The Flex Belt and the Contour Belt use electronic muscle stimulation to tone, strengthen and firm your abdominal muscles. While both belts cost about $200 each and can help tone your abdominal muscles, Flex Belt stands out as a top choice by reviewers. Before using an EMS belt to tone your abdominal muscles, consult with your doctor.
Definition
EMS belts, placed around your waist, stimulate muscle contractions similar to those produced by your central nervous system -- the spinal cord and brain -- during exercises such as crunches and sit ups. Power controllers transmit electrical impulses of various frequencies through gel pads -- causing your abdominal muscles to contract and relax, which can eventually produce firm or "six-pack" abs in relatively fit people.
Results
According to The Flex Belt website, using its belt for 30 minutes each day, produces firmer abdominal muscles in four to six weeks; and you can maintain these results by using the Flex Belt two to three times each week. The Contour Belt, also used once daily, can produce abdominal toning in two to three weeks. However, results vary depending on how long you have used the product and your electrical frequency speed setting -- higher frequencies produce stronger muscles, reports The Contour Belt website.
Benefits
The Flex Belt and the Contour Belt can be utilized by casual exercisers and fitness buffs alike. Wear them when walking, housekeeping, watching television or doing just about anything. These belts benefit people too busy to exercise, those with limited mobility and new mothers trying to firm up their abdominal muscles, as well. The Contour Belt package includes a nutrition and exercise guide, a VIP hotline, a one-year warranty and a travel backpack. The Flex Belt has a two-year warranty and is approved as a safe and effective class 2 medical device -- such as a powered wheelchair -- by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Reviews
The website Compare-Ab-Belts states that the Flex Belt is "the highest quality most up-to-date abdominal toning belt you can buy" and gives it five stars and a number-one ranking, while the Contour Belt ranks third with three stars. Flex Belt receives another five-star rating and the Contour Belt a four-star rating from an additional reviewer, based on areas such as bonuses --- Flex Belt has a bonus package worth $190. The Ab Belt Review website, focusing on quality and features, presents Flex Belt with five stars and gives the Contour Belt four stars. In addition, both belts received a four-star rating for their included accessories.
Expert Insight
While no apparent independent studies exist on the Contour Belt, evidence does exist to support the benefits of Flex Belt. A 2008 study by professor of exercise and sports John Porcari, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, observed the effects of the Slendertone Flex Belt on 24 middle-aged subjects. Participants used the Flex Belt five days a week for eight weeks. Researchers determined that 72 percent of the participants exhibited an increase in abdominal endurance, or how long they could perform sit-ups, 49 percent had increased abdominal strength and 100 percent reported that their abs were more toned.
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