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  1. #1
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    Arrow Electric Abs!

    Electric Abs!

    Test-driving TV's most beguiling exercise gadgets


    Originally featured in MensJournal.com


    Snake oil. Perpetual motion. Reaganomics. You can now add to your list of ruses and half-truths the term "electrical muscle stimulation" (EMS), more commonly known by the brand names AbTronic, AB Energizer, and Fast Abs. You knew these were hooey, right? No? Okay, no need to be ashamed (not mortally, anyhow). The principle -- using electricity to tone muscles -- seems sound, and they do use things somewhat similar to these in physical therapy, so it's conceivable that there's something to them, right?

    It sounds right, but it's actually quite wrong. True, EMS is sometimes used in medical settings to activate atrophied muscles without moving the limb. EMS will keep a muscle from withering, but it will never make the muscle grow. In order to do that, you have to stress a muscle to 60 to 80 percent of its capacity, as occurs when you, say, curl a 25-pound dumbbell. Home EMS devices stress muscles to less than 20 percent; at that level, they're being exerted no more than when you wave your hand. Could EMS generate enough juice to get your muscles up to the proper threshold? Potentially, but it wouldn't be pretty.

    John Porcari, a professor of sports science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, recently did a study of the technology. He had 16 students use EMS devices three times a week for eight weeks, measuring their bodies before and after, with regard to weight, girth, skin folds, you name it. "Basically, nothing changed," he says. And EMS isn't just ineffectual. "You put it on," says Marc Rabinoff, a professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver who did a similar study, "you push those buttons, and it hurts." It's true: Many users, myself included, have experienced welts and even small burns.

    I tried the AbTronic for about a week, because the $80 product, sold by Smart Inventions, of Paramount, California, is the one whose ads I had seen most often on television, featuring some very impressive-looking (paid) spokesmodels. The package consisted of a neoprene belt, a Velcro-attached power supply, and some bottles of Firming and Toning Gel (basically just K-Y jelly, to provide conduction for the electrodes in the belt). An instruction booklet stated that "regular exercise and a healthy diet combined with the modern technology of the AbTronic are the best way to achieve total health." Well, yeah, and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon. When I tried to reach the makers of the AbTronic to talk to them about their cleverly worded instructions, I was informed that Smart Inventions (the name on the box) merely distributes the device and offers no comment as to its effectiveness. Nor could anyone at the company tell me the maker of the product, as it comes from China.

    Some companies provide other surprises. The $60 AB Energizer often comes with a "dietary supplement," actually ephedra. Also known as trucker speed, ephedra supplements are illegal to sell to minors in some states, and are on the NCAA's banned-substance list. "Sure, using ephedra will rev up your metabolism," notes Rabinoff. "It may also kill you." Indeed, why pussyfoot around with ephedra? Why not just grab a couple of eight-balls and really burn the pounds off?

    This isn't the first time we've seen devices like these. In the '50s, there was the Nemectron, followed some years later by the Relaxacisor, both currently in the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The reason we're seeing a resurgence now is that smaller power sources have allowed the belts to shrink to the point that they "can be worn under your shirt while you rest or work," as one ad claims. The makers of the AbTronic even suggest wearing it over your chest to help promote pectoral growth. "Yeah, that's a great idea," scoffs Rabinoff. "Start zapping your heart with electricity."

    So if these products are some sort of fitness three-card monte, why doesn't the FDA step in and crack some skulls? Well, it's looking into it, says an agency spokeswoman, but the FDA is besieged by 4,000 new medical devices a year. Even with the concerns about people using them on their pecs, these belts are only classified as "medium-risk" devices (as opposed to, say, defective pacemakers). The FDA has tried to get the companies to submit their data, and could start confiscating merchandise if they don't respond, though its main concern is with safety. (In fact, the only company to comply so far, Slendertone Flex, received clearance.) The other agency with possible jurisdiction is the Federal Trade Commission. As of now, the FTC has filed no complaint with any EMS manufacturer and won't say whether any investigations are pending.

    But does it really matter what the government has to say about these belts? Health professionals like Rabinoff are more than happy to call them "the biggest rip-offs I've seen in 32 years in this business." Could it really be possible to get fit while sitting on your couch eating Chee-tos to your heart's content, just because you're wearing a magic belt? Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, has a better idea. "For all the time and money you spend on a product like this," he notes, "you may as well join the gym."


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Rating the Other TV Gadgets
    While many home fitness products are shams, some actually do what their makers claim. To find out which ones, we asked Marc Rabinoff, a Denver professor who specializes in evaluating the infomercial fitness world.

    Total Gym (800-541-4900 or totalgym.com; $1,000) Not only is this device endorsed by Chuck Norris (which is awesome), "it works great," says Rabinoff. "It really is one of the best home gyms I've seen." Lest you think Rabinoff is just afraid to incur the wrath of Chuck, consider that the sturdy Model 11,000 is patterned on a machine found in thousands of physical-therapy offices. As an added benefit, the angled slide works your abs no matter which exercise you're doing.

    Bowflex (888-557-6055 or bowflex.com; $700-$1,600) "If all you want is maintenance or some toning, this machine is fine," notes Rabinoff. However, as you try moving up to higher weights by putting on more bands, it becomes virtually impossible to budge the bar beyond a few inches. What about that ripped guy using it on TV? Look closely next time at how many bands he's really lifting.

    Roller0-368-3763 or asontv.com; $60) Another case of a reasonable product -- as long as you know what you're getting. A basic exercise device, versions of which are found lying around the mats of health clubs, the AB Roller "gives you a little added flexibility," says Rabinoff, "and helps keep you in the right plane as you do regular crunches." What it won't do is give you rock-hard abs in minutes.

    Tae-Bo (877-823-2648 or taebo.com; $40) Billy Blanks may be able to kick Chuck Norris's ass these days, but his home product gets whupped by Chuck's system. "Tae-Bo is great with an instructor," says Rabinoff. "But trying to do it with a video at home is ridiculous. It's like using any martial art if you don't know what you're doing -- you're just moving around."

  2. #2
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    Thank God for that post, Prince ...

    My girl was just about to run off to the store and get her one ..
    not that she's in that bad shape, she just needs to lose the little 'pouch' that's always there.

    Honey, get your butt over here and look what the nice mister is writing !!
    "When the going gets though,
    the Tough get Duct-tape!"

  3. #3
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    Print it!

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    I laughed at those commercials when I first saw them. People these days just aren't willing to put any effort into taking care of themselves.

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    People always seem to want the easy fix--and believe me, I've been guilty of this too. I've come to realize that in general you get what you work for.

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    Also I wonder in later years the passing of all that extra current into your muscles and ligaments will have some effect

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    I was on the way home from work yesterday morning, and the female dj had to do a little comercial endorsing some pill form of fat loss product.
    "Yes, I can see and feel it working. My clothes are getting looser and I am toning up, yet haven't stepped into the gym" or something really similar to it.
    Wonder how many ig'nant people are going to buy this crap?
    Success leaves clues. People who produce outstanding results do specific things to create those results

    Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing NOW to solve our problem

    THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
    - Appollo Creed

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    When I was in Iceland I had a friend who had one... I knew it didnt work, but we'd strap it on and torture each other. I know, sick... but when your bored out of your mind and you havent seen the sun in a week you will do strange things for enternainment.

    Eggs

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    where in italy are you?
    Success leaves clues. People who produce outstanding results do specific things to create those results

    Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing NOW to solve our problem

    THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
    - Appollo Creed

  10. #10
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    I had a good friend of mine actually buy the Abtronic. He used for about a month. After about a month he started complaining about his stomach hurting. He then noticed he had 2 knots in his stomach in the exact spots were the Abtronic stimulates the muscles. Come to find out, he had 2 hernia's where he was using that machine. I told him that machine was a piece of shit, but no one listens to me

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    Burner - Northern Sardinia (off the coast, to the left, of Rome).

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    I think anything advertised on TV is bullshit.
    Just Shut Up and LIFT.

  13. #13
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    well, I would not go as far to say that, but there is definitely a lot of b.s. in advertising, especially the infomercials!

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    i know someone who used it..and put wrong gel on.

    then the machine broke, and the guy had red marks on his abs for 2 weeks.

  15. #15
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    I laugh anytime i see these get fit fast plans . All the models they have on their infomercials are totally devoted fitness ppl and probably don't even use these products . It's also funny that none of these commercials mention the level of devotion and special care to diet it takes to get the body you want .
    Good things come to those who WEIGHT !

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    Take a Human Trait like laziness and a Human Desire like having an appealing body. Combine the Two with some flashy marketing and you make a lot of money. Unfortunately these products play on people’s ignorance of fitness. The fact that there is so many abdominal products just goes to show that the vast majority of people know nothing about fitness. They think some how magically doing working the abs is going to reduce the fat on their belly, please.

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    It's especially exhilerating when one of those ex-"fat slobs" went on to say "I haven't got time to go to the gym",
    followed by "But I can wear this in front of the TV!".

    That one really got me going!

    This post will strip you of 6% bodyfat!!
    (when used in conjunction with a rigorous training and eating program ...)
    "When the going gets though,
    the Tough get Duct-tape!"

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    this is a joke - right?

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    they must be good for at least toning up the muscles , but probably not for loosing the tummy/fat....?

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    ...now that I am on the midnight shift, I am subgected to all the infomercials...
    the one thy did last night was the amazing celebrity diet. See this one? Looks like grape fruit juice?
    "That's right! Just drink this scientifically formulated drink and in two days, you can lose 10 pounds!"
    I of course, bought 2 gallons...
    Success leaves clues. People who produce outstanding results do specific things to create those results

    Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing NOW to solve our problem

    THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
    - Appollo Creed

  21. #21
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    those things are for the people who believe everythig comes quickly and easily.

    They don't

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    Like they always say "If it sounds too good to be true,then it probaly is"

  23. #23
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    You know what.....I`ve heard if you strap one of those up to your balls and give em a good zapping it`ll increase your natural test levels

    :o:o:o:o

    I`M JUST JOKING!!! DON`T TRY THIS AT HOME< LEAVE IT FOR THE PROFFESIONALS

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    You dirty birdy!!!

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    Bravo for this post, it is about time someone put the truth out there...

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    Just a quick update on this wonderful machine...that works wonders...even though you don't have to lift a finger!!!!!

    Well....our powers that be over here (Aussie land!!!!) have now taken legal action against the company that has been making all those wonderful claims!!!! It has now been taken off the market (To my knowledge....or is about to) and the provider pf such crap for want of a better term....are being "advised" (insert do it or else!!!) to refund all moneys to clients on the basis that they were sold under false pretences!!!!!

    One for the honest guy.....nil for the slimey money grabbing sods!!!!
    Smile at your enemies, it'll drive them crazy.........'cos that twinkle in your eye means your up to something!!!!

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    yep anyone who believes that crap is crazy...i dont know why the girls all believe in it though...i guess b/c they are crazy?

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    that's cool.

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    Don't they understand "NO PAIN NO GLORY"

  30. #30
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    It's true Essie....even here in the states --- the FAA has taken legal action against the company that makes that crap.

    I should try to get my money back........LOL
    All the glory to God!

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