Nowadays abs machines have quite a bad fame. They’re associated with scams, people purchasing them only to never use them, infomercials with sexy models overpromising on the benefits of the product and massive spamming in internet and over email.

Well, even though an abs machine certainly ain’t that miraculous as the infomercials want to make us belief, not all of them are a scam and there are also some affordable options out there. Let’s look at what are the limitations of an abdominal machine.

In order to understand why there is such a disappointment about abs machines, we have to analyze who buys them and what promises are being made. All infomercials feature smiling, tanned models with the tightest and leanest abs you could only imagine. And the implied assumption is that by working out with this machine you will end up looking exactly like the actor.

The problem is that the typical person interested in abs machines is the overweight coach potato that spends the day watching TV and eating Pizza. They are hoping for some quick-fix, a magic tool that will allow them to maintain their unhealthy lifestyle and still obtain the desired body.

If you’re a little overweight what you really need is not an abs machine, you need to control your nutrition and you need to make cardio exercises and focus on burning belly fat. So, if you’re in this situation probably an elliptical or some running shoes are better “abs machines”, than a fancy ab exercise equipment. Because the problem is not that your abdominals ain’t strong enough, the problem is that they are hidden below that belly fat. For most people getting ripped abs is not about growing your abdominals but about decreasing your belly.

Then again, you might be really interested in toning and strengthening your abdominal muscles. That is a completely different story. For this objective choosing an abs machine can be a good idea and it offers several advantages in comparison with the classical crunch abs work out:

• It’s way more comfortable to train your abs with an abs machine than doing crunches or sit-ups

• Some abs machine allow you to pre-stretch the abdominal muscle, which allows for a more effective workout. Other abs machines are made for hanging exercises, which have proven to be more effective than the standard lying exercises.

• Many abs machine support your head, thereby reducing the stress on your head.

So in the end it comes out to what your objectives are. If you want to lose weight an abs machine is definitely not the solution, but they can help with the toning and strengthening of your core muscle.

If you consider to buy an abs machine make sure to compare the different models out there and read a few reviews. There are many good abdominal machines out there, but there are also a few that aren’t that good. Be especially careful to chose a model that doesn’t harm your back.