The Ab Lounge 2 is an easy to use abdominal machine made by Fitness Quest. This machine doesn't look anything like the ab machines you'll find in the gym. The Ab Lounge 2 does have a metal frame, but the main part of the device is canvas, making the lounge look like a lounge chair. You could put it in your living room and lie on it to relax, but it is supposed to be used for variations of jackknife crunches to increase strength in the rectus abdominus and oblique muscles.
Muscles Targeted
Although the main targets of an Ab Lounge 2 are the rectus abdominus and obliques, the hip flexor muscles also work during jackknife crunches. The rectus abdominus is the abdominel muscle the resembles a washboard. The obliques are the muscles under the "love handles." The hip flexor muscles including the iliopsoas aides the abdominal muscles in their job of stabilizing your torso, according.
Exercises
There are six Ab Lounge 2 exercises in the manual and two bonus exercises. The first five exercises are variations of the basic jackknife. These include the basic jackknife, oblique jackknife, jackknife with leg lift, extended arm jackknife and extended leg jackknife. The sixth exercise is a torso and hip flexor stretch. All you have to do is lie face up on the Ab Lounge and reach your arms above your head, then press down with your arms and legs to elongate the front of your body. The two bonus exercises are the advanced jackknife for the rectus abdominis and hip flexors and the lateral jackknife for the obliques. Do not attempt the bonus exercises until you can do 15 reps in a row correctly of all of the other exercises.
Ab Lounge 2 Diet
The Ab Lounge 2 is meant to be used with a sensible diet for weight maintenance. The manual recommends that users follow the food pyramid guidelines approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ask your physician for a diet plan that matches your dietary needs and lifestyle.
Three Phases of Exercise
Ab Lounge workouts are done in three phases. You begin with a five to 10 minute warm up. This should be gentle aerobic exercise that loosens your muscles and slowly elevates your heart rate. Marching in place is an example. Follow the aerobic warm-up with five to 10 minutes of stretching and then proceed to doing the strengthening exercises on the Ab Lounge 2. That is the second phase. The third phase is a cool-down. The cool-down consists of 10 to 15 minutes of the recommended stretches.
Stretches
The Ab Lounge 2 manual lists seven stretches. Four of the stretches target the legs, another targets the hips and the glutes, the other stretches your triceps and one stretches your chest and shoulders. Of these stretches, only the hips stretch applies to muscles you are actually using but daily stretching for all of your body benefits you by increasing your flexibility. The seven stretches are the inner thigh stretch for the groin, hamstring stretch for the back of the thighs, quadriceps stretch for the front of the thighs, calf and Achilles stretch for the lower leg, overhead/triceps stretch for the back of the upper arm, arm pullback stretch for the chest and front of the shoulders, and the buttocks, hips and abdominal stretch for the hips and glutes.
References
- Ab Lounge 2 Owners Manual; Fitness Quest Inc.; 2004 and 2005
- Fitness: Your Abs Explained
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