July 8th, 2013 by Shaun Day

If you want your abdominals to be visible, you probably thought about how effective an ab toning belt is and how this belt can help you to get the body you want... Ab toning belt: myth or reality? The answer is that an ab toning belt can help you to get the desired abs. Having said that, it doesn't mean that you only need to press the 'On' button for the belt to be magic! A toning belt is an accessory that when used correctly and coupled with an appropriate diet program + exercise, can be a fantastic tool to help you to get the figure of an Adonis! Let's see how an ab toning belt really works on your body.  

How does an ab toning belt work?

The back of the ab toning belt features small electrode pads Basically, the classic ab toning belt contracts your abdominal muscles via electrical stimulation (don't worry, it's not painful at all). These contractions stimulate your abs in a similar fashion to a light ab crunch, making them stronger and therefore helping to reveal their shape. With some toning belts, you'll need gel pads to apply on the back of your belt for this to be effective, however some new belts, like the Homefront Toning belt, require only water. It's far easier to use and also much cheaper to run! Toning belts are often seen as a "magical" way to get the famous 6 pack. It's not about magic, it's all about how motivated you are and this belt can help you to provide excellent results. Later, we talk about what exactly you will have to do for the belt to be 100% effective on your body.  

The myth of the toning belt's efficiency...

New ab toning belts are advanced and will give you great results, but you have to combine them with a healthy diet and exercise A common misconception is this fitness equipment can build your muscles while you're sitting on your sofa and drinking your cup of coffee... Well, let's be realistic, if you don't exercise (run, swim, bike, walk, etc...) and just wear the toning belt, it won't help you to lose some weight. Abdominal muscles are located underneath the stored fat. Abs are only visible if your fat disappears or decreases. On TV, if you watch a shopping show, you see slim people with a torso apparently already toned using this belt... But what you don't see is that they're doing regular exercises, they are following a very strict diet or some other regime to get this ultimate body. In other words, these fit people are fully committed to their body. For the average human being, it can be very frustrating to try an ab toning belt and not be able to look like these fit people quickly. This is why the myth appears, as watching these TV shows gives the impresion that the toning belt gives an Olympian athlete shape to your body by only pressing the "ON" button... As previously said, if you don't do exercise such as running, swimming, biking or walking, you'll never look like these people that you saw on TV and it will stay a myth forever!  

Advice on improving the results of your ab toning belt

We all know the scenario -  you don't have all day to take care of your body because you're working and have a busy life. So, in order to maximise results, to improve the efficiency of your ab toning belt, and also to help you to live longer, there are a few things that don't take that long and you should be doing. If you really want to see your 6 pack and you are motivated to work for it, you'll need to:

• Eat light and healthy before exercising → Avoid heavy and greasy meals such as burgers, fries, fast foods in general and stick to white meat, chicken (not fried) and vegetables . This type of food contains proteins and essential vitamins which help to develop muscles without storing fat. It's also important to eat a slow release energy meal such as pasta, rice or bananas before exercising.

→ Tip :  Know your limit, don't eat too much. After you've finished your meal, it takes approximately 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain to tell it you're full.

• Working out regularly will help your ab toning belt to do its thing! Exercise to burn calories → Any exercise is good exercise but cardio exercise such as running is probably the best way to quickly burn calories and fat. You can also walk or ride your bike to burn calories. Swimming is also a great option as it exercises every muscle of your body as well as burning fat. It's also a good sport if you have knee or joints problems (there is no impact on the lower part of your body as there is with running).

→ Tip :  Walking briskly for 20 minutes a day is great. As well as losing weight, it helps to prevent peripheral artery disease!

• Avoid high calorie meals during the day → Creating a calorific deficit in your body (using up more than your intake) is important in forcing your body to dig into your stored fat reserve. Most people that can't get their abs visible, have got excess fat on top of the muscles. Despite their effort to build the muscle, the fat covers it and therefore won't reveal the shape of their abs.

→ Tip 1:Do not eat too much junk food before going to sleep. It's tempting to reach for comfort food when you're tired, but these calories will add up!

→ Tip 2:Avoid eating biscuits, sweeties, or other sugar food in between each meal. If you are hungry, drink some water, it helps to fill your stomach and can easily stop your hunger.

    Remember :  The ab toning belt is not a "magical recipe". You have to use your belt to build and tone your abdominal muscles as a complement to regular exercises and healthy meals. It's a strength training tool. That's how to give a good shape to your abdominals and strengthen these muscles.  

  To summarise: With an appropriate diet program, regular exercise and using the ab toning belt (don't forget to follow the instructions), you will see quick and satisfying results on your tummy and will see the nice shape of your abs... Check out Homefront's website to browse their latest ab toning belts too!