The Best AB Exercisers

Avoid getting scammed by infomercials promising you perfect abs if you use their machine. All advertisements claim to have the best ab machine. But the best ab exercisers are not always the ones with the best models or commercials. Ab exercisers do not even need to be machines. The best ab exerciser will give you strong, sculpted abs, and it is not necessarily the one that claims to be the easiest.

Ab Slide

The Ab Slide is a small ab machine that slides on the floor. It is one of the best ab machines and one of the least expensive, costing only around $25. The Ab Slide works by challenging your abs to keep your back straight as you slide the machine forward. Use an Ab Slide by assuming a pushup position while on your knees and holding the handles instead of putting your hands on the floor. The back stays straight as you move the Ab Slide and your arms always stay straight. Do not focus on your chest and arm muscles but instead try to keep the abs tight the entire time. You can move the Ab Slide straight forward and backward or veer to the side slightly as you come forward.

Torso Track II

The Torso Track II is similar to the Ab Slide but is slightly more expensive. A Torso Track II costs around $40. The Torso Track II has knee pads for increased comfort when kneeling and three levels of adjustable resistance. It is on a fixed track that lets you move only forward and backward when you slide. The motion of the exercise is the same.

Exercise Ball

Exercise balls provide an exceptional workout for your abdominals. Exercises on a ball increase the challenge to the abs. For example, crunches on an exercise ball recruit about 40 to 50 percent more muscle activation than crunches on the floor. Exercise balls generally cost less than $20 and they come in different sizes so no matter your height, there is one that will feel comfortable for you. The correct size is the one that when fully inflated, you can sit with your feet on the floor, your knees bent at right angles, and your thighs parallel to the floor.

Your Body

The weight of your own body gives you plenty of resistance for doing ab exercises, thanks to gravity. There are hundreds of ab exercises you can pick from that use no equipment at all. Some of the best ab exercises such as the bicycle maneuver and reverse crunch do not use machines or equipment.