Now,
I'll be the first person to tell you that it's
VERY rare to find a piece of abdominal training
equipment that REALLY WORKS. Most of the entries
into the abdominal training market are specifically
designed to maximize their profit, NOT your
midsection.
To
really hit a home run with me, an abdominal
training machine must satisfy four basic requirements:
1.
It must be able to effectively work not only
the rectus abdominus (the six-pack muscles)
but also the obliques (the side ab muscles)
and the transverse abdominus (the deep ab muscles
that wrap around your core to stabilize it).
2.
It must work the abdominal muscles in a functional
manner, i.e. not just assisted muscle contraction,
like an ab roller or ab folding chair.
3.
It must be convenient enough to use that a person
will actually use it regularly.
4.
It must hold some advantage over doing bodyweight
ab exercises alone.
**
BONUS - It would be ideal if you can also use
it to effectively work OTHER bodyparts as well!
---
Recently,
I've had the privelege of testing a new piece
of abdominal equipment called the "Lean
Abs Machine." Truth be told, I'd been searching
for quite a long time for an abdominal machine
that met all the requirements that I listed
above. Most abdominal equipment (especially
the infomerical type of stuff) can barely be
classified as training equipment, in my opinion,
and none of it ever close to meeting all those
requirements I listed above.
But
the "Lean Abs Machine" turned out
to be a big step above the rest! It is the ONLY
piece of ab equipment I've used that met all
four requirements AND the bonus requirement.
The
mechanism by which the "Lean Abs Machine"
works is actually quite simple. The easiest
way to explain it would be that it is a lever
with resistance bands attached near the base.
You push or pull against the lever using the
bands for resistance. It's a simple concept
but the elegant design results in great versatility
compared to other abdominal training equipment.
Here's
how it stacks up to the four requirements I
laid out above:
1. Working all parts of the core effectively
The
"Lean Abs Machine" is simply one of
THE most versatile pieces of ab equipment available.
Instead of just focusing on one single function
of the abdominal area (as most ab training products
do - generally it's a crunch type of movement)
and then telling you to add a bit of shoulder
rotation to work the side abs, the "Lean
Abs Machine" actually allows for very specific,
separate exercises for all functions of the
abdominals.
With
this machine, I was able to perform exercises
that worked a crunching type of movement (against
resistance), a direct side movement (to work
the obliques), a rotational movement (to work
the deep transverse abdominus), as well as a
leaning movement (similar to the ab wheels where
you roll out forward then back). This level
of variety is simply not possible with any other
abdominal training machine.
And
the best part is, those exercises are not "tacked
on" in order to try and artificially inflate
the number of exercises you can do with the
machine. Not at all - these are challenging
exercises that work the abdominals HARD.
2. Working the abdominals in a functional
manner
One
of the biggest criticisms I've always had of
abdominal training machines is that simply don't
train the core muscles in a functional manner.
And by functional, I don't mean you have to
stand on one leg on a Swiss ball and wood chop
with a medicine ball. By functional, I mean
using the core in ways that your body normally
moves in the course of the day.
For
a normal person, functional core strength means
being able to stabilize in typical patterns
of movement, like squatting, leaning, standing,
walking, etc. For an athlete, functional core
strength means being able to apply considerable
force through the core area while maintaining
strength and balance. An ab roller will not
do any of these things for anybody.
But
the "Lean Abs Machine" DOES.
Because
your body is not locked into position (which
will force you to work your abs in isolation)
the "Lean Abs Machine" allows for
a more integrated abdominal activation. In plain
English, it means that it works the abs as a
unit rather than by themselves. If you want
to optimize your abdominal strength and power
and/or develop an extraordinary eye-catching
midsection, this is CRITICAL! You teach the
body how to properly activate the core muscles
rather than just making individual muscles contract.
3. Convenient to use
If
a machine isn't convenient to use, it's not
going to get used, no matter how good the intentions
of the person. It's as simple as that. If it
takes too long to set up or it's too complicated
to easily work with, a machine will just collect
dust (and laundry!).
Honestly,
because the "Lean Abs Machine" does
involve resistance and moving parts, it's not
as straightfoward as simply grabbing an ab roller
and lying underneath it. That being said, considering
the number of options you have in terms of exercise,
it IS quite easy to get set up and get started.
And once you get the machine set up, you can
actually do a number of different abdominal
exercises using the same settings and resistance.
As
with any new equipment, my recommendation is
always to set aside some time and just play
around with it and the options it provides.
Once you are comfortable with how the machine
works and the resistances you need to use, getting
the machine ready for your workout is extremely
easy.
The
"Lean Abs Machine" also features a
vertical stand attachment so you can store with
a very minimal footprint. When you're ready
to use it, you just lay it flat and you're good
to go.
4. Advantages over bodyweight abdominal training
The
final requirement that a piece of abdominal
training equipment must have is that it should
hold some sort of advantage over bodyweight
abdominal training. This is a requirement because,
in my experience, most abdominal training "equipment"
doesn't give you many benefits over and above
a good set of crunches.
If
you can get the same results with crunches,
why would you want to buy a piece of ab equipment?
The
"Lean Abs Machine" DOES offer significant
advantages over bodyweight abdominal training.
The
first advantage is the ability to add RESISTANCE
to the exercises. One of the biggest things
holding people back in developing their core
is lack of resistance. A simple bodyweight exercise
such as the crunch can typically be done for
MANY MANY reps. This low-intensity of exercise
does very little for strength, power and abdominal
development.
If
you want fast results and you want a strong
core you simply MUST train the abs with resistance.
The "Lean Abs Machine" accomplishes
this with the use of rubber resistance bands
of different tension levels. By adding these
bands to the machine, you can specify EXACTLY
how much resistance you want to use for an exercise
and you can ADD resistance whenever you need
to for progression.
You
wouldn't try and build your chest by just trying
to bench press the same weight more and more
times...why would you try and develop your abs
just by doing more and more crunches? There
is no progression and no reason for your body
to change.
The
second major advantage over straight bodyweight
ab training is the varying body positions and
patterns of movement in which you can put tension
on your abs. You use the machine as a tool AND
as resistance.
The
third major advantage is that you're training
your core while standing up. It may sound strange
but think of it this way...when you're playing
pretty much any sport (other than wrestling
perhaps!), how often are you lying on your back?
There are very few, if any, strictly bodyweight
exercises that can be performed in a standing
position.
The
standing position is a more natural position
to work the core in and it really helps with
the carry-over of core strength to daily life
and athletics because it teaches you how to
activate your core (and manipulate your body
position for optimal core function) while standing.
BONUS - The ability to perform exercises for
other bodyparts
Even
though this is not technically a requirement
for a good abdominal training machine, the ability
to perform exercises for other bodyparts on
the machine is a very nice bonus!
A
few of the exercises you can do include:
- front squats
- curls
- lying rows
- chest press
- shoulder press
- leaning calf raises
- glute extensions (i.e. butt blaster)
- lunges
- standing dips/pushdowns
- many more!
The
versatility of the simple design of the machine
and the included equipment (the single handle
and the moveable pads and handles) means you
can very easily perform a total-body workout
on the "Lean Abs Machine."
In
fact, included in the introductory instructions
is a 6 exercise circuit that uses all the same
settings on the machine (so you don't have to
make any changes in setup while training) and
covers every major bodypart! It's a very effective
circuit and it means you can get an excellent
workout in a very short period of time.
As
a side note, if you're interested in developing
your glutes, the Butt Blaster type of movement
that is possible with this machine is actually
very comparable in effectiveness to the Butt
Blaster machine you'll find in a commercial
gym!
---
POTENTIAL
DRAWBACKS
While
reviewing the "Lean Abs Machine,"
I did come across a few minor drawbacks that
I want to be sure to mention. None of these
interfere with the effectiveness or functionality
of the machine and are, in my opinion, quite
minor.
1.
Initial setup time
From
opening the box to having the machine fully
assembled, it took me about 30 minutes. While
the assembly instructions are very good, if
you're not familiar with putting together training
equipment (as I am), it may take you a bit longer.
To put it in perspective, a few years ago I
put together a multistation home gym and it
took me approximately 3 days (not straight through
but spending a number of hours each day)!
For
the number of exercises you can perform with
the "Lean Abs Machine," the set-up
time is pretty reasonable.
2.
Having available floorspace
If
space is VERY limited where you're training,
you may find the machine's footprint when laying
flat to be a little constricting. At it's largest
setting, it does cover about 4 feet of floorspace
in length. It's definitely smaller in size than
a Total Gym, though. To really have this be
a serious problem, you would have to have EXTREMELY
limited floorspace - the machine itself will
even fit in a hallway without a problem, if
that's your only option. Again, this is a minor
drawback that can normally be worked around
quite easily.
3.
When performing certain exercises, you must
step on the machine to keep it anchored down
In
a few of the exercises (most specifically, those
exercises where you're pushing up against the
lever arm of the machine against a heavier resistance),
you will need to stand on the frame of the machine
to keep it from lifting up.
For
the most part, this is a minor thing. Standing
on the machine is natural for most of those
exercises, especially the abdominal exercises.
But there were a few where I had to adjust my
stance in order to stand on the frame to keep
it from moving. These were actually exercises
for other bodyparts, so as far as abs go, this
drawback didn't affect the training at all.
4.
Cost
The
"Lean Abs Machine" is not a cheaply-made
piece of equipment, therefore it does cost more
than other abdominal training equipment. The
frame is solid-gauge steel and the rubber bands
are well-made and practically unbreakable. So
even though it does cost a bit more than the
typical "impulse buy" infomercial
ab machine, it's a machine that is built solidly
to last a lifetime.
---
BOTTOM
LINE:
The
"Lean Abs Machine" is a VERY effective
piece of abdominal training equipment. It meets
all the requirements for an effective piece
of ab training equipment AND allows you to work
other bodyparts very effectively as well.
If
you're looking for a functional abdominal training
machine, the "Lean Abs Machine" is
an excellent choice. I would recommend it above
any other abdominal machine on the market today
in terms of properly targeting the entire core
area (including the "deep" core muscles),
allowing for a great variety of exercises, and
in overall quality of construction.
Forward
Lean:
Sideways Lean:
Pushdown Crunch
Rotational Pull-Across:
Lying Row:
Butt Blaster (Glute Kickback):
Front Squat:
Leaning Calf Raise:
|
If
you're interested in ordering a "Lean
Abs Machine", the cost of the machine
is $289.99 (includes shipping). Just
use the button to the right to start
a shopping cart.
This
order is processed through the "Lean
Abs Machine" site on a secure server.
When you click "Add To Cart",
you will taken to their website to complete
your order.
Be
sure to use the order links on THIS
page (to the right or below) if you
wish to place an order.
|
|
Check
out the "Lean Abs Machine" website
here!
