Developing a set of great looking abs doesn’t come easy, it takes consistent working out, the right exercises and the correct diet to make it all come together. But what part can abdominal exercise machines play? Are they worth it? Could they help or hinder your progress? That’s what this post will explore, and you might be surprised with the results.

Why isolated Exercises don’t work as well

Working out with an abdominal machine only focuses on the abs and not the rest of the body. While the infomercials for some of the gadgets that have come out in the last decade suggest that they are the end all be all to get 6 pack abs that’s unfortunately a long way from the truth. These machines can develop very strong abdominal muscles, but you will struggle with a 6 pack? Why? That’s what we’ll talk about next.

Percentage Body Fat is the Issue

You may very well have the strongest abs in the world, but if you do not have a body fat percentage of 10-12% you’re won’t be able to see the definition of the 6 pack. Most of us have a thin layer of abdominal fat covering over our abs of even the fittest folks in the world. You need to combine ab workouts with fat burning workouts to lose abdominal fat before you can start seeing definition in your abs.

The Abdominal and Belly Fat solution

Not focusing on just your abs with ab exercise machines is the first step. The second step is getting into exercises that don’t just build lean muscle but they’ll actually help you burn fat. Before you run to the treadmill for a thirty minute Cardio workout. A better alternative, and an option which isn’t quite as boring, is doing multi joint exercises.

So what exactly are multi joint exercises? Think dead lifts, lunges and any other exercise that requires you to use more the one muscle group. This type of exercise works more then just an isolated muscle group and will accelerate fat burning all over your body and not just in the area you’re exercising.

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