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Abdominal Exercise Equipment for You
Strengthen your belly muscles with the most effective abdominal exercise equipment and the best ab machines. Shop for best ab equipment. Get great discounts and free shipping. Learn about pros and cons of abs equipment. Find out which exercises for abs actually work, in order to get great six pack abs and a flat stomach. Find the best exercise fitness video for new training methods and for motivation. Become acquainted with facts, myths, and lies about abdominal exercises and abdominal exercise equipment.
Find the Best Abdominal Exercise Equipment
A multiplicity of different abdominal exercise equipment is offered on the market.
One can buy simple and low prized abs equipment up to high quality exercise machines, which work not only the abdominal muscles but also the whole mid section and other groups of muscles.Which abdominal exercise equipment is the best one? That depends on your individual training goals and your present fitness. Beginners may start with some sit ups and/or crunches twice a week. They probably need nothing else as an exercise mat and an abdominal exercise ball. Advanced sportsmen and sportswomen probably would like to work with weights in order to strengthen and define the abs. They need high quality abdominal exercise equipment like solid ab crunch machines or other abs equipment of high quality, so that injuries are avoided.
Unfortunately, it is quite common to buy cheap abdominal exercise equipment. People often look for the cheapest abdominal exercise ball, the cheapest ab fitness machine, and so on. Cheap abs exercise equipment mostly causes an unsatisfactory workout or even injuries and one becomes frustrated. Last but not least, unusually often such equipment requires repair soon after buying it. You should always look for the best ab machines, which meet your needs. Many online shops offer significant discounts and often free shipping.
It is true: Abdominal workout is possible without any abs equipment. Everybody can do sit ups and crunches only using the floor even if it is uncomfortable and becomes boring after a while. But a solid piece of abdominal exercise equipment challenges your muscles in new ways and can help to keep your body balanced. Alternation is essential for an effective abdominal exercise program. In addition, ab machines make it easy to develop all abdominal muscles: The “six pack” Rectus Abdomininis, the Internal Obliques, and the Intercostals.
Effective equipment is an essential condition for the best abdominal workout. Here are the most common abs machines. Every piece of abdominal exercise equipment has pros and cons. But using it can help to get great six pack abs, a flat stomach, and to feel well.
Abdominal Exercise Machine
An effective abdominal exercise machine should work the whole abdominal region and the lower back muscle, as well. Using an abdominal exercise machine will give you the opportunity, to do a large variety of different exercises, in order to develop your six pack abs and strengthen your body. Make sure to buy only high quality ab machines from well known companies as TKO, Powertec, Kettler, Body-Solid, Weider, Yukon, and others. Such an abdominal exercise machine is not a cheap piece of abs equipment, but it is solid and safe. Only high quality abdominal exercise machines help to avoid injuries and back pain. Most ab machines can be used everywhere – not only in gyms but also in your home.
Abdominal Exercise Ball
You can use different types of balls as an abdominal exercise ball: Medicin balls, balance balls, or stability balls. A balance ball is perfect for crunches and a lot of other effective exercises for abs. If you own a balance ball or an abdominal exercise ball, you practically have a full gym. The number of exercises which is possible with a balance ball is unlimited. Don’t use it only as abdominal exercise ball. Use it to work your whole body, as well. There are tons of videos, CDs and E-books on the market you can watch, hear, and read during your abdominal exercise ball workouts. They help to find out new exercises, and they motivate you to go ahead with your abdominal exercise routine. Abdominal exercise balls belong to the most popular pieces of abs equipment.
Abdominal Board
An abdominal board is nothing else than a bench with an adjustable incline system. For example, it allows keeping the legs higher than the head in order to make different kinds of sit ups or crunches more effective. Every abdominal exercise equipment brand produces its own abdominal board. They may differ from each other a little bit, but all of them offer the same basic key features. The abdominal board is also called sit up bench, ab bench, or sit up board.
Vertical Knee Raise
The vertical knee raise station can be used in a similar way as ab straps. Contrary to ab straps, vertical knee raises have two firm arm rests. Therefore, it is simpler to implement the belly exercises. You put your forearms on the arm rests so that your legs are hanging and your back is straight against the back rest. The vertical knee raise enables all varieties of knee and leg raises. Some vertical knee raise stations are combined with a chin up bar and dip bars. There is a wide variety of vertical knee raises on the market.
Ab Strap
The ab strap, or ab sling, enables you to do highly effective abdominal exercises while hanging from your arms. You put both upper arms into comfortable slings. The hanging ab strap is perfect for crunches, twists, and straight leg lifts. Hanging leg raises are particularly powerful exercises for lower abs. Hanging ab workout is more effective than other methods at all. This is a result of scientific studies. Some exercises, for example, crunches performed on hanging ab straps, are not exceptionally difficult, even for beginners.
Ab Roller Wheel
The ab roller/ab wheel is the dinosaur of the abdominal exercise equipment. It is simple, just a wheel or two with a stick, but it is an extraordinarily powerful piece of abdominal exercise equipment. You kneel down with the ab roller/wheel in front of you and start rolling while tightening your abdominal muscles. Roll the ab roller/wheel out in front of you and then return.
Ab Slide
The abslide can be used in the same way as the ab roller or ab wheel. There is a rubber band inside the abslide. Pushing the abslide, the rubber band creates a positive resistance, pulling the abslide a negative resistance. Proponents of the abslide claim, it makes a complete upper body workout possible – in only a few minutes per day. The ab slide is a piece of abs equipment, which is well suitable for beginners.
Ab Toner
The ab toner, or ab roller, is a simple piece of abdominal exercise equipment but a revolutionary invention. Crunches and sit ups can be poison for the back and spine. The patented rocker system with complete head, neck, and upper body support allows safe abdominal isolation and offers a great workout for the difficult to train abdominal muscles. Some experts are the opinion, the ab toner, or ab roller, is the best abdominal exercise machine. The ab toner only weighs approximately 10 lbs and is ideal for belly muscle training at home.
Ab Shaper
The ab shaper looks like a garden chair with foot rests. A specific system supports not only head, neck, and upper back but also the lower back and legs. During the workout, the abdominals become isolated. The ab shaper has adjustable resistances. The ab shaper works all three abdominal muscle groups at the same time but is nevertheless an exceptionally comfortable piece of abdominal exercise equipment.
Crunch Machine
There are many different types of crunch machines on the market. Most ab crunch machines allow training with adjustable weights. It is crucial to select the right weight. After 15 movements, your stomach muscles must be tired and unable to do another proper rep. The ab crunch machine primarily works the upper abs, which are hard to train. In order to get the best results, you
Situp Bar
The situp bar is a small and effective piece of abdominal exercise equipment. Some are adjustable under doors; others get firmly attached to a wall. There is a bar under which the feet are placed. That makes it easy to exercise the stomach muscles. The situp bar can be used for sit ups, crunches, and other exercises for abs. It is usable wherever you are. The situp bar is ideal for exercises at home and on tour. The wall or door adjustable situp bar is easy to install.
Ab Lounger
The ab lounger, or ab lounge, is a modern piece of abdominal exercise equipment that strengthens all stomach muscles – the upper and lower abdominals and the obliques. Additionally, the ab lounger trains the back muscles, as well. The ab lounger focuses on the so called core muscles. This exercise machine looks like a comfortable chair. The special construction of the ab lounger helps to avoid injuries. The ab lounger is an effective piece of abdominal exercise equipment for everyone, especially for beginners.
Iron Gym Extreme Edition
Iron gym extreme edition is a well designed bar for upper body and abs exercises at home and on tour. It is an affordable and highly effective piece of abs equipment. Once it is assembled, it can be wrapped around every standard door frame and is ready to support a daily workout everywhere. Different grip positions allow working different muscle groups. Special iron gym ab straps are available to ease the hanging ab workout with the iron gym chin up.
Ab Fitness Machine
The ab fitness machine does both: Strengthens the muscles and provides a fat burning cardio training. It is an extraordinarily complex exercise machine with a multiplicity of application possibilities. The ab fitness machine trains the entire upper body not only the abdominals.
Bosu Balance Trainer
Bosu Balance Trainers, also called Bosu Balls, are fantastic tools for abdominal exercises and much more. These funny looking half balls can be used for a whole body workout at home. Exercises on the unstable surface work not only the muscles it improves the balance at the same time. Bosu Balls are suitable for users in every age, for beginners as well as for experienced exercisers.
Inversion Tables
Inversion tables do not belong to the traditional abdominal exercise equipment. Nevertheless they are perfect for abdominal workout. The inverse workout position is safe and effective. The greatest benefits of inversion tables exercises are earned in many back pain therapies. Reviews show a high rating by satisfied users.
Ab Scissor
The ab scissor looks like an extremely fragile crunch machine. It is claimed, that the ab scissor’s patented “Gravitational Linkage System” allows remarkably effective crunches, the so called scissor crunch. Your body moves down, and you develop your upper abs. At the same time, your lower body comes up and you tone and flatten your lower abs. This is possible, because arms, seat and foot rest move independently from each other. The ab scissor is well suitable as home training equipment.
Cardio Exercise Machines
There are no specific ab cardio machines, but to add cardio exercise machines to the abdominal exercise equipment at home optimizes the home gym. It is known that the combination of cardio and resistance exercises is the best for weight loss, overall health and fitness, even for older people. There are several effective cardio exercise machines available. The best are low impact machines: Rowing machine, elliptical, different types of bikes, and specialties like the treadclimber. The price range has cardio exercise machines for every budget.
Exercises for Abs
Bad news
for all who think it is easy to build great six pack abs and get rid of the
damned spare tire. One needs a lot of will-power, stamina, tenacity, and sweat
in order to achieve the goal. The best abdominal exercise equipment is nothing
worth if it is not used properly. It is important to do exercises for abs in
the right way. But that is not all: In order to loose fat, you need to do
cardio workouts as well. Sometimes you have to change your eating habits. A
diet could be needed. Here are some basic rules for abdominal exercises and the best abdominal workout, all the same whether one trains with or without abs equipment.
Warm Up
Warm up before starting the exercises for abs. Otherwise, you could hurt your muscles. And there is another reason: After the warming up, the muscles become more elastic. This is a fundamental condition for gaining muscle mass. Start your warm up exercises slowly, and then get faster step by step. Ten to fifteen minutes should be o.k.
Don’t Overdo Exercises for Abs
Powerful abs training doesn’t take much time. Ten to fifteen minutes two or three times a week are enough. The training stimulates the muscles.
How many reps and how many sets are optimal? This question is difficult to answer. Some experts recommend 15 proper movements, others two or three sets with 8 to 12 reps. Now and then it is recommended that beginners should do only one set with 8 proper reps but with quite heavy weights. Probably the number of sets and reps depends on your personal goal: Gaining muscle mass in order to get six packs needs little movements with extremely heavy weights. For this kind of training, the ab cruncher is a particularly well suitable piece of abdominal exercise equipment. Becoming fit and strengthen the abdominal muscles need more movements but less weight. Find out what’s the best for you. In every case move slowly, for example, 5 – 7 seconds up and the same time down. Slow training and proper movements will provide the best results.
If you use abdominal exercise equipment with a weight stuck, you must select the right weight or resistance which will lead to the best results. The muscle must not be able to do the last movements entirely.
Stretching Only After the Abdominal Exercises
Stretching after the exercises for abs is a fantastic idea, but only dynamic stretching like jumping, shaking or even trampolining. Stretching before starting the abdominal exercises is not recommended by many experts.
Lose Fat by Cardio Workout
Cardio workout is necessary in order to lose fat. It is impossible to get rid of the belly bulge only by using abdominal exercise equipment. Interval training is highly effective. Go jogging is another possibility. One can use treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, or similar exercise equipment, as well. The cardio workout should last longer than 30 minutes. Exercises for abs and cardio workout should not take place on the same day.
Healthy Food and Diet
If you are going to do exercises for abs, you need to start eating healthy food with low amounts of calories. Healthy food means lean meat, fruits and nuts, vegetables, whole grain bread and pasta. Take five to six small but healthy meals per day. Make sure you get enough protein, vitamins and minerals. Drink a lot of water, 2 – 4 litres per day. If you decide that a diet is necessary, don’t eat less than 1800 – 2000 calories daily. Otherwise, you will suffer from the so called yo-yo effect.
The Benefits of an Exercise Fitness Video
An exercise fitness video is an investment which pays off. There are
plenty of exercise fitness videos, e-books, DVDs or CDs available which
can show you a lot of exercises for abs. Some abdominal exercise videos allow to practice without buying an expensive piece of abdominal exercise
equipment. Sometimes quality videos or e-books can replace expensive
training hours. An exercise fitness video shows you new and different
movements. It also helps to stay motivated and continue doing your
exercises for abs. Use the exercise fitness video, you have chosen,
during the workout at home.
If you buy some abs equipment, it will often come with free videos and
other information. Such a free exercise fitness video will show you all
exercises, which you can perform with the piece of abdominal exercise
equipment you have bought.
