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Strengthening Abs: Options for Exercise Equipment

Exercise equipment abs is very popular because people are always looking for new and better ways to tone the muscles in the problematic stomach area. It is generally known that people like shortcuts and easier ways of doing things, so it is no surprise that people look for exercise equipment that will improve the ab-strengthening process and make it less painful and more effective. The options of exercise equipment abs is quite diverse, ranging from expensive and complex equipment to very simple, inexpensive choices. To find out which ab equipment is best for you, you need to consider the cost, how you will use it, and if it is effective.

Types of Exercise Equipment Abs

One of the oldest pieces of exercise equipment abs is the ab wheel. It consists of a small wheel with handles sticking out of both sides. The person kneels on the ground with his or her butt in the air and slowly rolls the wheel away from the body so that the butt becomes pefectly in line with the legs and shoulders. Although this has the potential to be a very effective piece of equipment because it really isolates stomach muscles, it is very difficult to do. Beginners, and even others who have been doing ab exercises for some time, are often unable to perform this activity because it requires too much ab strength.

A newer option in exercise equipment abs is the exercise ball. It has experienced a dramatic growth in popularity recently as people are coming to realize its effectiveness. Also known as a stability ball, this piece of exercise equipment is simply a large, soft ball filled with air. All the ab exercises that people normally do--like cruches, leg lifts, etc.--are done while lying on the ball. It is especially effective because it requires the person to work all the various ab muscles to maintain balance and stability on the ball. It is also great for working the back muscles, which tend to be overlooked.

A piece of exercise equipment abs that you can find in a gym is an incline bench. People lie on the bench with their head closest to the ground and their feet in the air (wrapped around a leg bar) and then do regular situps, crunches or other ab exercises. Because the body is on an incline, gravity is working against the person and making the exercises harder and more intense. Although this particular piece of equipment does not make ab exercise any easier, it does create a very good ab workout.

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