How Long Should You Use an Ab Machine?

Everyone wants those six-pack abs, or at the very least, a flat stomach. There are many machines and devices on the market that claim to do just that. Some are just gimmicks and some can actually help you to vary your routine, and provide neck and back support for those that find traditional sit-ups hard on the joints. Training your abdominal muscles should follow the same training principles you use for any weight lifting or strength training of any muscle group. Below are some tips to help you put together a safe and effective abdominal workout.

Considerations

There are some general rules to follow that can help you to make your abdominal workout routine as effective as possible. When using a machine with resistance, or doing a certain variation on an ab exercise, use the 10 rep max rule. This refers to the amount of weight or resistance you use. If you are using the appropriate weight, or doing a challenging enough variation, then you should be able to just about do 10 repetitions with good form before being too tired to continue. If the weight is so light that you can easily do more repetitions, then you are not really challenging your muscles enough to gain strength. If you can not perform 10 repetitions before really struggling or losing form, then the weight is too heavy or the variation you are doing is too advanced. Once finding a weight or variation where you can do 12 repetitions with good form, then it is time to increase the weight or change the way you are doing the exercise. Keep in mind that when most people talk about their abdominals, they are talking about the entire midsection. This includes the upper abs, lower abs and oblique or waist muscles. So when setting the number of repetitions to do, make sure you are doing at least one set of the appropriate exercise for each of those three areas. Some trainers suggest even doing three sets of each exercise.

Misconceptions

Many people believe that if you want a flat stomach you need to do a lot of abdominal exercises. If you follow the 10 rep max rule, you should not need to do 100 repetitions of any exercise. If you are at a healthy weight and just want to tone and shape your abs, then doing the right exercises the right way, will help you reach that goal. However, if you are unhappy with your midsection because you are carrying extra weight, then you need a different approach. In order to lose weight, you need regular aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, and you need to be mindful of the amount of calories you consume. To lose weight, you need to burn off or take in less calories then you expend in a day. You can spend hours on the ab machine, but this will not burn the calories you need to in order to take off the weight. However, while doing aerobic exercise it is good to include ab exercises to help tone and shape the muscles of the midsection while the weight is coming off.

Benefits

While you will not lose the excess weight by simply using an ab machine, there are lots of other good reasons to strengthen the abdominal and core muscles. One main benefit is the prevention and management of back pain. Our abdominals along with or back muscles are our powerhouse that help us lift and carry items and maintain good posture. If we allow our abdominal muscles to become weak, then our back muscles must take on the extra work. In time, this will lead to a sore and overworked lower back. Keeping the abs strong will ensure good muscular balance and prevent back strain. While there are plenty of ab exercises you can do without machines, using a machine can be helpful if it is used appropriately. Once you have been doing sit-ups for a while, using a machine may help you to vary your workout by adding weight or resistance to the movement and/or by placing you in a different angle than you typically work. Also for many, traditional ab exercises create neck and back pain. Using a device can help to provide neck and back support, so you can really focus on using your abdominal muscles to complete the movement.

Warning

The most important thing to keep in mind is using good form with any exercise, but especially with abdominal exercises. This is doubled when using a machine. Using a machine can often encourage you to use arm or body strength to do the exercise versus using the abdominal muscles. Make sure that you follow the instructions of the trainer, so you know you are using the machine properly. Always move through the exercise with control. Another concern with machines is that people often move too fast and swing themselves through the exercise, which uses momentum and not muscle. This can also create a situation where good form is not being used and then injury results. Here again, if you are doing hundreds of repetitions--are you sure you are really isolating and fatiguing the abs or are you just moving through the motions? Remember the 10 rep max rule, and if you are using good form, you should be really feeling the exercise by the tenth repetition.

Types

There are all types of ab machines. There are ab rockers, which sit on the floor and guide you through the movement. These are found in many gyms and can also be good for home use. Some have handles where you can attach weights when ready. There are also devices that attach to a cable machine or rung at a gym or home workout station. Lastly, there are large gym machines that you sit on to perform the movement. To get the best results from your workout, it is good to change your routine. When used properly, all of the above options can be used to help give you a well rounded and effective ab workout.

Resources

• Ab machines and devices