How the AB Lounger Works

The Ab Lounger is a supposed revolutionary way to trim your weight ands sculpt your abdominals. It is the latest in a whole history of abdominal workout machines that are supposed to give you the “six-pack” abs you are looking for with a minimal amount of work and effort. From the infomercials on TV, the AB Lounger makes your workout seem like effortless fun. At least the shiny, happy models sitting in the Ab Lounger makes me want to have one!

The way the Ab Lounger works is that you are sitting in a very comfortable 90 degree position in a cradle-like nylon seat. The real workout of the Ab Lounger comes from your own body weight and gravity. You must overcome your own weight to be able to extend your body into a more straight position. This, in effect, is nothing more than an isometric stretch. (Remember Jack LaLanne? He was all about isometric strength-building.) You could get the same type of workout sitting in a Lazy Boy recliner and putting the recliner back and forward hundreds of time. It is the same theory.

But where the AbLounger is different is that they have added two extension handles that you grab with your hands. The extension rods on the Ab Lounger allow you to use your arm strength to help you straighten your body. The idea here is that you are augmenting abdominal weakness with arm strength. The thing I personally like least about most abdominal machines and abdominal workouts is that sickening feeling I get in my stomach when working out. And then, for several days afterwards, my stomach hurts, discouraging me from continuing my workout. By adding handles to the Ab Lounger, this takes some of the workout off of your abs and transfers it to your arm muscles. This has two benefits:

1. Your arms get a workout and you start building strength in your arms.
2. You are working your abs less so you won’t have the pain in the stomach which will hopefully keep you encouraged to continue with your AbLounger.

The negative to this is that the Ab Lounger may not be giving you as tough an ab workout as some other abdominal machines. However, if you are like me, that is okay, as it is better to see results more slowly than not at all! With the Ab Lounger, I am more apt to stick with the workout than to give up after the first couple of days.