Abdominal workout machines make miraculous claims of toning your stomach with little effort. These might sound appealing, but many machines don't work any better than crunches. Some are far less effective. Before you spend money on something that might not even work or a machine that may be uncomfortable enough that you won't use, compare them so you can choose the right machine for you and have realistic expectations.
Effectiveness
The Torso Track and Ab Roller are two of the most effective ab machines on the market, according to a study held at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University. "ACE FitnessMatters" published this study in 2001. Exercising on the Torso Track makes the main abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominis, work 27 percent harder than regular crunches. It works the oblique muscles on the side 45 percent harder. The Ab Roller is only slightly more effective than crunches. Most ab machines are copycats of the Ab Roller. These include the Ab Sculptor, Ab Shaper, Ab Blaster, Ab Toner and Ab Coach. One machine not tested in the "ACE FitnessMatters" study that is different than the Ab Roller is the Ab Works. Unlike the other machines, the Ab Works offers many exercises to work the abs instead of just a few.
Price
The least expensive of the Ab Roller clones include the Ab Toner at $40 and the Ab Coach and Ab Shaper at $50. The actual Ab Roller, also listed as Ab Roller Plus, costs $90. The Torso Track, which consists of a metal track with handles that sits on the floor, costs $130. This machine operates by a person kneeling on the knee pad and sliding his torso forward while holding the handles. The versatile Ab Works is even more expensive, costing nearly $150.
Quality
Quality is of course another way to compare abdominal machines. A cheap, effective machine that may fall apart or is missing pieces on arrival is unlikely to make you feel like you got a good deal. The Ab Roller is uncomfortable, slides out of position and doesn't fold forward, according to a comparison listed on the Popular Mechanics website. The Ab Works, on the other hand, is comfortable and sturdy. The high price reflects the commercial-quality construction of the Ab Works. The Ab Roller's main flaws are that it costs a lot of money and is practically no more effective than crunches.
Considerations
Even the best machines have flaws. The very thing that makes the Ab Works attractive, its versatility, also make it hard to use because you have to learn how to use the machine in its various ways, notes the Popular Mechanics website. The Torso Track challenges the abs, but because of how difficult it is to keep the back stable, the machine also has the potential for causing lower back pain, according to the San Diego State University study.
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