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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!
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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 of the Lean Abs Machine
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:
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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.
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Check
out the "Lean Abs Machine" website
here!
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