Abs Machine

Best abs machine for lower ab workout

In our last article, we have seen the importance of a good lower ab workout, what benefit it has for your back and your health, and also how it can help you to get a flatter stomach. We also explained reverse crunches, the best lower ab workout for beginners. Abs machines can you help to exercise your lower abs and can make your workout more effective, so today we will look at the best abs machines for your lower ab workout and what exercises to do.

Using an abs bench for lower ab workout: doing inclined reverse crunches

Initial position: lie on your back on an declined abs bench, using your arms to stabilize your body, with your feets raised and your knees bent.

Exercise: now bring up your knees towards your chest, trying to raise your pelvis off the board. Hold for a second and lower your knees back to the initial position. Make sure not to lower your legs to far as this might cause you to overstretch your back and hurt your back.

The higher the angle of the incline, the more challenging the exercise is for your abs.

Decline leg raises with an abs bench

This is an advanced exercise. It works your abs a lot but it also really puts a lot of strain on your lower back. Personally, I would rather jump to the hanging knee raises and skip this exercise.

The exercise is the as the decline reverse crunch, but instead of having your knees bent, you have your legs straight at all times. You lift your legs up as far as possible, curling your torso towards your chest and then lower them again. Don’t lower your legs too far down as this will only increase the stress on your lower back.

Using ab balls for lower ab workout: knee tucks on stability ball

Initial position: you have your shins on an abs ball and are in push-up position (i.e. face down, rested on your arms and on your shins which are on the stability ball).

Exercise: use your abs to roll the ball closer to your hands. To do this, bring your legs towards your body, bending the knees and sticking your buttocks into the air.

By the way: you can also do the reverse crunches on the abs ball. On the abs ball you will obtain a greater stretch of the abdominals, so the exercise will be more effective. Lie on the ab ball, face up. Use your arms to stabilize your body and then lift and lower your legs.

Using ab straps for your lower ab workout

As we have seen in the article on ab straps, doing hanging knee raises and hanging leg raises are two great exercises to train your lower abs. Find the detailed description of the exercise here.

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Do abs machines work? We all dream of having this perfectly shaped sixpack: nicely ripped abdominals. And though we tell ourselves that it’s all about fitness, we know that we just want to look like these toned studs or the sexy girls with their flat stomach on the infomercials. It’s because these toned abs that we get from a proper ab workout are irresistibly attractive.

So, we start thinking about buying an abs machine, and that’s when all the confusion starts… So many manufacturers and brands out there: ab exerciser, ab cruncher, 6 second abs, ab lounger, to name only a few of them. Then we hear some trainers warn that some of these heavily advertised machines are a scam and our confusion only increases.

So, do abs machines really work? Well, yes they do, but only if you have your objectives very clear and know what an abs machine can do for you and what it can’t. In order to obtain these defined abs, firstly you need to strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles, so you need a good abs workout, considering also a good lower ab workout. For this goal ab exercise equipment can be of great help as we will see below. Of course, you can also train your abs without any machine, just with a good ab workout program.

Secondly, you also need to focus on burning belly fat in order to eliminate that excess fat that is presently hiding your abdominals. For this objective you need a proper nutrition, maybe a diet program and cardio exercises.

So, what are the true advantages of abs machines? Obviously they vary depending on each individual model, but some of the advantages include:

• An abs machine can be especially good for beginners as some allow to adjust the intensity of the exercise.
• Using an abdominal machine can reduce the stress on your neck and your back
• Some provide a wider angle for the abdominal muscles to stretch
• Using an ab exercise machine usually is more comfortable than just doing an abs work out on the floor
• An abs machine can allow for an effective lower ab workout while not straining your back
• Abdominal machines can help motivate you
• Finally, having your own ab exercise equipment can be very convenient as you can spend just a few minutes a day exercising, without the need to leave your house.

These last points are especially important, considering that – as for any type of exercise – for your ab workout consistency is key. So, the easier, more convenient and more motivating you make it for yourself, the more probable it is that you are really going to follow through, exercise regularly and that way achieve these defined abs you are dreaming of.

To sum up: yes, abdominal machines can help you, but you also need to keep in mind burning belly fat. So, think about whether you really need an abs machine, and in case you decide to buy one make sure to keep in mind the recommendations you find on this blog.

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