A nice six-pack is not only a great eye-catcher, but also the most impressive sign of physical fitness. In addition, the abdominal muscles form the center of the body and stabilize posture and movement in every situation.
Therefore, the training of the abdominal muscles should not be neglected. Abdominal trainers are the best and, above all, very inexpensive devices to train the abdomen effectively and, in conjunction with endurance training, to make the washboard abs visible.
Abdominal trainer test criteria
If you want to get an abdominal trainer for home training, you should not only consider what type of abdominal trainer to buy, but what criteria it has to meet. Here are the abdominal trainer test criteria:
- How cheap is the ab trainer?
- Is the abdominal trainer made of high quality? How is the quality of the abdominal trainer model?
- With crunch aids: is the sequence of movements smooth? Do I feel comfortable using the crunch aid during ab training?
- With scooters: Does the scooter chop at any point or is the sequence of movements smooth? Are the rollers too rigid or too loose?
- For electrical stimulation devices: is the application simple and understandable? How many different stimulus levels are there?
- What about safety in abdominal trainer training?
Abdominal trainer models
Of the numerous abdominal trainer models, 4 are particularly noteworthy:
- the so-called crunch aid or sit-up training aid
- the AB roller or belly roller
- Electrical stimulation belt Electrical abdominal trainer
- the belly. Sit up bench.
The Chrunchhilfe is the most well-known abdominal training device and can be used in a variety of ways. By varying the body positions during training, you can use the crunch aid to stress all abdominal regions.
The movement sequence on a scooter is the most difficult as it requires a high degree of coordination and control. It is therefore only something for trained people who already have stable back muscles and cannot get problems and pain there so quickly.
With the electrostimulation belt passive training takes place, ie the abdominal muscles are stimulated by electromagnetic vibration and a training stimulus is set.
The abdominal bench also offers many training options, where different levels of difficulty and intensities can be set by changing the support angle.
Abdominal trainer exercises and muscle groups
There are a total of 5 abdominal muscle groups: the straight abdominal muscle, which forms the famous washboard abs, the internal and external oblique abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominal muscle and the pyramidal muscle.
All together stabilize the spine and are necessary for every sporting and everyday movement. In order to train all abdominal muscles, you can change the leg posture or the position of the upper body during the exercises. Abdominal trainer instructions cannot be given as it depends on the model and which training you want to do.
Abdominal trainer test and manufacturer
Stiftung Warentest has not yet tested any abdominal trainers. However, there are only a few things that you should pay attention to when buying.
A good abdominal trainer should be stable and guarantee a smooth sequence of movements. Scooters are the cheapest devices and start at around 20 euros. Crunch aids are in the middle price range and cost between 30 and 60 euros.
Expect around 90-100 euros for useful stimulation belts and abdominal benches. As far as the manufacturers are concerned, Kettler, Crane and Decathlon should be mentioned above all, with a large selection and great quality.
Abdominal trainer recommendations
If you compare the different abdominal trainer experiences and customer reports, some abdominal trainer models stand out as test winners according to customer experiences. Unfortunately, there is still no independent test that has selected a test winner.
1st abdominal trainer Beurer EM 30
This abdominal trainer belt is an electrical stimulation device that stimulates the muscles and makes them contract. The Beurer model received the best ratings of all electrical stimulation devices.
2. Abdominal trainer Finnlo Ab Dimonox
This crunch aid from Hammer / Finnlo is kept in elegant black. Although it is not one of the cheapest abdominal trainer devices, it convinces with its pleasantly round movement, as the rolling movement does not take place via the rods, but via special roller supports. There are a number of accessories for the Finnlo Ab Dominox abdominal trainer.
3. Abdominal trainer Casall AB Roller
This abdominal trainer has a unique price-performance ratio, which customers also appreciate and have rated the abdominal trainer very well. For the knees, extra knee protection pads are supplied with the Casall AB roller abdominal trainer.