You see it nightly on the infomercials, a new ab machine that promises to whittle away belly fat in the privacy of your own home. The truth is that you can't get a lean core just by doing ab exercises, and some home ab machines aren't worth even the smallest investment. However, there are a few home ab machines that can help you create a strong, lean core when you use them in conjunction with a proper diet and cardiovascular exercise.
Ab Roller
At only $19.99, The Ab Roller is relatively inexpensive compared to some home ab machines. The biggest advantage to this piece of equipment is the support it provides for your head and neck. Neck discomfort is the most common complaint when performing crunches. The Ab Roller has a head rest so your head and neck are supported during the entire exercise. You then grasp or simply place your hands on the foam bar above you while performing a crunch. In order to reap the most benefit from the Ab Roller, you must resist pushing the unit with your arms, and focus on powering the movement from your core.
Exercise Wheel
The Exercise Wheel is even less expensive than the Ab Roller and provides a completely different form of movement. This piece of equipment is just a small wheel with handles on each side. Starting on your knees, you grasp the handles and push the wheel in front of you, allowing your torso to lean forward. Depending on your core strength and fitness level, your upper body should be just a few inches above the ground at the bottom of the movement, with your arms straightened. You then reverse the motion, pulling the wheel back to you. During the entire movement, engage your abs by pulling your belly button towards your spine.
Stability Ball
At the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University, researchers conducted a study to find out what ab exercises were the most efficient. They used electromyography (EMG) equipment to monitor the activity in the abdominal muscles while subjects performed various ab exercises. The ab exercises which resulted in the most activity in the rectus abdominus were the bicycle maneuver and the captain's chair. A crunch on an exercise ball, although coming in third, was considered the best overall, since there was considerably less activity in the quadriceps during this exercise. An exercise ball is an inexpensive, versatile piece of equipment on which you can perform many ab exercises. The instability caused by doing a crunch on the ball engages the core more than most standard crunches performed on a solid surface.
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