Most important is to know why you are trying to improve your abdominals. Are you trying to lose those love handles, or that extra belly fat from to much fast food? If so you need to understand that abdominal exercise will improve the tone and shape your muscles, not reduce your belly fat.
Fat loss is a systemic process...there is no such thing as 'spot' reducing. Exercise will help you to lose excess fat, but the fat will come off from the entire body, not just where you are doing the exercise.
Can an abdominal machine really get better results then simply doing situps? The main advantage of using a machine is the improved form you will achieve.
To be effective, any exercise must be done with the proper form. This is the only way to isolate the muscle group you are trying to improve. Incorrect form can actually work against you in a number of ways.
1) You will not get the visible feedback so necessary to an effective exercise program as it is simply not working the correct muscles.
2) Incorrect form can often cause pain in the muscles you are trying to improve.
3) Your body will get used to the wrong form and it will be much more difficult to change it.
4) Getting no or poor results will sap your will to continue your fitness program. This may be the most harmful of all the negative factors.
Finding and using a competent personal trainer will also insure you are doing your exercises with the correct form, but many of us do not have the time to take advantage of this option. There is also the consideration of cost as a good personal trainer can be quite expensive over a long period of time.
So we are back to the abdominal machine as the most effective and practical method to make sure we are not just wasting our time. How do we determine which machine will do the best job? There are an endless barrage of ads on TV all claiming their machine is the best.
Some of the best machines available include the Ab Wheel, Ab Trainer, and Ab Slider. For better support of the lower back and neck you can use the Ab Crunch Machine as well as the Back and Ab Machine. This latter group is recommended for those who are over weight and have trouble doing a simple crunch without straining their lower back and neck.
Do not use any abdominal machine that does not properly support the lower back and neck. These poor quality machines may cause serious problems, especially if they are used for an extended period of time. Remember to always keep your spine and head properly aligned. Your chin should never come close to or touch your chest...keep your head up.
Abdominal conditioning is essential to 'core' strength, and core strength is essential to your overall well being and fundamental fitness. It is core strength that insures you maintain balance and the ability to live your day to day life with confidence.
Author Resource:-
The author has been an aerobics instructor for over 28 years. He has taught classes for private health clubs and has been a Certified Group Instructor for the Y.M.C.A. since 1980. He is currently developing web sites focused on Health and Fitness.
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