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."
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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."
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."
