Ab Circle not worth the $

I previously (http://pcconditioning.blogspot.com/2010/12/did-santa-bring-you-ab-circle-this.html) blogged about the "Ab Circle," yet another ridiculous "As Seen on TV" product that promises toned abdominals. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research recently published a study that confirmed what I suspected, traditional trunk exercises outperform this device. Side Bridges and Quadrupeds (see below) were found to be superior with respect to muscle activation in areas including the Rectus Abdominis and the Transversus.

Did Santa bring you "The Ab Circle" this Christmas?

I was reading a research study this morning that compared abdominal musculature activation between 3 traditional exercises (Quadruped, Abdominal Crunch, and Side Bridge) against "The Ab Circle," an "As Seen on TV" product that promises to shed the "love handles." Long story short: save yourself some time and money and stick to the bodyweight core exercises that work better than this foolish device.

I'll report specifics in my February, 2011 newsletter. Stay tuned...