The number of ab devices on the market can be overwhelming. Almost all of them promise tight, lean abs in just minutes a day. Although a few of these devices may help you strengthen your core, none of them can achieve a ripped midsection without a solid nutrition and exercise plan. Several studies have tested the effectiveness of various ab devices.
The Options
The Ab Roller is a small frame with a head rest that supports your back and neck during crunches. The Torso Track is a long track with a sliding mechanism that you push forward. The Ab Slide is similar to the Torso Track except the device can be slid in any direction, not just along a track. A stability ball is a large, air-filled ball that you lie back on to perform crunches on an unstable surface. The Ab Rocker is a seat with handles. You rock back and forth focusing on using your abs, not your arms.
ACE Study
The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, a nonprofit fitness watchdog group, sponsored a study in 2001 that tested the effectiveness of various abdominal exercises. Electromyography equipment measured muscle activation. The exercise that activated the main ab muscle, the rectus abdominis, the most, isn't a device at all -- it is the bicycle maneuver. The captain's chair, which is usually found in gyms, came in second. Although the stability ball rated third in overall muscle activation, ACE rates it as the best overall exercise because of the low activity generated in the quadriceps.
Kansas State University Study
In 2004, a study at Kansas State University tested the effectiveness of the Ab Roller, Ab Slide, stability ball and regular crunches. Electromyography equipment measured the amount of muscle activity. The study, published in the Journal of Athletic Training, found the stability ball crunch elicited the most activity in the upper rectus abdominis; however, it also engaged the thigh muscle more than the Ab Roller or standard crunch, which is not what you want. A standard crunch elicited more activity in the upper rectus abdominis than either the Ab Roller or the Ab Slide.
Bottom Line
In both studies, variations of the standard crunch done with no equipment performed as well as, and in many cases better than, ab devices. Crunches performed on a stability ball provided the most activation in the rectus abdominis of all the in-home ab devices, giving it the best overall rating. The Ab Roller provided about the same amount of muscle activity as a standard crunch. The American Council on Exercise points out that although you don't need any ab exerciser to strengthen your midsection, any device that helps motivate and inspire you to work out regularly is the best option.
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