So the makers of the extremely popular Ab Circle Pro are coming out with a new as-seen-on-TV product called the "Mini Circle". It is apparently the Ab Circle's smaller, lighter, and cheaper little sister. According to a press release from spokesperson and fitness model Jennifer Nicole Lee it will cost about $100, half the price of the original Ab Circle Pro.
We would love to know if this thing actually works. The Ab Circle definitely had some quality and ease-of-use problems, at least according to dozens of user reviews and testimonials we've seen. Hopefully the issues have been dealt with and the new Mini Circle ab machine provides better value.
Please be sure to leave your own Mini Circle review or comment in the area below. Thanks!
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!
A few months back we started posting reviews and information related to the Ab Circle Pro. In that time this interesting "infomercial" abdominal machine has become one of the most popular and hottest-selling fitness products in the world! In fact several thousand are being bought in North America alone every month. Good. Great. We like to see so many people taking an interest in at-home fitness and healthy, exercise-based weight loss.
There are just a couple of problems. First, it's hard to tell which Ab Circle Pro reviews are "real" and which are fake. There appear to be quite a few reviews and testimonials of questionable authenticity on blogs, e-commerce sites, and product review sites. It's always troubling when you see reviews for any product that vary so widely as the ones for the Ab Circle. Among the hundreds of reviews/ratings we've looked at, most seem to be at the edges of the spectrum. In other words, they tend to be "5-star" reviews or "1-star" reviews. More than a little strange... to say the least!
The other problem is that, no matter how you look at it (and which reviews you choose to believe) there definitely appears to be some significant quality-control issues with a large number of Ab Circle machines. Dozens if not hundreds of user reviews we've read outline problems ranging from extremely uncomfortable knee pads to cheaply-made plastic parts to major breakages that led to injury! Apparently, there's a decent chance that you'll receive a rather poorly-made exercise machine from this company.
One of our contributing fitness experts was able to get his hands on an Ab Circle Pro recently. Below is his brief review, which we can assure you is as "real" as they come!
Despite my warnings, a neighbor of mine recently purchased one of those late-night infomercial products called the "Ab Circle Pro". After helping her put it together I asked if I could take it for a 10-minute test drive and away I went. My first impression was actually very positive! The butt-swinging movements of this machine are actually a lot of fun, at least at first. And you definitely feel your core muscles, arms, and shoulders working. I've used hundreds of different exercise machines in my lifetime and I can honestly say there isn't anything else out there like the Ab Circle... and certainly not for around 200 bucks!
Well, the initial "thrill" of using this machine wore off after only about 10 minutes, especially when the thing started making strange cracking noises, the knee pads started digging into my kneecaps, and the rollers stopped rolling so smoothly. Now I'm not a exactly a "light" guy, but you would think a product that's supposedly designed to help overweight/obese people burn fat and get six-pack abs would be able to support a guy who weighs 210 pounds! After just 10 minutes it became apparent to me that, with any moderate use, this thing would almost certainly begin to fall apart. The steel itself seems to be pretty decent but the rest of the machine -- especially the plastic components -- are not up to snuff.
The Ab Circle Pro is a great example of a good idea with lousy execution. If they had just made the thing a little bit better it would actually be a great home-workout option. But, at least with this current version, the quality of construction and materials is simply not high-enough for me to recommend it to the general public. Maybe the next version will use better-quality materials and actually be enjoyable to use (something that's important no matter what kind of fitness equipment you're talking about!). For now I'll stick with my exercise ball crunches and hanging leg-raises!
Hope this helps...
- Jake Mealy, CPT
If you have a real review of the Ab Circle Pro please leave it in the comments section below...
This is it! The battle of the "pro" ab machines! Forget about those crappy amateur abdominal exercisers. We're in the big leagues now and we want to know: which is better, the Ab Circle Pro or the Ab Coaster Pro? These popular new "as seen on TV" ab gadgets are being marketed heavily and lots of people are buying them. But which one really works and gives you the best ab-building/fat-burning results?
These two products have more in common than just using sexy fitness models to boost sales. Both the Ab Circle and the Ab Coaster are based around the same premise: work your abdominals by swinging your lower body through space. In the case of the Ab Circle Pro, you're swinging your hips and legs from side to side. With the Ab Coaster Pro you swing your lower half from front to back. Both are based around the well-proven fact that lower ab exercises such as leg-raises and knee-raises are incredibly effective at working all the muscles of the abdominal region without the stresses and back/neck strains involved with typical ab exercises (think the crunch and the situp).
One thing we really like about the Ab Circle Pro is that it gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of your range of motion and the types of exercises you can do. It also gives your legs much more of a workout... something that can be a positive or negative depending on your personal fitness goals.
The thing we like best about the Ab Coaster Pro is that it's very durable, well-built, and comfortable... especially on the knees. That rugged construction comes with a cost: the Ab Coaster is about twice as expensive as the Ab Circle. There's even a version of the Ab Coaster that's designed for commercial/professional gyms that costs over a thousand dollars. Now that seems to us to be the real "pro" model!
So we still want to know: which is better, the Ab Coaster Pro or the Ab Circle Pro. Please leave your own reviews, opinions, and comments in the space below. We'd love to hear what you have to say about these innovative new abdominal machines!
Do you want to burn belly fat, get a flat stomach, and create sexy "six pack" abs in the next few weeks? Well the makers of the new Ab Circle Pro promise you that you can do exactly that if you use their product consistently. This new "infomercial" fitness product is literally exploding in popularity and lots of our readers have been asking for reviews of this new ab gadget. Some have even sent in their own reviews, testimonials, ratings, opinions, and comments. (Don't worry, we'll be posting all of them in the very near future.)
Unlike most ab machines, the Ab Circle Pro doesn't involve laying around on your back, raising your head, shoulders, knees, legs, arms, toes, or any other bodily appendage in an attempt to exercise the abdominal muscles. What it does involve is holding onto a pair of handles, with your knees resting on pads connected to a circular "sliding rail" system. You then swing your legs side to side in a circular motion that, at least theoretically, activates, exercises, and strengthens your abs in a very efficient way while simultaneously giving you a fat-burning cardio workout.
(No, we're not making that up. It really works like that. Check out the video below if you don't believe us!)
Like the relatively new "Ab Coaster", another innovative ab-strengthening machine, the Ab Circle Pro aims to get you up off the floor doing exercises that target the lower abdominal muscles. Fitness trainers and exercise experts have long know that the hanging leg raise is probably the single most effective ab exercise out there. The problem is that hanging from a bar isn't something most people are willing or able to do on a consistent basis. Yes there are all kinds of arms straps, wrist straps, "wings", and other assorted items out there to help, but the fact remains that hanging leg/knee raises are hard to do. Most people want to burn stomach fat and get sexy abs, but they're not willing to do things that are too difficult.
This is why products like the Ab Circle Pro (and the Total Core, Ab Rocket, Ab Coaster, Ab Roller, Ab Lounge, etc.) do so well (at least sales-wise). They turn difficult ab movements like crunches, sit-ups, and leg raises into significantly less difficult, machine-assisted movements. Does the Ab Circle Pro work? Sure, almost definitely... if you use it. In fact we've received quite a few Ab Circle Pro reviews from happy customers who are using the product on a consistent basis and seeing great fat loss and ab-strengthening results.
But, again, it all comes down to whether or not you actually use it. The Ab Circle Pro will do you no good hiding under your bed or stuffed away in the hallway closet. The same can be said for all ab gadgets, fitness machines, and home gyms. Don't be one of those people who buys the Ab Circle, uses it for a week, and then forgets all about it. Let's be certain about one thing: these machines might make exercise easier to do, but it's still exercise. You're not going to magically lose your abdominal fat and get ripped abs just because you decided to pull out your credit card and buy something. You need to actually open the box, unpack it, put the thing together, and get to using it on an almost daily basis.
Don't forget, when you make an exercise easier you almost always also make it less effective. So in the end you'll need to swing those hips and flex those abs on the Ab Circle Pro's "Friction Free Track" quite a lot. Probably at least every other day or so. The people we've heard from who've gotten good results are using it quite often. And, OF COURSE, they're not eating corn chips and drinking a gallon of cola every day. Every single one is eating a clean, healthy diet and doing other forms of effective exercise (like jogging and weight training).
Here's one of the better Ab Circle Pro reviews we've received:
"Hey guys! I thought you might want to share my own ab circle pro review with your readers. I bought mine in May and started using it the first week after it arrived. It's about the 4th or 5th ab machine I've purchased and I have to say that so far I like it alot! At least I actually enjoy using it. I can definitely feel it in by abdominals and obliques when I'm on it. If I listen to some upbeat music I can usually get a pretty decent cardio workout on it. Of course like all the other "exercise" things I've bought you definitely get a little tired of doing the same thing over and over again. But I'm also going to the gym and playing tennis a few times a week so the Ab Circle isn't my only source of exercise! Anyway, after less than a month of using it I give the Ab Circle Pro about a 7 out of 10 stars, which is actually a way better rating than I'd give any of the other ab products I've bought. I'll keep using it and hopefully finally get that flat sexy stomach I've been working toward for a loooong time!"
Do you have a review, opinion, or testimonial on the Ab Circle Pro? Then please be sure to leave it in the "comments" section below. Thanks a lot!
Check out this interesting video featuring the beautiful "Miss Bikini Diva"... aka fitness model Jennifer Nicole Lee:
Today a female friend asked me for my opinion on "that circle ab machine" she's been seeing on TV. I immediately realized that she was asking about the Ab Circle Pro, which has quickly become one of the top-selling fitness products in the US. She said that she wants to lose some belly fat, tone her muscles (especially those thighs), and get her abs in shape for summer. She also asked about the Ab Coaster Pro and the Ab Roller Pro, neither of which I had even heard of until today.
I told her that, since I haven't actually tried any of those new abdominal machines yet -- and had very little knowledge about the Ab Circle Pro, much less the other two -- I couldn't provide an honest answer. The handful of reviews I've seen and heard for the Ab Circle seem to paint a similar picture: it provides a decent abdominal workout and a good low-intensity cardio workout, but it costs a lot, leaves you with "knee burns", and is easy to get bored with.
Personally, the boredom part seems obvious to me. While it's true that some machines make exercise more fun, the vast majority of them simply make you do the same boring movement over and over again like a hamster on a wheel. That's one of the main reasons why I avoid most exercise/fitness machines and focus instead on different types of "free-form" exercise (like bodyweight movements and free weight exercises). That being said, I really don't know how the Ab Circle Pro and its repetitive movements feel to someone using the thing on a regular basis. Shoot, maybe it really is like a "treadmill for the abs" and feels great when you're on the thing!
Here's what I do know: all ab machines, and 95% of fitness/exercise gadgets for that matter, are designed to leave you wanting more. What I mean by that is that, in reality, those thousands of late-night infomercial fitness and weight loss products aren't really designed to be super-effective. If any one of them was actually that great and helped the average person lose weight, get toned, build muscle, get six pack abs, etc. then people wouldn't need to buy anything else. Then the companies that make these products would stop making money and cease to exist. The goal is always to offer a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use product that provides -- or at least has the potential to provide -- some sort of tangible fitness benefit, but is easy to get bored/frustrated with quickly and slide under the bed, out of site, so that it's easy to forget you never really used it and really wasted your money.... :-)
Anyway.... I felt bad that I wasn't able to help my friend with a real review or even a simple rating of the Ab Circle Pro. If you've used this "circle ab machine" and want to help us out, please leave your reviews, ratings, testimonials, comments, opinions, etc. in the area below. Thanks!
I've been seeing the ads and commercials for the "Ab Circle Pro" everywhere lately. At first glance it seemed like just another infomercial ab gadget offering promises of a fitness model's body and "six pack" abdominal muscles in just a few weeks. But this thing is definitely a little strange... er, I mean, "unique". Anyone who's seen the Ab Circle Pro commercials knows what I'm talking about. There really isn't anything else like it out there. You sit on the thing on your knees and swing your hips around in a circular motion, apparently working your abdominals and leg muscles while also getting a fat-burning cardiovascular workout. Definitely seems interesting and, quite possibly, an effective piece of exercise equipment for getting a lean, fit, and tone body. I just don't know how long I would last on the thing!
The movement seems weird and a little too awkward to do on any consistent basis. Of course, the ultra-hotty fitness model/spokesperson for Ab Circle Pro -- the gorgeous Jennifer Nicole Lee -- makes it look super fun and effective. She assures us that it's the best thing out there for burning fat and getting great abs fast. Of course, she's paid a lot of money to say that... so who knows if she actually uses it herself!
The Ab Circle is made of heavy-duty steel, folds under a bed for storage, offers 3 levels of resistance, and has a "patent pending" Friction Free Track... whatever that is. It also is guaranteed to help you lose 10 pounds in less than 3 days. (Just kidding about that last one!)
We plan to do some in depth research on this new piece of exercise equipment. It would be interesting to find out how it compares to the Ab Rocket, Total Core, and all the other abdominal machines out there. So if you have any reviews, ratings, tips, insight, or useful information please let us know by leaving a comment in the area below. Thanks!
So the makers of the extremely popular Ab Circle Pro are coming out with a new as-seen-on-TV product called the "Mini Circle". It is apparently the Ab Circle's smaller, lighter, and cheaper little sister. According to a press release from spokesperson and fitness model Jennifer Nicole Lee it will cost about $100, half the price of the original Ab Circle Pro.
