If you’re looking for a piece of home equipment that is inexpensive and easy to store and will help you target your abs, then the Ab Rocket is a good buy. Costing under $100, the Ab Rocket will get you up off the floor and give you some back and neck support while you tone your abs.
I have read mixed reviews about the Ab Rocket, but my own thoughts on the subject are that if you use it properly, you will get results. People have complained that they sat on it and got into a crunch position and it hasn’t helped them on the upward phase of the crunch. Well it’s not supposed to! The padded rollers are there to give your back and neck some support; the crunch itself is to be done by your abdominal muscles.
Let me put it this way: (quick anatomy lesson here). When people refer to their abs, they are usually talking about their six-pack; this is the Rectus Abdominis and is a set of muscles that stretches from your lowest ribs to your pubic bone. To be pedantic, it’s actually the other way round; they start at your pubic bone and finish at your ribs. Call me an anorak!
The function of your six-pack is actually to bend you forward at the waist. Working your six-pack alone will not particularly change your shape; what you need to concentrate on are the other muscles in the core area, most importantly the muscles beneath your six-pack which go around your midriff like a girdle.
It is working these correctly that will flatten your stomach and change your shape; you will only get a visible six-pack if you have hardly any body fat. This girdle of muscles around your waist is called TVA (Transversus Abdominis). I like to refer to this as Nature’s Corset; tone up these muscles and you will pull in your whole midriff creating that lovely hourglass shape that we all desire.
I will get to the point here in a second; please don’t go to sleep just yet! The point in all this is, you need to learn how to do a good abdominal crunch in order to get results and the Ab Rocket will put you in a position where you can get your crunches right. The Ab Rocket supports your neck and back so that you can actually concentrate on your midriff instead of trying to haul your neck and shoulders up as in a conventional crunch, which only makes them ache.
The padded rollers of the Ab Rocket support your back; as you crunch upwards, pull in your belly button as if your pants were too tight and you will feel the crunch in exactly the right area. The Ab Rocket also allows you to lift your knees and do a reverse crunch, thus targeting the lower abdominals as well.
All in all, I think the Ab Rocket is a useful and inexpensive piece of exercise equipment that can and will – if used correctly – give you great tone and bulge reduction in your waist area without putting any strain on your neck and back.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I can do crunches without having to suffer from back pains!! it is great
The AB Rocket works very well. You can do sit ups very easily. You can work the middle and the sides of your abs. The AB Rocket is very easy to use. It protects your neck and back. It is spring loaded so when you are coming up you have an extra push. I found that it is the best and easiest way to work your abs. I have been using this product around three years now. I now have those nice muscle lines on the middle and sides of my abs. The only bad thing about this product is that it is not made well. The springs that are used for tension break after about 6 months of regular use. I have contacted the company before and they did send me a new one. The last time mine broke I just went to K-Mart and bought another one. They are a little expensive to keep buying like that but if you want something that really works and that’s very easy, it’s worth it. This last time I have gotten lucky and my AB Rocket has lasted me for about two years; but, I haven’t used it on a regular basis. Overall I would give this product 4 out of 5 stars.
seriously, i have only had the ab rocket for a year , i bought it march 09, and in aug 09 while my sister was using it. the spring part snapped! it could have been worse but for her it did nothing wrong. so i took it bak to walmart, which is where i got it, told them exactly was happened, so i exchanged it. so again ive had it and i use it regularly and so does my mom. but today when i was about to use it, i barily leand back , and the thing snaps ! but this time it snapped my side and really hurt me, i got big welts all along my side, it calmed down but now i feel a bruse.it sucked, i took pictures of it and the machine and where it broke, its stupid, cuz the first time i only had it for 5 months , and this happened, and this time i had it for almost 7 months, so how long does this thing last?? there are no papers inside giving u a warning for anything, theres no customer service anything eaither. its ridiculous. i like this thing , but i dont want to keep buying somthing that wont even last a year, and i do not want to take that chance of getting hurt again, i think the springs are cheeply made, the “instructions” dont say how far back u can go, there is no weight limit shown anywhere, im am 110lb and my sister is a little bit more, so the weight is not a problem, the commercial even shows muscle men doing this. all im saying is there is not enough info in the box when u buy it, no warning anything or even things to be aware of. i think it should be recalled, because i sure dont want to get hurt again and i have proof of the pain, the broken machine. there isnt even any contact number or address in the box, no customer service anything on it. its not legit! it works for me, but how cheeply its made, im sorry but u should be saying sorry to me, and if anyone else has gotten hurt and was not able to say or contact anyone about it maybe because theres no where to go, no info!
CAN I GET A FREE BROCHURE FROM YOU GUYS HOW TO USE AB ROCKET THE RIGHT WAY ? I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR OVER 3M. AND NOTHING .PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANKS
my ab rocket also broke! While I was doing some abs the spring broke hitting me and scratching me on the back towards the side and it left a bad bruise. I also went online to complain but they don’t have any customer service for complaints only to purchase the machine. I also took pictures… I will find out if there’s a bureau or something so they can force the company to recall or at least put some warnings in their product that that might happen
My mother has purchased one for herself today and I intend on using it, too. I tried it earlier this evening and it does give the support it claims, albeit it’s a bit awkward at first, but I assume I will get used to it. I definitely felt the burn though, so I’m looking forward to using it.
Regarding the incidents that the other posters have reported: Ours was also purchased at a Walmart. I will admit, it is a bit shabby and it didn’t exactly come complete, as it was missing the DVD, but everything else was there. It is to be expected that products from retail stores will not be up to par with the ones bought directly from the company.
Here’s an important point, though. The other posters claim it came with no warning regarding the possible spring injury. That was not the case with ours. There was indeed a piece of paper and it exclaimed the importance of the protective velcro wraps that came for the spring after fully assembling the machine. Perhaps the others had the same misfortune that we had except instead of missing a simple DVD, they were missing an important piece of the machine, which were the protective wraps.
My guess is that the equipment sold in stores are usually second hand/ returned from previous owners, which could explain the missing parts and already worn pieces. Another thing that could increase the chance of injury is misuse. A person’s weight may also contribute to this hazard since the machine is indeed somewhat shoddy.
That’s all I have to say for now. I will report back when or if I remember with an update.
same here! i used it and loved it, but it broke and scartched me real deep, im not going to say anything good about it anymore, thats for sure
I used the ab rocket once and pinched a nerve in my lower back. I followed all instructions to the tee and it’s brought me pain. that product is no good for anyone. be careful use at your own RISK!!!!!!!