I lost about 65 pounds over the last year through healthy diet (calorie counting, aiming for between 1400 and 1500 calories a day, with one "splurge day" each week) and daily exercise of 1/2 an hour or more on an elliptical cross trainer. While I look and feel much better, I still can't bear to show off my stomach in a bathing suit.

Even with the weight loss, I'm 5'9" and still weigh about 150 pounds. I'm a big-boned, solid woman, and I have some upper back and hip problems that made a floor-based ab routine quite painful. I purchased the Ab Lounge to try to more comfortably address my major problems areas - stomach and back (legs, arms, and buns are pretty nicely toned from the constant elliptical workouts and some long-distance running).

I received the machine approximately three and a half weeks after I placed my order online. My only complaint at this point is about FitnessQuest, not the Ab Lounge. I attempted to contact FitnessQuest 7 times, and succeeded in getting a reply only once (they NEVER responded to either emails or questions submitted through their online form, despite noting a 24 hour period for responses on the website). They were less than helpful, and I've never before dealt with a company so unconcerned about customer service. I'm not sure I'd buy the Ab Lounge again through FitnessQuest, but buying through an individual or another source does leave you without any warranty.

Having expressed my extreme dissatisfaction with the company, I'll move on to the Ab Lounge itself. I was very pleased with the ease of assembly and how sturdy the machine felt when I first sat on it. I was a bit disappointed at first that I couldn't do 10 full reps of each of the first 7 recommended exercises; I knew I had a weak middle, but I didn't know HOW weak! I also was not sore at all at first, which made me wonder whether or not I was even getting a decent ab workout.

Just one short week later, I was able to do 15 reps of the 7 starter exercises, plus another set of 15 of the basic crunch. I was amazed at how much stronger I already felt. I could also start to see a tiny bit more "pinch" (hourglass shaped indentation) at my sides, telling me my obliques were already responding.

Three weeks after starting to use the machine, I can see a small but definite improvement in the appearance of my stomach, back, and sides. I'm not ready for that string bikini yet, but I feel much stronger, my posture has improved, and I think another two months will have me bathing suit ready!

The machine is by no means a miracle. You've still got to put time and effort in to get the results you want. It is, however, an effective way of getting off of the floor to do a decent (I would say novice to intermediate - NOT advanced) ab workout. The Ab Lounge is not as comfortable as they try to make it out to be on the infomercial, but it is much more comfortable for me to use than a mat on the floor. I would recommend that any considering purchase have realistic expectations, and you should enjoy the machine.

Recommended: Yes