Electric belt for belly slimming: models and reviews

• November 22, 2018
• Home workouts
• Valeria Adams

Among the numerous devices and weight loss products that are produced by the fitness industry today, one of the most discussed is the ab belt. Reviews evaluating the effectiveness of different models of this simulator present a wide range of opinions: from criticism describing the uselessness of these devices or accessories to enthusiastic stories about the successes of using them.

The latter talk about a unique opportunity to pump up your abs without leaving the couch. How can you figure out which of the commentators actually used the device, and who is solving the problem of advertising the product?

Marketing promises in reviews of ab belts

A wide selection of modern “lazy” devices serves as an opportunity to fulfill the cherished dream of many overweight people - to lose weight without making much effort. These sports devices are especially relevant for super-busy residents of megacities, who usually do not have time to visit gyms. Such purchases in stores give hope that you can become slim and healthy without going to the gym or doing home workouts.

The myth of “lazy” weight loss is also actively promoted by dishonest advertisers. In pursuit of profit, they assign fantastic qualities to ab belts in reviews that they do not possess. As a result, buyers have high expectations. This leads to frustration when most of them do not get the desired result.

But are these simulators so useless?

All losing weight people who managed to get noticeable results with the help of an abdominal belt included in their schedule: a healthy low-calorie diet, a proper work and rest schedule, training with optimal loads - strength and cardio. After all, losing weight requires spending much more energy than the body uses during:

• vibration massage;
• heating under a neoprene shell;
• creating a sauna effect;
• muscle contractions artificially caused by electrical impulses.

Real reviews of the abdominal belt warn that without strengthening muscles through physical exercise, strength training and aerobic exercise in the fresh air, no weight loss will occur, since it is in the muscles that energy is burned from fat reserves. If the muscles are not sufficiently trained, covered with subcutaneous fat and weak, then the task of getting yourself into ideal shape will require a long period of time and considerable effort. You won’t be able to correct your figure and pump up perfect abs with just a belt.

Ab belt - myth or reality?

Many people are interested in the question: does an ab belt help? Without affecting fat cells from the inside, there will be no effect. A belt can help only if a person performs physical exercises as an additional means. Never lose weight only by removing fluid from the body. When a part of the body sweats a lot, this is far from an indicator of weight loss. When constantly worn, a belly belt can correct your figure and waist area. But you can’t lose weight without intense work, lying on the couch, eating sweets and flour.

Device categories

There are several types of belts, each of which is designed for a specific purpose and performs one or another type of load, has its own power threshold - these are the factors that influence the result:

1. Vibration devices that massage the body, actively influencing the inner subcutaneous layer.
2. Myostimulators are electrical devices that train muscles using low-intensity impulses.
3. Sauna belts with a powerful heating effect.

Manufacturers guarantee that these devices can solve most problems associated with physical inactivity, obesity, and untrained muscles. But not all buyers agree with marketers' statements.

How myostimulators work: mechanism of action and tips

The method of influencing nerve endings with electrical impulses that cause muscle contractions was used by Soviet scientists back in the last century to train athletes and recover from injuries. However, for healthy athletes, rather weak stimulation was unproductive and had little effect on the result. This method was taken as a basis by developers of home exercise equipment, who use it in technology for the production of home electric belts for the abs and abdomen. In reviews of customers who managed to lose weight with their help, the myostimulator is described as an effective device that helps to get your figure in order.

Such electric belts are praised by people with a minimal level of physical activity, who cannot load the body with intense exercise due to illness or prolonged physical inactivity. The sensations during the action of the myostimulator are reminiscent of the electrophoresis procedure. However, if the layer of subcutaneous tissue is more than 4-4.5 cm, then the impulses do not reach the muscles, but locally heat the skin. A person feels a tingling sensation and redness appears on the surface of the epidermis. Long-term use of such a belt can lead to skin burns, and use for 10-15 minutes does not produce a noticeable result. Whatever they call a belt for pumping up the abs reviews! Everyone who is familiar with the anatomy of the school course rightly calls it a “myth” or a “hoax.” When in a promotional video Cristiano Ronaldo places a “butterfly” on the ideal abs honed by many years of training, designed to treat muscle atrophy and relieve spasms, athletes call this method of persuasion a marketing ploy. Users with completely untrained muscles can only count on strengthening the tone of problem areas of the body.

Types of belts

When purchasing a belt to pump up your abs, many people wonder if it is the only one of its kind. Here the Internet will give a clear answer: no, there are many similar belts. Everything can be divided into 2 types: powered and portable. The first group of abdominal belts includes 3 subtypes:

• Vibrating massager. This device is a power-powered belt that relaxes the back and abdominal muscles. The key word here is “relaxing”, because the vibrations it emits only help the muscles recover after a strenuous and prolonged workout. Despite the assurance of advertising that fat cells are broken down under the influence of impulses emanating from the mechanism, the desired weight loss cannot be achieved.
• Myostimulator. The action of this belt is very comparable to the action of a vibrating massager; accordingly, the result from its use is also no different. The only difference between them is that this type of exercise machine affects the abdominal muscles using electrical impulses rather than vibrations, which is much more painful and unpleasant.

• Abdominal pumping belt with sauna effect. This type of belt is made of airtight fabric, which allows a greenhouse effect to be created, due to which the desired area of ​​​​the skin is heated. What is the result of use? The same as from going to a bathhouse or sauna, no more. There is no way to burn excess fat cells this way, much less pump up your abs.

The portable type of abs pumping belt includes only one subtype - a neoprene belt. In essence, this is the same belt with a sauna effect, only the temperature of the areas of the body exposed to the influence of this device is achieved much lower, due to which the cost of such a belt is much lower than that which operates from the electrical network.

Properties of the vibration belt

There are very different reviews about the vibration belt for training the abdominal muscles. Some buyers successfully use it as a massager for recovery after strength training, others combine its action with wraps in the area of ​​the “ears” on the legs. There is also a category of people who write about a waste of time and money, since the effect of the massager seemed insufficient to them.

Manufacturers claim that the combination of magnetic stimulation with vibration massage periodically increases and decreases blood flow, stimulating metabolism in the fat layer. This helps speed up the breakdown of fat in problem areas and leads to weight loss. Doctors, describing the abdominal exercise belt, warn in reviews that prolonged vibration effects on the spine lead to loss of fluid in the discs, which lose elasticity. As a result of active activities, protrusions and herniations of intervertebral discs are formed. The low-frequency action of the massager can also cause heart rhythm disturbances and circulatory problems.

Vibration and magnetic stimulation sometimes cause problems with the female genital organs, leading to the formation or rupture of ovarian cysts, complicating inflammatory processes, and exacerbating chronic diseases. Before buying an electrical stimulator for abdominal training, you need to undergo a high-quality examination of the body by a doctor. Sellers do not always warn about the side effects of such devices.

Contraindications

Despite the many positive effects, belts have a number of general contraindications:

• blood diseases;
• conditions after surgical interventions in the area of ​​parting;
• the presence of skin diseases and injuries;
• heart disease;
• hypertension;
• tumor formations;
• acute inflammatory processes;
• diseases of internal organs;
• sensitive, dermatitis-prone skin.

Additional contraindications for the use of certain types of belts are:

1. The vibrating abdominal belt cannot be used:

• if cardiac pacemakers are installed, the operation of which can be disrupted by magnetic waves;
• if vascular fragility is diagnosed.

3. The abdominal myostimulator belt has the following additional restrictions on use:

• strokes;
• cerebrovascular accidents;
• myocarditis;
• tumors;
• tendency to bleed.

It is not recommended to use the abdominal belt if less than an hour and a half has passed since eating. You should not use it for longer than the stated time to avoid exacerbation of chronic diseases. The use of uncertified devices is also contraindicated.

Features of the thermal belt

In reviews, abdominal belts with a warming effect are divided into two categories:

1. Neoprene products that work as a tension, supporting the spine. They raise body temperature during active exercise or while walking, accelerating metabolism in tissues.
2. Sauna belts that can heat areas of the body to 40-75 degrees without physical exercise.

Many girls call neoprene belts convenient for losing weight.

But while wearing them, which should be no more than 6 hours, accelerated fluid removal and compression of organs occurs. As a result, weight loss is temporary, and regular exposure to organs leads to their dysfunction. In addition, the lipid mass that should have been deposited on the sides turns into visceral abdominal fat and begins to coat the organs. This is a more dangerous type of obesity than the presence of a subcutaneous lipid layer.

Another type - sauna belts, reminiscent of a heating pad, many users call not only useless, but also a very dangerous purchase, which causes:

• skin burns, since the thermostat in most models does not work and the belt heats up to 75 °C;
• heart rhythm disturbances and increased thrombus formation;
• kidney problems.

In addition to numerous complaints about thermal injuries left by the miracle weight loss device, users complain about the lack of fat burning effect and the power cord is too short, which does not even allow movement.

How to use an ab belt?

The work begins with the fact that you need to study the instructions. The belt for pumping up the abs is worn on the problem area - it can be not only the waist area. Due to the effect of the sauna and the effect on fat deposits, accelerated blood circulation occurs, which causes increased sweating. Myostimulators act on the skin through small current discharges, due to which fat cells are destroyed.

A belt for beautiful abs is not a panacea. It is impossible to pump up muscles without working them. Based on user reviews, we can say with confidence that only those who have a minimum body fat content can lose weight without much effort, when the weight before use was a maximum of 58-56 kg. The rest need additional muscle stimulation. Based on the above, it turns out that an abdominal belt will help, but only in combination with exercise and reducing calories. An excellent replacement for a bandage, it supports the spine well during training.

Contraindications and recommendations

A visit to a medical facility to conduct a full examination of the body before starting exercise with household electrical appliances for weight loss is mandatory!

Doctors categorically do not recommend purchasing abdominal belts if you have chronic diseases, as well as with:

• problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• renal failure;
• gynecological diseases;
• epilepsy;
• varicose veins;
• tendency to blood clots and other circulatory disorders.

The device has a negative effect on women during menstruation, as well as during pregnancy and after childbirth. Doctors do not advise correcting the figure in this way in case of acute colds, in the presence of skin damage - wounds and inflammations, as well as after recent fractures and sprains. The duration of any workout with massage belts or actively heating devices should not exceed 20-30 minutes.

conclusions

As a result of reasonable weight loss with long-term training, a balanced diet and fractional meals, adherence to a work-rest regime, customer reviews call the use of an ab belt a personal choice for everyone. This miracle device is for many only the first step on the path to weight loss and increased muscle tone.

Only regular active training in the gym, professional advice and hard work can solve the problem of achieving six-pack belly fat. Advertising images of Hollywood stars are aimed at selling devices - they do not guarantee the same result for the average person.