Ab Belts

Ab belts are made to be worn by those who want to give themselves a workout to create firmer abs without having to stick with an exercise routine that requires them to do standard crunches or push-ups. Such an ab belt provides stimulation to the nerves in the abdominal muscles which in turn carry the signal to the muscles nearby. The muscles respond by contracting in the same way they do during crunches.

1. Introduction in EMS
2.1. Flex belt
2.2. Contour Belt
2.3. Shape N Tone
2.4. Slendertone flex
3. Conclusion

Electronic muscle stimulation

The technology that is used in these belts is called Electronic Muscle Stimulation, or EMS, and it has been used in the medical field for many years. The recent improvements that have been made to EMS have led to the new generation of ab belts that are now available on the market.

As to the effectiveness of EMS, according to a study presented in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a twelve-week program of EMS was used on elite rugby players, applying treatment to the knee extensor, plantar flexor, and gluteus muscles. At the end of the twelve weeks, the EMS training program showed beneficial effects on muscle strength and power while those in the control group showed no improvement.

Flex belt

Rating:   At the top of the list for ab belts is the Flex Belt. Considered by many sources to be the most up-to-date toning belt available on the market, it has gotten the best reviews of all the belts. At about two hundred dollars, the Flex Belt comes with four gel pads, a rechargeable battery pack, an extension for larger size waists, carrying case and manual.
A six-week clinical study showed that 97% of the people who used the Flex Belt achieved firmer, more toned abs. The technology used in the Flex Belt is based on 100% medical science and is the first belt using EMS technology to be cleared by the FDA as a class II medical device for direct to consumer sales.

Read the Flex belt reviews or visit the official site!

Contour belt

Rating:   The Contour Belt system, also known as Contour Abs, runs around two hundred dollars but is currently being advertised on some TV commercials and websites with a $14.95 trial period. This should be considered a red flag since marketers shouldn’t have to resort to offers like this to get customers to buy reputable products. Contour Belt scam: In fact, there have also been complaints because the companies wouldn’t refund the money that dissatisfied customers have paid.
Nevertheless it’s one of the best ab belts on the market as of today.

Read the Contour belt reviews or visit the official site!

Sport-Elec Shape-N-Tone

Rating:   One of the ab belts that have been advertised on TV is the Sport-Elec Shape N Tone Ab Belt. The belt sells for about 150 dollars and has four different programs as well as thirty levels of exercise. There are four built-in conductive pads and it is for all fitness levels.

Read the Shape N Tone review or visit the official site!

Slendertone flex

Rating:   The Slendertone Flex Ab Belt is a less expensive version that is about $150. It is a previous model of the Flexbelt and comes with many similar features except that it does not have the high quality construction and performance. Although the Flex Belt is a superior belt to the Slendertone, the Slendertone is a good choice for those who want a good ab belt without paying as much.

Read the Slendertone Flex review or visit the official site!

Conclusion

Improvements in electronic muscle stimulation have definitely brought about a new generation of electronic ab belts! Your best bet is to go with one of the market leaders which happen to be the Flex Belt (official website) and the Contour Belt (official website).

Recources

Comprehensive ab belt review
Blog about the contour belt
Article about electronic muscle stimulation