How to Use the Ab Lounge XL

The Ab Lounge XL provides assistance in performing one of the most challenging abdominal exercises; the jackknife. The jackknife involves simultaneous flexion of both the upper and lower torso. There are a number of factors that influence one's ability to perform this exercise. These include:

Weak Core and Abdominal Muscles: The jackknife requires an enormous amount of abdominal and core strength.
Leg to Torso Proportion: Since the lower or upper body are flexing simultaneously, people with either long torsos or long legs may have trouble balancing.
Tight Hip Flexors: Your hip flexors are the strong ligaments that connect your thighs to your pelvis. If they are tight, it will be hard to flex your legs into the jackknife.
Stiff Upper Torso: In general, the jackknife is performed without neck support, so if your neck or upper back is tense, this exercise can be painful.

Although the Ab Lounge XL can assist in performing the jackknife and its many variations, the jury is still out about the effectiveness of the machine. However, if it gets people exercising, something is better than nothing. Here are some of the basic exercises that can be performed on the Ab Lounge XL.

The Ab Lounge XL Basic Jackknife

Lie on the machine and grasp the overhead handles.
Place your feet on the foot rest.
Inhale to prepare
As you exhale, draw your navel towards your spine, and slowly curl your upper and lower body towards each other.
Pause at the top, and take a small breath in, without letting your belly expand!
Exhale, and slowly return.

You can also work your obliques on the Ab Lounge XL by dropping your legs to one side at a 45 degree angle, and performing the same movement pattern.

The breathing pattern we've suggested for this exercise probably seems a bit odd. However, the return movement on any type of abdominal curl is the movement that gets people into trouble. During this movement, some people have a tendency to "pop" their ribs forward, which creates an arch in the back. Over time, this will develop an incorrect postural alignment, which can actually make your stomach look bigger!

For example, think about people you know who have a "sway back." No imagine their stomachs. They rarely look flat. So what does breathing have to do with it? A lot, actually. When you inhale, your diaphragm fills up with air, which causes your stomach to expand. Think of a balloon. If you wanted to inflate the balloon, you would fill it up with air, but if you wanted to flatten the balloon, you would let the air out. Your abdominal muscles work the same way. As you inhale, your belly expands, and as you exhale, your deep core muscles press against the diaphragm to expel the air, thereby flattening your belly. If you are inhaling on the return movement of the Ab Lounge XL jackknife, you are only getting the benefits of the curling movement. At best, you are only getting half the benefits of the exercise. At worst, since your abdominal muscles support your back, by keeping them flaccid, you may be causing lower back damage.

If you have not been exercising, remember to check with your doctor before purchasing and using new equipment.

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