I know that generally speaking, using machines isn't the most effective way to work out muscle groups. However, I'm a beginner (2 weeks, maybe) and don't have enough confidence -yet- to make the transition to free weights. My question is regarding the weighted ab machines, you know, the ones where you sit upright and they have arm holders and you can select the amount of weight. I don't know why, but I mostly see guys doing this machine, and girls using something else, like an exercise ball or just doing normal crunches on the floor. I've done the weighted ab machine a couple of times and I was just wondering, is there any reason I shouldn't? I've found that it keeps me more stable as far as keeping my neck from injury, considering I probably have bad form to begin with on my own, due to struggling with all of my body weight. I generally do 4 sets of 15 reps using the 65# weight and I definitely feel a little sore the next day. Any advice here? Thanks.

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be doing it and if you are feeling it the next day in the targeted area, there is reason to believe it isn't effective for you.

That said, I'd be with the girls at your gym and would be grabbing a stability ball. For me, anyway, I have found crunches on the ball to be much more effective. Of course, I have also found that for my particular body, my abs prefer high rep work to weighted work, so the ball is a better fit there.

Also, I finally went out and bought a great ab machine. Finally after reading the advice of two of my favorite trainers, Chad Waterbury and Mel, I got myself an ab wheel (power wheel) and am right now both loving and hating them both.

Oooooh, you're brave! It's definitely a love/hate relationship with the power wheel! Good for you

I rarely use the machines or have clients use them if they can do any other kind of ab exercises. It's Just too easy to cheat without knowing it, and use your upper body or arm strength instead of your abs to work the machine. However, if your abs are sore, you're obviously engagine them.

Using a stability ball, doing planks, reverse crunches on a bench or decline bench, hanging abs, etc., all use additional muscles in the core. Some of them, like "hip ups" on a decline are hard on necks, and some are hard on lower backs. Some are just really hard if you are still very large. Do what you CAN do. Don't forget to experiment as you get more confident, stronger and experienced.

Mel definitely knows

I was going to say that I've seen more people use the ab weight machines wrong than I've seen them used correctly. If you are getting sore though that is good. I like crunches on the ball or the floor.

Hello There!

I would agree with the comments that it's sometimes too easy to cheat w/the weight machines and that a lot of people use the machines incorrectly...which can lead to injury...and as we all know an injury to the abs affects everything since you use them to stabilize.

In my experience I have always loved rope crunches (using the tricep pull down rope) where you kneel (sp?) facing the equipment and bring your elbows down toward your knees. I also looooooove hanging abs because you get the full extension each time w/stretching the abs. You can do so many versions that really challenge. Additionally, having someone throw you the medicine ball so that you catch it w/arms extended behind you (while in a seated position as you would for crunches) and then as you sit up, throwing the ball back hard to your partner while breathing out has always been a winner for me. I really more strongly feel that the basics w/o weights or machines are best for abs and though I don't have them now, these methods always produced a very deeply etched 8-pack.

Now, with all that being said....I am going to seem like a hypocrite....but I do recommend the torso twist machine. That works great not only for the obliques but the lower back as well.

Basically, like Nelie and Mel said-if you're feeling "good" soreness, then you are obviously challenging the muscles and you're doing the right thing. Melinda

Yeah, it IS easy to cheat with the machines, especially the ab one, which is why I always make sure that I'm "feeling it" in the correct area. If I start feeling my arms tense up or my neck, that's my signal for "USE THE ABS! Not anything else!" Haha..

I started using machines for everything in the beginning too, and I think it was a good way to ease into strength training for me. Now I do almost all my ab work with a stability ball. Sometimes I’ll sit or roll down to an incline on the ball to do other lifting like chest and shoulder presses, I feel really efficient when I can do core strengthening/balance/upper body work all at the same time.

I do an exercise with the ball that is similar to the power wheel move, but maybe a little easier? You kneel with the ball in front of you and then roll your forearms across the ball to about your elbows while you straighten your body, then roll back to kneeling. At first I found it hard to do this without feeling the strain on my back and knees, but as I got better form and a stronger core it got better. It helps if you can keep the tops of your feet firmly anchored on the floor for a little more support so all the weight isn’t on your knees.

Just keep trying new things, it’ll keep you interested and keep your body guessing, which is usually a good thing for results.

There is a height requirement for the ab weight machines at my gym....and i am too short to ride . You must be 5'5" minimum otherwise you risk injury. Perhaps that is why you see more men than women using them.

Hm, actually that would make a lot of sense!

The ab machine at the gym is one of my two favorites. It lets me work my abs without stress on my back, which is a major issue for me. (I once got a handy-dandy little booklet on exercises to help back pain from my doctor with the notation not to do any of them if they hurt my back--which they all did!) I cannot do normal situps, and I cannot do hanging ab exercises as I cannot hang for even two or three seconds (I had to try this three times in JROTC before they believed me).

This said, it's one of those things that strikes me as probably silly for most people. Like the squat machine. I'd feel like an idiot doing squats with a machine; I'd probably feel the same way about crunches if it wasn't for my back.