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Abdominal Exercise Equipment
As you know, there are many options when doing abdominal exercises. I’d like to point out a piece of abdominal exercise equipment being used wrong in the gym. That abdominal exercise equipment is the abdominal crunch machine. This piece of equipment targets the middle and upper part of the abdominal area.
When I see people work on this machine, I do chuckle to myself when I see them use the handles and pull on them to perform their “crunch”. They usually use a high amount of weight. Not once do I see that they have contracted their abs as they crunch.
Ok, there are a few things going on here that I need to explain. The first, is that a lot of weight for an abdominal crunch will build up the muscle. The abdominal area is an area where you want to tone the muscles and build to a point, but not bulk them up. So you’d want to do more repetitions with lower amount of weight.
Secondly, and the most obvious of issues, is that the movement initiates and comes from the core, not from using the upper body to pull the weight down! You’ll want to sit up tall, pull the navel into your spine and as you exhale, contract the abdominals and execute your crunch. It is called the Abdominal Crunch Machine for a reason. All the movement and power comes from the core and NOT from pulling on the handles or upper body.
Be mindful about the abdominal exercise equipment you use and execute your movement with proper form. You will see results a lot quicker when you do!
I have blogged many times about Abdominal Exercises & Abdominal Exercise Equipment. However, I have been remiss in not discussing the Perfect Pull Up Ab Straps. They are very inexpensive, and you can check out my website for that www.fitnessfromthepro.com There are gyms that provide these abs straps.
The abs straps click over a pull up bar, and you put your arms through the straps and your feet dangle. Engage your abdominal muscles and bring your knees to your chest, similar to an ab crunch on the floor. You can also perform leg lifts, as you would using a Captain’s Chair. This piece of abdominal exercise equipment even offers you the opportunity to work the obliques, by lifting knees to the sides. So take advantage of this piece of abdominal exercise equipment at your gym or purchase your own, because these ab straps are very effective in chiseling out that 6 pack!
Abdominal Exercise Equipment
When you think about working on your abs you may not need equipment or you could use abdominal exercise equipment, depending on how you feel. Either one of these options, using abdominal exercise equipment or not, is really a personal choice. Actually, choosing which piece of equipment is another personal choice.
So what kind of abdominal exercise equipment did we use before the stability ball, BOSU, Ab wheel, etc.? First, we either used no equipment. Or, an option was using the cable crossover machine for Cable Crunches to work the abdominals. In fact, I still see people in the gym doing these exercises for their abs…why not, they work.
Use the top portion of the cable machine, and hook on the tricep rope attachment. Set the amount of
weight you want to use. Grab the rope with both hands, and pull it down as you kneel on the floor, facing toward the weighted part of the machine. The rope should be close to your ears. The arms do NOT move!! You are NOT using your arms to pull on the rope. The movement comes from the abs as you pull the weight down! Pull you belly button to your spine, exhale as you lean forward toward your knees. As you come to an upright position, (still on the knees), control the weight as you inhale, and then lean forward again. Pick a weight that is heavy enough for your to struggle to get to 12 repetitions. Give your self a break, and do another set.
This is another option for you using abdominal exercise equipment! Remember, it is ALWAYS a good idea to freshen up your workout routine with new exercises!
Abdominal Exercise Equipment
There are several peices of abdominal exercise equipment that can be used to help achieve a flat stomach. One of the peices happens to be the BOSU! The BOSU is an anocronym for “Both Sides Up” or “Both Sides Utilized.” Which means you can use it on the blue domed side or turn it over and use the black flat side. Either way you choose to use it, it will give you a great workout.
The BOSU can be used for many balancing workouts, aerobics workouts 
and for our purposes today abdominal workouts. You could sit on top of the BOSU and do crossovers, opposite elbow/opposite knee. You could sit on top of the BOSU, place your hands behind you on it, and bring both legs to your chest. You may even want to flip it over, place elbows on the flat surface and do a plank.
BOSU is a very versatile peice of abdominal exercise equipment that could work for you!
Abdominal Exercise Equipment
The thing that is great about abdominal exercises is that you really don’t need equipment, and you can do them anywhere even if you are on vacation. Those of you who feel, that you need abdominal exercise equipment to get a more intense workout, let me help.
One of my very favorite abdominal exercise pieces of equipment is THE BOSU. Then again this is a multi-functional unit. It can be used for a full body workout, not just your abs. The Bosu is one of your more expensive items. No matter where I shop, they are always at least $99. I have them for sale on my website at www.fitnessfromthepro.com. The Bosu does come with a DVD which gives you ideas on exercises.
Another fabulous abdominal exercise equipment is the stability ball. This too can be used
for a full body workout, from your abs, to your glutes, to your calves. Stick with the 65cm size ball if you are between 5’3-5’10 ish. If you are 6′ or taller go with the 75 cm ball. The petites should use a 55cm ball. Keep in mind, the firmer the ball, the harder the exercises will be, use that challenge!
Then you have the Pilates Ring, another excellent piece of equipment. You can hold the ring between your hands, or place the ring between your legs, or feet. They are not that expensive and do come with instructions.
A chin up bar with straps are a great way to target the lower portion of your abdominals. You can buy the bar and place over a door frame, and attach the straps to it, or not.
Finally, the use of a good ‘ol dumbbell or plate, placed in between your chest and collar bone is another way to add resistance to your abdominal workout. However, my suggestion to you is master the abdominal basics first before moving on to equipment. I always, always say in my classes, that it’s better to do a few good abdominal exercises, than alot of bad ones. As you probably already know, I’m a real stickler about using proper form. Tomorrow I’ll review, proper abdominal exercise form.
Abdominal Exercise Equipment
There is a ton of abdominal exercise equipment out there! So buyers beware and do your research. The main thing about abdominal exercises is that you don’t need any equipment or gym. As long as you perform the exercises CORRECTLY! That is ensuring you have the lower back ALWAYS pressed into the mat. Another thing, is to pull your belly button into the spine. If you are not mindful of this, eventually you will train those abs to pop out instead of staying in. Unfortunately, that’s what I was doing early on in my years of exercising. I didn’t have the guidance and/ or the knowledge I do now. I am presently retraining my abs and it’s not easy.
Here are some of my favorite pieces of abdominal exercise equipment:
- The Stability Ball- Can be used for a whole body workout and not only for abs!
- TKO Ab Trainer- I had one of the originals back in the 90′s and I used it daily. I like this piece of equipment because it too, is versatile. The big claim was taking stress off your neck. It does that.
- BOSU- What can I say about this? This, is one of my favorite abdominal equipment. It can be used for a full body workout, cardio workout, balance workout and of course abs. Don’t be afraid to turn the BOSU over. There are some extremely challenging exercises that can be done with the flat side.
Other abdominal exercise equipment that deserve honorable mentions are: The Pilates Ring and 
little ball, the ab wheel, using the roman chair, and incline/decline benches! If you can start taking Pilates classes, this will work wonders on your abs from the inside out. That is for another day.
I hope this helps you make informed decisions!
Abdominal Exercise Equipment
So you want to get phenomenal abdominals and you are ready to take it to the next level. May I suggest using abdominal exercise equipment to fire those ab muscles a little different. There is several inexpensive abdominal exercise equipment that are available for purchase.
The first piece of equipment is the stability ball. There are many abdominal exercises you can do on the ball itself. Plus, there are variations that work the abdominals by using the ball as a tool while off the ball. If you archive this blog you will find examples of abdominal exercises using the ball.
Let me explain how the size of the ball does matter. If you are 5-5’5″ tall you should use a ball
that is 55 cm. For those of you that are 5’6″ to about 6ft you should use a ball about 65 cm. Anyone who is taller than 6’1″, there is a 75cm size ball. There is a ball 45cm for those under 5ft. Usually the ball comes with a hand pump.
A second piece of abdominal exercise equipment that is extremely challenging is the BOSU. The BOSU is a versatile tool that can be used for more than exercising your abs. The BOSU is flat on one side and has a domed blue rubbery material on the other. I have never seen this item cheaper than 
$99.99, I’ve been looking for a long time. It comes with a DVD, instructions and exercises. If you are looking for a challenge and want to sculpt your abs, than the BOSU is for you.
In addition to the abdominal exercise equipment you might find at the gym, using cable crossovers, straps under your arms, decline/incline benches, and crunch machines, the above mentioned are 2 tools that are worth your investment and are the most versatile. A couple of other equipment worthy mentions includes: the Valeo Dual Abdominal Wheel, (however, you can simulate this action on the ball, called a Roll Out), Ab Shaper Abdominal Roller, and the TKO Ab Trainer. To be honest, I don’t know how well the electronic stimulation ab toner belt unit works, so if you have any comments on it feel free to share.
I have a link to my website where I have above items listed for purchase at the lowest price possible. Just click on any highlighted words. I hope I have given you some knowledge when it comes to taking abdominal muscle development to the next level. I’d love to hear your comments on these pieces of abdominal exercise equipment I have chosen.