Ab Lounge Users....HELP?

Question

My hubby is buying me an Ab Lounge for my birthday next wk. I am totally lost. Does anyone know how if it REALLY works? And how many reps and sets to do a day safely? O yea and does it hurt your back? I am so greatful for any advice/answers I receive:)
Thanx!

Answer 1

Ab loungers are great! I love it. Basically it is an intensified sit up. So, let your body tell you. Are you naturally healthy? Do you do crunches anyway? You want to try to do crunches twice a day--and set yourself an easy goal right off the bat. Do 50 front crunches and 25 on each side.

See how you feel the next day. If you do that many everyday for a week and you don't feel anything in your abs--then your abs are in decent shape and you should up the number.

The important thing is not to overexert yourself. Pulling muscles in your abs affects everything you do and causes you to be in a lot of pain. Best to start small and work your way up. As the ab lounger is more intense, you won't need to do as many crunches as you normally do to feel the burn. So increase the number as your body allows--but don't try to do 200 all the first day.

And as far as your back goes--
The ab lounger is GREAT for your back. I should know--I have a *lot* of back pain. It fully supports your body and as you can arch back you are lengthing the ab as well as crunching and tightening the muscle. The muscle is working harder as it is pulling your body a further distance. And the stretching back out relieves the muscle of its "crunch". That gives you the long lean look you are hoping for. But as you are not on a harsh floor, your back is a lot better cushioned than most other ab workouts. The arching back also stretches and strengthens the back muscles. Use it daily and you'll LOVE it.