You have likely seen the commercials on late night television that promise that in as little as few weeks, you'll have six-pack abs. Although working the abs alone does not give you a six pack, it can help you tone the area. If you want great looking abs, you need to also follow a calorie-controlled diet and make time for regular aerobic exercise.
Significance
According to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise in 2001, most abdominal exercisers work the abs in the same manner as traditional floor moves. Instead of purchasing expensive pieces of equipment, you can do exercises, such as bicycle maneuvers, crunches and reverse crunches and achieve the same results.
Torso Track
The Torso Track was the best-rated abdominal exerciser identified in the study by the American Council on Exercise. It worked both the muscles in the rectus abdominus and obliques and rated better than the Ab Rocker and Ab Roller. To operate the Torso Track, you kneel in front of the exerciser and slide forward and backward to engage the abs.
Ab Coaster
Testing by Consumer Reports concluded that the Ab Coaster did work the abdominal muscles. Both the abs and obliques were engaged when completing the exercises using the Ab Coaster. The main complaint reported in the testing was that the Ab Coaster could be difficult to operate. To use, you kneel on a free-standing seat and coast along the rails. You can move in forward or side motions to complete the exercises.
Considerations
Keep in mind that although abdominal exercisers may engage the ab muscles, you may experience some side effects when using the devices. For instance, the Torso Track may cause some lower back strain. According to Consumer Reports, almost all testers of the Ab Coaster also complained of lower back pain.
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