The question of whether or not an electronic abdominal toning belt works or not depends on what it claims it can do.
A lot of ab toning belts like the Contour Abs make claims of weight loss and extreme toning results in a few weeks. However, this has been proven to be false and as such has given all electric toning devices a bad reputation. The more responsible manufacturers like Flex Belt don’t make such amazing claims about their product, and thus do not fall foul of the FDA.
Some people still view toning belts as the ‘lazy-mans’ alternative to exercise or have a misconception of them being a useless scam – but toning belts do work and achieve what they are meant to achieve, which is toned muscles – not weight loss.
Ab toning belts use scientifically and medically proven methods to increase muscle activity in the area they are used on.
Electrical muscle stimulators (EMS) are often used by medical professionals to increase muscle activity during some rehabilitation treatment. Electrical stimulation is sent to the muscle to increase muscle activity when patients are unable to do it themselves, for example when suffering from a broken limb. This stimulation keeps the muscles active and as a result stops them from becoming weak or ‘wasting away’.
Toning belts use EMS to send electrical stimulators to the nerves in the abdominal muscles. These muscles then continuously expand and contract at a rate found to be faster than the rate achieved through normal abdominal exercises. This constant stimulation of the muscles results in greater muscle activity and therefore greater muscle definition.
To achieve the best results from your toning belt, it is recommended that you also consume a healthy diet and carryout an exercise regime, particularly focusing on fat burning exercises. This will reduce the amount of excess weight which may be present on your stomach and which will in turn hide your muscles.
When the stomach is free from fat the muscles are more visible and so any toning carried out on the muscles will be easier to see. If you are busy and don’t have the time do any abdominal exercises then a toning belt is definitely an alternative option worth considering, and if you normally do no crunches or sit-ups then the results will be even more evident to you.
One of the main reasons that electrical toning appliances have become more and more popular in recent years is due to the increased amount of people not being able to find the time in their daily routine to fit in as much exercise as they would like to.
The most popular EMS toning devices are electronic abdominal belts made by Contour Abs and Flex Belt. This may be due to the desire of a lot of people to improve the muscle definition in the stomach, which is one of the most visible muscle areas of the body. However the increase of abdominal toning belts in particular may also be put down to their design and ease of use.
Because ab toning belts wrap around your waste and so can be worn under your clothes, users find them convenient enough to use whilst carrying out daily activities and chores. As a result of EMS toners being so effortless to use, users find it easy to stick to a regular daily routine with their belt which inevitably helps achieve results faster.
Review of the slendertone, sport-elec, contour ab & flexbelt ab toning belts
Abdominal toning belts are much more than just another piece of exercise equipment. They use the same proven technology that has been used on physical therapy patients for over twenty years. These belts are made with gel pads that fit over your abdominal muscles. The ab belt sends a charge through the gel pads to the muscles underneath, then to the muscles that branch out from there. The signals reach all of your abdominal muscles, causing them to flex and contract. That means your abdominal muscles can work by themselves to make them stronger and more toned.
Do I have to exercise to see results with an ab belt?
No, you don’t! That’s the really great thing about using an abdominal belt. It doesn’t matter if you exercise already or not at all. It makes your abdominal muscles contract by themselves, so they work out even if you don’t. Abdominal toning belts are easy to use and designed to work for all ages, all fitness levels, at all stages of your life. You can wear an abdominal belt while you do cardio exercise, do chores, watch TV or just sit at a desk (imagine how easy that is!) Thirty minutes a day is all it takes to let your abdominal belt take your muscles from flabby to fit. Muscle toning belts are also particularly suitable to those suffering from sports or other muscle-related injuries, because they allow the user to gently work the affected muscle area without risk of straining or tearing it further!
The only thing that will limit the results you get is the quality of abdominal belt you use! Read our comparison and more detailed look at each ab belt below for further information as we reveal the #1 ab toning belt:
Ab toning belt comparison chart
Ab Belts | Included: | Price | Money Back Guarantee? | Rating | Where to buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gel Pads | Bonus | |||||
| Flex Belt | 4 | FREE 1-Year Magazine Subscription | $199.99 | 60 Days |  | Visit Site » |
| Slendertone | 3 | None | $150 | No |   | Visit Site » |
| Contour Ab Belt | 4 | None | $199.80 | No | | Visit Site » |
| Sport-Elec | 1 Month Supply | None | $150 | No | | Visit Site » |
Featured ab belts in more detail:
The Flex Belt
The Flex belt is the highest quality most up to date abdominal toning belt you can buy. It’s also known as ‘Slendertone System Abs’ because it’s officially the next generation of the Slendertone Flex. Just read the ab belt reviews and you will see that more people who have used the Flex belt have gotten far better results than those using other types of ab belts. For $199.99, you get the Flex belt abdominal toning belt, four gel pads, the rechargeable battery pack, extension for larger waists, carrying case, and a user’s manual.
The Flex belt is easy to use, proven and works for everyone. You also have total peace of mind because its the ONLY one of the ab toning belts we reviewed that offers a full 60-day money back guarantee – this alone shows that the manufacturers are confident in their product, which is always a good sign! It’s also the only ab belt that is fully FDA approved!
Slendertone Flex
The Slendertone Flex ab belt is $150. Because it’s the previous model of the Flexbelt it comes with many of the same features as the Flexbelt, but does not have quite the high quality construction and performance. It comes in one size that fits “most”. It does, however, provide a good abdominal workout for those who want to invest a little less on their fitness and well-being. Taking into account it’s price this is a good deal!
Contour Abs Belt
The Contour Ab Belt (a.k.a. Contour Abs or Contour Core Sculpting System) is available for $199.80, but doesn’t offer nearly the quality of construction and performance or ease of operation of the other belts. Since the price is nearly the same as the Flexbelt, the Flexbelt is obviously better value for your money. Check out our comparison to see how you think the quality and features compare to that of the other abdominal belts. There is also once again no money back guarantee offered, which is of slight concern given that this ab belt is the same price as the Flexbelt! Overall we experienced faster results with the other ab belts.
Sport Elec
The Sport-Elec ShapNTone is new on the market and costs only $150.00. In our view it doesn’t seem to have the manufacturing quality of either the Slendertone Flex or the Flexbelt and it has been reported to show rather poor results. Concerning ab toning effectiveness the Sportelec Shape’n’Tone ab belt seems to be identical with the Contour Ab Belt! All told we had much better results with the Flexbelt in a shorter time frame, and were a lot more impressed with the quality of the Flex belt also. There is also no money back guarantee offered.
Conclusion
If you want to improve the condition of your abs, then there’s no doubt that using an electronic ab belt to give you the strength and tone you want makes sense. It also makes sense to check out the ab belt comparison table above and compare the belts to see which one you think is going to give you the best results you can get for your money.
The Flex Belt combines high quality with proven results and is backed by a great manufacturer, a 60 day money back guarantee, numerous major sports stars and positive press reviews. If you want to invest a little less into your ab belt, the Slendertone is less expensive than the Flex Belt but has been reported to still show decent results.
You can also read our full review of the Flex Belt here and discover which ab toning belt is best (updated for 2019).
