The ab trainers help you support your core workout programme with targeted abdominal exercises to build a rock-solid six-pack. Those who don’t have time for a gym can also work out at home.
Unlike traditional ab exercises, the right ab machine allows you to work your abdominal muscles with minimum strain on your neck and lower back. It means that people with weak backs and spinal problems can find the right device.
How to choose the best ab machines for home?
Easy to use
For a start, ab machines and ab trainers should be easy to use. No one wants to have something too complicated for everyday use.
We’ve all been in a situation where we bought something only never to use it again because it was too tricky or caused too many problems to use.
Think about your specific objectives
Another thing to look for is your goal and overall objective. Is it building a strong core? A solid six-pack? Improving balance and endurance?
Fitness and ab machine trainers are not one size fits all.
It would be best if you adapted fitness to your individual needs. What I do is not necessarily the best for you. You should get the best ab trainer that is right for you and your needs.
Several factors will determine the ab trainer you need:
- Your experience (are you a beginner or a “gymoholic”)
- Do you have any lower back pain or other problems?
- Age can have a massive impact on which machine you should choose.
Ab Workout Type
Another factor to consider is whether you only want to work your abs and core muscles or want other muscle groups to be involved. On its own it might not be as useful as when it’s paired with a bench exercise, treadmill, exercise bike or a squat rack.
Choosing the right ab machine for home
Before buying an ab machine, you should understand that these abdominal trainers won’t work miracles independently.
You can’t just put on some belt you saw in an overnight commercial and expect to lose all your belly.
You need real exercise equipment, and you need to work long hours and possibly change your diet to create the abs you want.
Note:
It doesn’t matter what piece of equipment you get; you will still be able to work out any part of your abs and core, be it; lower abs or side abs. However, you will need to know exactly what you want to achieve. And from there, work on the right set of exercises to perform.
Floor-standing and wall-mounted ab trainers
Traditional floor and wall-mounted exercise equipment are installed in small gyms or at home. They take up little space, and some fold up, making them suitable even for small flats, such as benches, uneven bars, horizontal bars (including hanging home wall bars), ‘chairs’ and press benches.
Fitness Benches
Fitness benches allow you to train your core and oblique abdominal muscles, perform twists, sit-ups, develop small spinal muscles, and work your glutes, thighs and shins. Carefully study the features of the simulator before you buy it:
- What is the maximum user weight the bench can support;
- Whether it has an adjustable angle and within what limits;
- What additional features it has, etc.
- Horizontal without tilt adjustment;
- With a curved surface;
- With tilt adjustment;
- Combination (abs + hyperextension, possibly supplemented with barbell supports);
- Roman chair (without backrest, with a small seat and leg rests) for abs and hyperextension;
- Hyperextension devices – horizontal and fixed angle (45° or 90°).
A Roman chair, combination units and planks with a curved backrest provide maximum strain on the abs and back muscles. They allow you to perform high-amplitude movements and combine strength training with aerobic exercise to improve your core and body overall.
Chairs
This type’s best-known trainers are the AB Rocket (aka ‘Super Press’) and the Total Core. They look like armchairs without legs, with cross massage rollers embedded in the backrest. They are usually flanked by a railing made of bent metal tubing.
The classic variant involves comprehensive treatment of the abdominal muscle groups. The Ab Rocket Twister has the added functionality of swivel the seat for increased exertion and twisting, creating a better core workout.
- The AB Rocket and Total core trainers are similar in their construction but differ due to their unique design.
- The Total Core operates in the same way, but when you tilt it backwards, its backrest swings out on casters, allowing for a smoother and more controlled movement, unlike the previous simulator.
The armchair mechanism forces the abdominal muscles to work, while the elastic springs partially relieve stress on the spine, neck and back. The spring resistance level is adjustable (low, medium and high) allowing you to increase or decrease the load.
You can do a lot of exercises on the exercise char, for example, sit-ups and crunches. We recommend working out 3 to 4 times a week for half an hour with some excellent music or a favourite film. You could start simple with 8 sit-ups on the chair and slowly increase the number of reps.
Power machine for the abs
These simulators are a little less well known than the other three machines we have mentioned so far because these trainers primarily work on the lower back and cause problems and discomfort for people with weak backs, legs or even hamstrings.
Balancing platforms and Vibration Plates
Let’s get this straight: they’re not just for women!
Balancing platforms always work your core muscles because no matter what movement you do, whether it’s abs or not, you have to contract your body and use your stabilising muscles to keep the ball from moving and keep your balance.
The benefits of training on balancing platforms are:
- It is very compact.
- You can do many exercises with them.
- They are inexpensive.
- Improve balance.
One potential drawback is if you have a lack of balance! If this is the case, you can start with a more comfortable option before moving on to the ball exercise. Otherwise, vibration plates are easy to use and great for improving balance.
Beresh loops
They may be called “abs loops” or “elbow rests” to make exercise more comfortable. These machines allow you to work your abs by reducing the load on your arms. Resting between each approach, you can hang from the loops, relaxing and stretching the spine.
Compact ab machines equipment
If you don’t have the space for a home gym, collapsible constructions, compact spring machines and simple fitness equipment such as a fit ball, hoop and the famous Grazia spinning disc can help keep you in shape. Despite their outward simplicity, some abdominal exercises on machines allow you to give your abdominal muscles a professional ab workout.
Varieties of compact ab machines and fitness equipment:
Spring expander
The Spring Train is a long metal spring with foot clamps on one end and a handgrip on the other, reminiscent of a bicycle handlebar. Instead of one metal spring, there can be several.
In a simplified version, these are replaced by elastic rubber bands or harnesses. With their feet in the bindings, the lifter pulls the spring towards them and their abdomen tenses involuntarily.
When exercising with springs, part of the load is taken by the arms, not the back allowing you to do more repetitions and sets.
The Monolith (a collapsible device).
It is a narrow, flexible platform for the torso with a plastic neck restraint and leg restraints on elastic bands. It is used for lifting the torso, legs and lower back with minimal strain on the spine. The Monolith is equipped with a sensor that monitors the load and the exercise process.
Abs Trimmer (a metal presser arch with a headrest).
The frame is partly upholstered in soft rubber and, depending on the manufacturer and price, can be fitted with differently shaped handles or elbow rests (some models are foldable). Turning the arc ‘upside-down’ allows you to do push-ups and train other muscle groups.
Ab Rollers a.k.a Ab Wheel
Ab roller trainer (a wheel 20-30 cm in diameter, “put on” a short handle that protrudes on either side of it) is used for several exercises to engage the core muscles.
You can perform several exercises using the ab wheel. To perform the primary exercise, you need to kneel and take the handles followed by a roll back and forth, extending the torso and returning to the starting position.
You can also alternate right/left-hand movements—the exercise trains your stomach, arms, back, buttocks, and thighs.
The deceptively simple ab roller requires good physical fitness. It’s not something beginners should do with him. If you’ve reached your peak, you could include a pair of core sliders to bum up the intensity. Core sliders are placed on the floor for a range of exercises.
Note:
Quick advice, if you’re going to use an ab roller, we suggest getting a knee pad to prevent knee scratches, bruises and other issues.
Torso Track
A torso track (the mechanical version of a roller) consists of a ‘track’ track and handles that slide along the webbing. The training principle with this device is the same as with the roller, but it allows you to change the resistance force, increasing the load.
The Absleiter
The Absleiter is shaped like a crossbow with a bolt superimposed on it or an aeroplane with its backwards-pointing triangular lattice ‘wings’ and wide, flat tail. To get started, you would want to perform the following:
- Sitting on the floor or a chair, rest your “tail” on your stomach
- Grasp the handles (the “edges of the wings”)
- Pull them towards you and tense your abs.
To get the best result, you have to work out for at least an hour and a half a day, but it doesn’t hurt your joints and spine.
Myo Stimulators
A separate type of abdominal trainer is a microstimulator (Butterfly, Ab Belt and others). They work by sending weak electrical impulses through electrodes attached to the skin, causing the muscles to contract. Myostimulation is part of rehabilitation programmes for paralysed patients and has some results in untrained people. However, it has many contraindications and does not affect muscle growth.
Other Ab Machines and Equipment
If none of the above satisfies your needs, there are other abs trainers to consider to work your abs.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes (as you see in a tug of war) have become very popular, especially in CrossFit.
However, battle ropes are considered a whole-body exercise (which makes them so popular in the CrossFit community). As you perform the activities, you will feel the burn in your abs, core, arms, back and legs.
Hula Hoop, Grazia and Fitball
The hoop and spinning discs are often used in weight loss fitness programmes. They don’t exercise your abdominal muscles and won’t help you get those sculpted abs. Still, they allow you to develop flexibility, strengthen your waist, reduce your waistline, and train your vestibular apparatus.
The weight of a standard hula hoop (about 200g) can be increased with weighting and massage attachments. There are also heavy hoops weighing 2.5-3kg, with and without a massage sheath. These are good after a few weeks or months of hula hoop exercise.
Fitness / Exercise Ball
A fitness/exercise ball is the ideal exercise machine for women. All the basic exercises are performed in a gentle way for your back, such as torso and leg lifts, twists, hyperextension, stretching and planking.
Exercise balls are contraindicated after back injuries, people with herniated spine and pelvic organ diseases. There are far fewer contraindications to a fitness ball. However, people with health problems should not start exercising on a fitness/exercise ball independently.
Medicine balls may also help the more advanced user, while someone new may want to consider using fitness bands like those used in Pilates.
What is the best ab machine for home use?
Here’s a quick list of top 10 ab machines available on the market today:
1. Ab Carver Pro
One of the popular models available on the market today. It is small, efficient and receives a lot of attention and positive reviews on Amazon. Working your muscles with Ab Carver Pro will engage your whole core to help you build strong abs. Ab Carver Pro also puts additional support for your back minimising the risk of injury during the exercise. However, Ab Carver Pro is on the expensive side of the range.
2. Ab Coaster
Ab Coaster, developed by The Abs Company, is a unique ab machine used to train your whole core. We haven’t listed Ab coaster in the types of abs machines because it is only developed by one company.
Ab Coaster is great for more advanced users who dedicate a big chunk of their week to training abs. It has a lot of positive reviews on Amazon and in general. However, it is more expensive, and more commonly found in the gym rather than at home.
3.AB Rocket (aka ‘Super Press’) and the Total Core
Which ab machine should I choose?
The safest and most comfortable gym equipment for girls and women is the fitness ball for experienced athletes, the roller. And the most predictable results come from the gymnasium bench.
However, all of the devices and ab machines described in the overview allow you to work the problematic muscle group to a greater or lesser extent. So the best ab machine is one that you find comfortable, enjoyable and useful.
When choosing an exercise machine, consider your fitness; which needs more attention: your waist, lower, or upper abs.
If you don’t have space in your flat for exercise, get some compact equipment and do your basic strength training at your home gym. It’s easier to find the photo and video instructions and exercise routines for well-known brands.