Do those electronic gizmo's work

[cortilla]

I'm not planning to buy one or ever use one, i prefer standard situps. However i was wondering whether those 'aberciser' electric machines that they always advertise on shopping channels actually work. Do they actually give you sixpack whilst sitting on your flabby ass watching the jay leno show. Are there any damaging side effects (something like this there must be) and do the proffesional world use anything like it (people like physios). It's been knawing at my curiosity part of the brain for a little while.

[Jimmy The Big Greek]

There are side effects. It can damage your nerves. You develop "ticks".

[Killer Loop]

They are absolutely no good for developing a six pack, total waste of time and money, instead spend the money on a gym, building up the stomach and getting rid of the layer of covering it. Having said that they can be useful for injuries and are used in physio quite often.

[gingernut]

Stick to surfing !!

[Daysleeper]

Similar machine called a TENS machine is used by women during labour as pain relief.

[Jerricho]

Hey Cort,

As you probably know, those things come in huge variety of shapes and sizes. We've all seen the ads, especially the "infact, I'm wearing one right now". While they stimulate the contraction and expansion of muscle, they have been known to stimulate only part of the muscle (eg - the area the abs extend is much larger than the pads/belt covers) thus not working the whole muscle which is the idea of training/exercise. Plus, you can start getting into issues of imbalance of muscles (ie, if you only do sit ups, you're neglecting your obliques and your lower back), which can lead to lower back pain or worse. And of course, you can do all the ab work in the world, if you have a layer of fat over the top, you ain't going to have that six-pack to show.

The whole EMS thing came to the forefront of training years ago when Bruce Lee revealed he used it in his training reigeme. Other athletes have been paid money to endorse them as well.

Personally, I have found them good in treating sports injury (I used to play basketball and found them great for treating quadricep and hamstring injuries, or muscle fatigue due to over training). But for actual strength/body shaping they aren't all they are cracked up to be. Nothing beats sweating and raising the old pulse rate.