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Abdominal Gadgets Exposed (2001)
By Terrence Thomas
The latest buzzword in the fitness industry is the subject of “core” conditioning or abdominal training. Despite all of the literature available on the function of the abdominal wall, most exercise routines are still based on one or more variations of the crunch exercise. The proper function of the abdominal wall goes far beyond merely doing crunches and sit-ups. In fact these two exercises are the least important and frequently the most dangerous.
There have been many devices that have come to the market that claim to be the ultimate solution to the infamous pooch belly. Here are a list of some common Abdominal Gadgets and the truth about their reported benefits.
1. Ab roller
This particular gadget’s claim to fame is to allow the crunch exercise to
be performed comfortably. It does this by using a rocker device with a
cushion for your head. This device is ineffective for several reasons.
First, using neck support during a crunch exercise creates imbalances in
strength between the neck and trunk flexors. The neck and trunk flexors
work together in what is known as the flexor chain. For example when you
pick yourself off of the floor, you first lift your head then your
shoulders and finally the entire trunk. Performing crunches on a rocker
device does not allow the neck muscles to share the work, therefore
creating more work for the upper abdominal muscles. This could potentially
lead to neck injury if the imbalance becomes too great. The second reason
that the ab roller is ineffective is for the same reasons that a
traditional crunch exercise is not. In a floor crunch, the spine is made
to move through about 30-45 degrees of flexion and 0 degrees of extension
behind the midline. This allows for less than 50% of the available range
of motion in the spine (1). Exercising in this manner will create what is
known as an extension deficit, which can lead to some pretty nasty
injuries. Some of them include low back pain, chronic headaches, shoulder
strain, chronic neck spasms and respiratory distress secondary to
abdominal shortening. It can and most often does hinder performance in
sports such as golf and any sport where throwing or overhead movements are
required.
2. Ab doer
The manufacturer tries to make the consumer believe that swiveling around in a chair with your arms out to the sides will improve abdominal conditioning and “reduce fat” in the area. The chair even comes with a video that shows you how to perform an “aerobic workout” for your abdominal muscles.
I can dedicate the rest of this article to explaining why this gadget is
absolutely useless but I will spare you the highly intricate details and
just give you those that are pertinent. First of all their sales pitch
tries to convince consumers that spot reduction is possible. Spot
reduction is a myth. Secondly their abdominal aerobic video violates yet
another rule of exercise science and human physiology. According to Thieme
and others, the abdominal muscles are known to be phasic, which means that
they are predominately composed of fast twitched muscle fibers. These
muscles respond best to training loads that are higher in resistance and
lower in repetitions, not thousands. The next rule that this gadget
violates is mechanical which says that for a muscle to get stronger, it
has to overcome a gravitational force. Since the user of this machine is
in a vertical position, the trunk is not an optimal position to be
challenged by gravity, which means that there is no resistance for the
abdominal muscles using this machine. Last but not least, the ab doer
device can be potentially dangerous. Research by Nachemson has shown that
there is more stress on the back in a seated position as compared to
standing and lying. The exercises on this device call for the flexion and
rotation of the spine, which happens to be the exact mechanism by with
disc herniations occur (3). This means that this machine could aggravate a
preexisting back condition or create a new one.
3. Ab slide/ Ab wheels
The ability to activate all of the abdominal muscles in one exercise is this product’s selling point. By sliding back and forth on your knees, the manufacturers claim it will strengthen the abdominals. What they fail to tell you is that this is an advanced exercise that requires a high level of strength and coordination to perform properly. Based on my experience and observation, the majority of the people whom I have evaluated using this machine were using improper exercise technique. When done properly the ab slide will increase the strength and coordination of the abdomen provided that the user is at the level to do it.
There are also potential injuries that can occur from improper use. These
include low back strains and sprains, shoulder impingement and muscle
strain in the abdominal wall. If you plan to use this device, I would
recommend having a skilled exercise professional critique your form to
reduce the chances of injury.
4. Ab energizer
The makers of this device say everything short of flat out lying to you to
get you to pick up the phone and buy it. Once again this gimmick will not
produce the desired results for several reasons. Kelly Brownell, Ph. D in
her article on Web MD “Do Those TV Ab Stimulators Really Work?” explains
beautifully why consumers are wasting their money once again. Her reasons
are as follows:
1. This device is actually more time consuming than traditional exercise
considering the fact that if it did work it would take at least 30 minutes
of stimulation to get any type of training effect.
2. Since the stimulator creates an isometric contraction, the results will
only occur at the position that the trunk is in and the part of the
abdominal muscle that is being stimulated when using it. Therefore to get
any results you would have to spend at least 30 minutes at various angles
to get anywhere near a functional workout.
3. There is no cardiovascular benefit
from using an electric abdominal stimulator. Which means that there will
be no way of creating a fat burning effect through aerobic activity. As we
know already spot reduction is not possible, therefore the claims of the
abdominal stimulator being able to reduce fat are an outright lie.
4. Neurological patterning or generalized motor programming has a large
effect on strength development. There is no such thing that occurs when
using an electric abdominal stimulator. Thinking that one can get results
with this device is like believing that massages build muscle. During a
massage the muscles are being stimulated by manual methods but they fail
to strengthen muscles for the same reason that abdominal stimulators do
not. They both are passive modalities, which means that the nervous system
(brain and nerves and muscles) are not working together to create
movement.
Now you are probably saying to yourself
“he has just shot down every exercise or method that I have tried to get a
flat stomach. So what do I have to do or buy to get results?”. Read on
and all of your questions will be answered.
10 Rules for Effective Abdominal Training and Core Conditioning
10. Please stay away from the junk gadgets.
Abdominal training has become very commercialized resulting in great marketing opportunities for the health and fitness industry. To protect yourself, I will offer these final words of advice. If you are not sure please consult a professional who has an understanding of how the abdominal wall functions and is able to design programs specific to your needs. If you have any questions about finding the right professional please contact us at info@expertfitnesssolution.com.
References:
1. Kapandji, I. A. “The Physiology of the Joints, Volume Three: The Trunk and Vertebral Column”, 96-108. Churchill Livingstone, 1974.
2. Thieme et. al. “Stretching and strengthening”. Thieme Medical Publications, 1991.
3. Chek, Paul. “Scientific Back Training”, Paul Chek Seminars. 1995
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