise for this region. Always make sure your pelvis curls up to maximize lower abdominal contraction during these exercises.\n\nAs far as fat loss and getting ripped goes, cardio, cardio, cardio. Abdominal exercises alone will never burn fat from your abdominal area.  You must do cardiovascular exercise to accomplish this.  Cardio is best in the morning, on an empty stomach at about 70-80% of your maximum heart rate for about 30-45 minutes. This combined with a common sense diet will quickly shed body fat so you can actually see those abs you've developed. \n\nI would encourage you to seek the advice and guidance of a personal trainer in your area for further education on these principles. Please ensure you start off at a very basic level for crunches and cardio if you are a beginner.\n\nHere's a good list of ab exercises:\nhttp://preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises_abdominals.html
194058
This is quoted from FitGuy\nhttp://answers.yahoo.com/my/profile;_ylt=A9G_fwGGMSVEJAkA6j8ezKIX?show=AA10240897\n\n“stay away from any ab machine as they are simply a waste of money and barely effective. For the upper abs, focus on crunches which effectively work the abdominals better than sit-ups… For the lower abs, keep in mind there is very little muscle tissue there so decreasing levels of body fat is the most effective way to bring out the best in this area. Hanging leg raises, v-situps and reverse curls are among some of the best exercise for this region. Always make sure your pelvis curls up to maximize lower abdominal contraction during these exercises… and getting ripped goes, cardio, cardio, cardio. In the morning, on an empty stomach at about 70-80% of your maximum heart rate for about 30-45 minutes. This combined with a common sense diet will quickly shed body fat so you can actually see those abs you've developed.”\n \nFor home routine I recommend this: Jack-knife, Ball Crunch, Lying Leg-Hip Raise, Aerobics (you can buy one of the steppers with a handle and panel)
452470
That entirely depends on your goals.  If your goals is to increase cardiovascular endurance, then the best machines for you are probably ellipticals, treadmills and stationary cycles.  If your goals are to increase strength and muscularity, then free weights, hammer strength and different machines that rely on resistance are more advisable.  \n\nI personally do not think there is one "best exercise machine" but rather a diverse set of tools is best to accomplish a specific goal whether cardio, stength or power.