Ab Exercise Equipment Study
Michael Louis asked:
It is hard to ignore the recent proliferation of infomercials for ab exercise equipment. They have a rather clever way of preying on people’s vulnerability. After all, who does not want a set of washboard abs?
Ab exercise equipment infomercials are usually featured on late night TV. In most cases the “victim” has spent the night sitting in a recliner and gorging on junk food. Then, a slim and fit guy and gal appear on the screen. In chirpy voices, they assure the viewer that they have found the secret to flat abs. Who can resist such a seduction? Enter, the American Council on Exercise.
ACE Aces the Issue
For the past decade, the American Council on Exercise, otherwise known as ACE has expressed concern about the false information presented in ab exercise equipment infomercials. Since most group exercise and personal training clients were always looking for new ways to “loose their belly”, ACE decided to fund a study about the effectiveness of various abdominal exercises. The study was conducted by Dr. Peter Francis at the Biomechanics Lab at the San Diego State University.
The Study
Francis and his team recruited 30 healthy men and women between the ages of 20 and 45. Some exercised occasionally, while others were dedicated fitness enthusiasts. The participants had to perform a variety of exercises, which included crunches and crunch variations, body weight exercises and exercises on gym and home ab exercise equipment. The Torso Track, the Ab Roller and the Ab Rocker were used.
The exercises were performed in random order. Participants completed 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, using a two-count cadence for each part of the movement. The researchers used electromyography (EMG) equipment to monitor and compare the participant’s muscular activity during the exercise. Muscular activity was recorded in the upper and lower rectus abdominus as well as the external obliques. Researchers also measured activity in the hip flexors, which are often used to compensate for weak abdominal muscles. Then, using the EMG data, they created a list of the best and worst abdominal exercises.
The Results
According to the study, the best abdominal exercise had two pertinent characteristics:
They require deep core stabilization They require rotational movement
It is interesting to note that while the Torso Track was marginally more effective than the traditional crunch, the benefits were offset by the fact that many participants complained of lower back pain while using this piece of equipment. It may come as a surprise that the Ab Roller was no more effective than a traditional crunch, and that the Ab Rocker machine was 80 percent less effective than your plain old every day crunch. With these results in mind, it seems that your wallet is the only thing that gets flatter when using this type of ab exercise equipment. Finally, while strengthening the abdominal muscles are important for posture and back support, it is important to realize that the only way to actually “flatten your belly” is to eat a low fat diet and perform aerobic exercise.
Fit Yummy Mummy!
It is hard to ignore the recent proliferation of infomercials for ab exercise equipment. They have a rather clever way of preying on people’s vulnerability. After all, who does not want a set of washboard abs?
Ab exercise equipment infomercials are usually featured on late night TV. In most cases the “victim” has spent the night sitting in a recliner and gorging on junk food. Then, a slim and fit guy and gal appear on the screen. In chirpy voices, they assure the viewer that they have found the secret to flat abs. Who can resist such a seduction? Enter, the American Council on Exercise.
ACE Aces the Issue
For the past decade, the American Council on Exercise, otherwise known as ACE has expressed concern about the false information presented in ab exercise equipment infomercials. Since most group exercise and personal training clients were always looking for new ways to “loose their belly”, ACE decided to fund a study about the effectiveness of various abdominal exercises. The study was conducted by Dr. Peter Francis at the Biomechanics Lab at the San Diego State University.
The Study
Francis and his team recruited 30 healthy men and women between the ages of 20 and 45. Some exercised occasionally, while others were dedicated fitness enthusiasts. The participants had to perform a variety of exercises, which included crunches and crunch variations, body weight exercises and exercises on gym and home ab exercise equipment. The Torso Track, the Ab Roller and the Ab Rocker were used.
The exercises were performed in random order. Participants completed 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, using a two-count cadence for each part of the movement. The researchers used electromyography (EMG) equipment to monitor and compare the participant’s muscular activity during the exercise. Muscular activity was recorded in the upper and lower rectus abdominus as well as the external obliques. Researchers also measured activity in the hip flexors, which are often used to compensate for weak abdominal muscles. Then, using the EMG data, they created a list of the best and worst abdominal exercises.
The Results
According to the study, the best abdominal exercise had two pertinent characteristics:
They require deep core stabilization They require rotational movement
It is interesting to note that while the Torso Track was marginally more effective than the traditional crunch, the benefits were offset by the fact that many participants complained of lower back pain while using this piece of equipment. It may come as a surprise that the Ab Roller was no more effective than a traditional crunch, and that the Ab Rocker machine was 80 percent less effective than your plain old every day crunch. With these results in mind, it seems that your wallet is the only thing that gets flatter when using this type of ab exercise equipment. Finally, while strengthening the abdominal muscles are important for posture and back support, it is important to realize that the only way to actually “flatten your belly” is to eat a low fat diet and perform aerobic exercise.
Fit Yummy Mummy!
