Electric
muscle stimulators are
the latest craze, the
hottest fad...
but you want to know
"do they really
work!" Right?
To
answer that question,
let's start with a little
background information
on what this equipment
was originally designed
for.
Electric
ab stimulators were
(and still are) used
in medical rehab situations.
They are designed to
keep muscles from atrophying
(wasting away) in situations
where a limb must be
immobilized. For example,
if you broke your leg,
the doctor could place
an electrode on the
muscle and use electricity
to make it contract.
This would provide a
minimum level of stimulation,
thus keeping the muscle
active.
As
far as building muscle,
such as the ads on TV
claim, this is not backed
up by research. The
level of electrical
stimulation necessary
to build up the abdominal
muscles to what you
see on TV would be extremely
high, and thus very
painful.
Many
companies that sell
these belts also claim
that the belts help
burn fat. In reality,
the small muscle contractions
produced by these belts
burn about as many calories
as the effort required
to take the belt out
of the box and put the
batteries in.
If
you read the fine print
in these ads, you will
also notice that the
instructions for use
also include a suggested
exercise and nutrition
plan. This, without
a doubt, would be the
true source of the results
people get from this
equipment.
But
what about people you
may know who have tried
the belts and say that
they feel something
when they use it?
Let's
put it this way... the
belt does provide a
small level of stimulation
to the abdominal muscles.
When a person's abs
are totally lacking
any form of stimulation,
any amount of stimulation
has the potential to
produce results. It
is simply a matter of
something is better
than nothing (in this
case, not a whole lot
better, though).
A
much better solution
for working your abdominal
muscles effectively
is to do the unglamorous
crunch exercise. It
may not send electric
shocks into your guts
but it will get the
job done. Crunches,
even done properly and
regularly, won't burn
fat but they will definitely
tighten up your abs.
You're
better off learning
how to do
the abdomianl crunch
more efficiently.
Do
electric ab stimulators
work? In a nutshell,
no. These companies
are simply preying upon
society's desire for
results without effort.
Don't be fooled by the
hype.
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