Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Consumer Reports Reviews the Ab Circle Pro

Consumer Reports magazine finally got around to reviewing the Ab Circle Pro, which has become one of the top-selling fitness products in the US. As usual, they started by questioning the claims: a firm and flat stomach in just weeks by exercising only 3 minutes a day. All for just $200! They measured the actual energy expenditure and muscle activity that occurs when a typical person uses the machine. They also evaluated the nutrition plan that comes with the Ab Circle.

They had several men and women use the machine so that they could measure how much exercise they were actually doing and how many calories they burned. They even had 9 women and 4 men do the entire DVD workout coached by Ms. Ab Circle Pro herself Jennifer Nicole Lee.

The results? Consumer Reports found that the home exercise machine does engage the core muscles but burns no more calories than walking quickly. They found the diet plan to be fairly strict... strict enough that most people would lose a significant amount of weight on it alone! Could that be the main reason why some people do burn fat and lose weight using the Ab Circle?

In the end, of the 13 panelists CR brought in to test out the machine, only 3 said they would actually consider buying it in the future. That's nearly a quarter of them... which may be quite a bit better than some people would have expected!

Check out this video:



Now read some more Ab Circle Pro reviews and check out the original Consumer Reports article.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Ab Circle Pro is a huge let down. Sure, I could feel the burn in my abs but not as much as the pain in my knees! I couldn't even be on the thing for 3 minutes at a time. I could only do 20 reps when the pain would just be too much. When assembling the unit each knee cup has a screw that goes right through the middle to attach to the disc. They give you foam inserts to cover the head of the screw but this is like a band aid on the BP oil spill!! Not enough padding and I just love the rug-burn feel and look. Don't "waist" your money!!

Getting Fit said...

I really like the ab circle pro. No, it does not burn a lot of calories - but it definitely works out those core muscles. Another thing it does is reduce back fat! I did not notice any benefits with the machine on the lowest level; but when I raised the machine up to the second level and began really focusing on using my core muscles and not my arms to turn the machine, everything changed. I am not a calorie counter/diet person; so I just used the machine alone. In two weeks time people were saying that I look great and have I lost weight. I could tell a big difference in the way my back and abs looked in a short time. So I don't really care what any study says - i have my own experience to rely on. I have now added Zumba for Cardio along with the machine. When you are only spending 15 minutes on toning your core, it's no big deal to add some cardio. I'm still on the second level and seeing results - can't wait to see what the highest incline setting will do for me! One more thing: the customer service for Ab Circle is amazing. My machine rollers messed up. For $19.95 I got a year warranty and get any parts I need for free. They sent me the rollers and new pads (so you can double up if you need to - but it doesn't bother my knees at all) which would have cost more than 20 bucks. If I let the service warranty lapse I can start it again at any time; and the service rep is so helpful and concerned about making the customer happy. It this were a scam, you would not get that kind of service.

Sudhasree said...

People, Ab Circle Pro is a complete waste!! Its 3 weeks I have been using it spending 10 mins a day. I didn't lose a single pound. So do not get fooled by such products. And those who have been benefited and gave a positive comment, I think they must be the agent of this product who just wanted to sell it!!!

Sudhasree said...

People, Ab Circle Pro is a complete waste!! Its 3 weeks I have been using it spending 10 mins a day. I didn't lose a single pound. So do not get fooled by such products. And those who have been benefited and gave a positive comment, I think they must be the agent of this product who just wanted to sell it!!!