Debunking Weight Loss Fallacies: Abdominal Machines and Washboard Abs

Abs from Abdominal MachinesMany of the weight loss infomercials tell us about Abdominal Machines can Give You Washboard Abs.

The image is familiar: a muscled man appears on your television screen, smiles, waves, and tells you all about his journey from obesity to sexiness. He flashes pictures of his past look: the large tummy, the absent waistline, the flabby abdominals. He then begs you to look at him now: the sculpted pelvic area, the absence of fat, the abundance of raw muscle. He then tells you that he owes it all to one machine.

You will doubtless think that buying such a machine can get you the same body, and you might be willing to shell out a thousand dollars to buy yourself the chance to get those million dollar abs. But before you pry your bank account open, remember: you are buying a chance, not an absolute solution.

What kinds of abdominal machines are on the market? There are the widely popular muscle stimulators, which you can strap around your waist for a jiggling, wiggling massage. There are the crunch aids that allow you to have the proper posture for doing those abdominal crunches. These machines, however, will not be effective without the proper diet and good exercise habits.

Electronic stimulators found their original use in rehab, and they are used to stimulate muscles constantly so that the muscles do not wear away. Doctors use direct electric stimuli to keep muscles toned; but how much electricity is required to keep your abdominal muscles toned? Too much! These electronic stimulators purportedly burn fat because of the motion they produce, but not enough fat to make you lose weight over the same amount of time it would take you to do crunches.

So what’s the best way to lose weight around your abdominals? Do crunches with the help of an exercise instructor, since crunches can do damage to your back if you are not careful. And supplement your exercise with a good diet: your muscles are nothing without good eating habits.

[image from H0]

 

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2 comments ↓

#1 True or False: You Can Live on Salads? — Losing Weight Zone on 08.01.07 at 2:27 pm

[…] be big business for many enterprising individuals who see a market for meals in the form of shakes, abdominal shaping machines, and exercise foods that are purportedly designed to help you lose weight with every bite. But how […]

#2 BuncKeync on 08.23.07 at 4:14 pm

hey everyone - lurking for a long time- this is my first post on www.losingweightzone.com. Many thanks to others for all the great posts! If “Debunking Weight Loss Fallacies: Abdominal Machines and Washboard Abs” is the wrong category for this post just drop a line or move it mods! following a health scare I’ve been seriously considering various means of dramatic weight loss. Im looking for some input on differnet methods. I’ve done some research at Fitness.com and Mens Fitness and am considering possibly using the a supplement or herbal method like the hoodia patch, possibly high intensity interval training, or some combination. Any suggestions or information or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot to everyone.

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