What is the best abdominal machine?

Researchers at the Biomechanics Laboratory at San Diego University tested abdominal exercises and machines to see which ones worked the best, reports Nicole Nichols on Sparkpeople. The best abdominal-specific exercise machine among those tested was the Torso Track, and the second-best was the Ab Roller.

Bicycle crunches, knee lifts on a captain's chair, crunches on a standard exercise ball and doing vertical knee crunches were all more effective at working the abdominal muscles than any of the abdominal-specific exercise machines in the San Diego study, according to Nichols. The exercise that was found to be least effective overall in working the abdominal muscles was use of the Ab Rocker Machine.