There are two featured abdominal machines from Nautilus in 2010: the Nitro Plus Abdominal and the 2ST Abdominal. They look almost identical, but the 2ST has a few more bells and whistles. Nautilus is a famed and trusted name in the fitness equipment industry, and you see Nautilus equipment in many well-equipped gyms and fitness centers. Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus, took a scientific and painstaking approach to exercise equipment. Although he built the first Nautilus prototype in 1948, it didn't go on the market until 1970. Twenty seven different prototypes of the first Nautilus machine were built before Jones was satisfied.
Nitro Plus Abdominal
Nautilus calls the Nitro Plus Abdominal "the only true abdominal crunch machine." It features a four bar linkage for increased safety, elbow and back pads to stabilize the upper body, leg and ankle pads to stabilize the lower body, and a controlled motion and movement which isolates the abdominal sheath. The Nitro Plus weights in at 514 lbs. and has a 250 lbs. weight stack. Available in a variety of colors, it offers "a more modern aesthetic," including contoured upholstery and an accessory rack, along with all of the leading features of the original Nautilus Nitro line.
2ST Abdominal
Nautilus touts the 2ST Abdominal as a machine that works the entire abdominal area and tones specific muscles. The company says the 2ST is almost friction free, with improved cams that are designed to give you a smoother feeling as you work your stomach muscles. It weighs in at 600 lbs. with a weight stack of 250 lbs.
Effective Resistance
Jones' goal was to create exercise tools to precisely work individual muscles, such as your abs. Jones combined existing research with what he termed a common-sense approach to his quest. He concluded that to develop the strength in a particular muscle, it was necessary to devise an exercise tool or machine that provides constant resistance against the muscle's full range of motion. But constant resistance wasn't sufficient. Jones found that resistance needed to change at different points of the movement to match the different strength of the muscle at corresponding points of the exercise. By inventing the Nautilus Resistance Cam, Jones was able to create a machine that allows you to feel resistance with the same amount of difficulty throughout the movement.
Considerations
Although Nautilus ab machines seem to be considered the cream of the crop by reviewers such as Fitness Equipment Buffs, they need to be used properly. In an article about the 10 worst abdominal exercises, Phil Kaplan of The Fitness Truth says "the problem here lies not with the machine itself, but with the room for error in positioning and movement." So, ask a fitness instructor where you work out to ensure you are positioning yourself correctly to derive the full benefits from a Nautilus ab machine. Also, it is not essential to use machines to get a good ab workout. Simple Fitness Solutions lists a number of effective exercises you can do to strengthen your ab muscles.
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