Comparison Of Abdominal Muscle Activity Elicited Using The Lean Abs Abdominal Exercise Machine With Popular Abdominal Training Devices And Abdominal Crunch Variations: An Electromyographic Study

Wiilliam E. Johnson

Volume : IV, Issue : VIII, August - 2015

Comparison Of Abdominal Muscle Activity Elicited Using The Lean Abs Abdominal Exercise Machine With Popular Abdominal Training Devices And Abdominal Crunch Variations: An Electromyographic Study

Wiilliam E. Johnson

Abstract :

One of the greatest challenges trainers, therapists, and physicians face is the selection of appropriate exercises and variations in equipment to best isolate a targeted muscle or muscular region. The purpose of this study was to compare the abdominal muscle activity elicited using the LeanAbs, and the 6 Second Abs abdominal exercise devices with the findings of muscle activity recorded during a traditional crunch, a traditional crunch on stability ball (in two positions), and 4 popular portable abdominal training devices in order to determine if the claims made by the manufacturer are supported by the current research. While all devices elicited abdominal muscle activity when used with proper technique, the �non–crunch emulating� Lean Abs machine dramatically outperformed all other machines and techniques in eliciting high levels of rectus abdominis muscular activity along the full length of the muscle from lower to upper.