I get many e-mails from not surprisingly confused consumers. They ask me to compare products to make their decision easier. I compared the Ab Lounge with the Ab Lounge 2. I then reviewed the Ab Lounge XL System. I am comparing the XL with the Ab Lounge Ultra and hope this will help you choose.

There was a recall due to people getting their fingers pinched when folding the Lounge. Fitness Quest has added some safety features to make folding the Lounge safer. If you have an older Lounge you can get a repair kit to fix this problem. I have said before that many machines can be dangerous so the Ab Lounge isn’t alone. Still you can now purchase the machine knowing that the company has complied.

The Ultra is $149 making it more than $50 less than the XL System.

Information on the Ultra:

The two Lounges, like the others by Fitness Quest, have the same purpose. That purpose is to tighten and tone your upper and lower abdominal muscles and oblique muscles. The oblique muscles are found on the sides of your abdominal muscles. Unlike crunches, we are told that the machine supports your body, especially your head, neck and back, throughout the exercise. I have found this to be true in general. Doing a crunch on the floor takes practice to have correct form. Without correct form I know my neck hurts and I know others who just won’t do them. The Ultra takes the guess work out of crunches which are seen to be the way to work the ab area rather than doing sit ups.

We are told that the Ultra like the XL works your abdominal muscles so well because of the jack knife motion. This jackknife motion which you may know as a double crunch (Your head and knees come in at the same time while lying on the floor.) uses more muscles than if I were not doing a double crunch but rather a traditional crunch or a hanging leg raise.

It takes you back beyond 180 degrees. We are told that the greater the range of motion the longer your ab muscles are working. I had a problem with this statement in my other reviews and got many questions about it. For that reason I will tell you at the end of my review why in my professional opinion going beyond 180 degrees is not something I would have my clients do. If I don’t want them to then I don’t want you to. This has been repeated in other reviews but I think it is important to say it again.

I noted the oblique muscles above. There are two layers. They are internal and external. They help flex your spine and stabilize your torso. Remember that when you work your abdominal muscles you are strengthening your back as well so even if you hate doing crunches and do not care if you ever have a 6 pack or even a flat stomach your back will thank you for working your ab muscles.

The Ultra and the XL weigh about the same - 36 pounds. Just for your information the Ab Lounge 2 is the lightest of the four Lounges that I have reviewed including this one. At 36 pounds I consider this machine easy to move. It now folds very easily; rolls and I consider it as does the company light enough to almost be considered portable. It isn’t portable in the sense I would fold it up and put it in my car. However it certainly can quickly be folded and put behind a door or under some beds depending on the bed.

Note that although the Ultra and the XL weigh the same they can’t hold the same amount of weight. The Ultra’s maximum user weight is 250 pounds; the XL’s is 275 pounds. I have found the various machines to be made of durable material but I certainly wouldn’t test this material with more weight than is recommended. The Ultra’s material is more mesh like than nylon which is the same as the XL. If you have tried other models you will notice they feel differently than either of these which are considered upgrades. I do think the mesh has a sturdier feel to it. Still no one over 250 pounds should be on the Ultra.

The Ultra measures 39.5 inches long x 30 inches wide x 45.5 inches high. The XL measures 54 inches long x almost 32 inches wide x 45.5 inches high. It is easy to see that the Ultra is a shorter machine. Given the length of it and the maximum user weight a larger person in my opinion will not be comfortable on this model. I'll mention more about your height later.

I have maintained that doing crunches in proper form is the ideal and least expensive way to work your abdominal muscles. However for those people, because of weight or physical problems, who cannot get down on the floor I like the fact that the Ultra as the XL is off the floor.

Both the Ultra and XL are made of rolled steel. I feel that the frame is durable. Much of the A frame design of the Lounge machines are the same.

There is a 90-day warranty. on these machines which is not a very good one. However since there are no technical parts to it you don’t have to worry about anything electronic going wrong.

They both come with a workout video. Please watch it and talk with your doctor if you are new to exercising.

Using the Ultra:

The Ultra is a simple piece of equipment. It comes almost completely assembled.

I agree with the claim that it cradles my body while supporting my head, neck, and back. One advantage to machines is that they force you to do a better crunch, i.e. one that is in good form in an easier manner than doing them on your own.

The Ultra and XL look almost identical. There are handles on the sides. These handles are not full handles. They are in a horse shoe shape. I tend to be very critical of handles on machines. However I don’t have a problem with the Ultra's handles. The machine is sturdy enough that if you hold onto a handle as you get on, it shouldn’t tip but don’t quote me on that. If you are a larger person or have balance problems be careful getting on and off the Ab Lounge Ultra.

After you are on you will then place your hands over your head and grab onto the strap. This may take a couple of tries until you get the feeling of pulling your legs up at the same time as your head while keeping your abs engaged, tight and having them do the work!

As I pull myself up by the strap the bottom of the Ultra comes up as well. Essentially this is what I call a double crunch and Fitness Quest calls a jack knife. As my head comes up my legs do as well forming a V shape. Since I am curling at my head and bringing my legs up at the same time I am working my entire abdominal area. That is all there is to doing a crunch with the Ab Lounge Ultra or XL.

My final thoughts:

The few upgrades that were made on the XL have been made on the Ultra. They both have the same material which is considered breathable because there are little holes in the fabric. This adds a bit of comfort for me especially when hot, if I have workout shorts on and am sweating.

Fitness Quest has addressed the folding mechanism problem.

Like the XL the Ultra has the upgraded iso grips. These are padded handles on each side of the top of the Lounge. I find these particularly helpful for beginners. These grips are comfortable to hold and though I am not a beginner I found doing the jack knife movement easier while holding onto the grips rather than the strap that goes across the top of the machine. The iso grips help me to work my oblique muscles also. I find that I can more easily put my legs down to the side and do a crunch while holding onto the grips rather than the strap.

The foot pedals on both machines are adjustable. However I want to say something about height issues which I am asked about a lot. The earlier models did not accommodate people under 5 feet four inches. I think you will find with the adjustable foot pedals this problem has been alleviated. I am about that height and have no problem using the Ultra or the XL for that matter. However as I said above if you are very tall (over 6 feet 2 inches) or outside the 250 pound limited you will have to spend the extra money and buy the XL. If not then save the money and go with the Ultra. It's a nice piece of equipment especially for those of you who like the Ab Lounge but can't decide which one to buy.

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The information below has been posted in other reviews. I hope the above has helped you. Please feel free to leave me a question or comment. You can find links to my fitness equipment reviews on my profile page.

The Ultra and XL are advertised as a machine to use for a full range of motion. In my opinion this full range of motion goes to the point of hyper-extending. Full range of motions are excellent in weight training. I do not think the full range of motion is a positive feature in this case. I think stretching your muscles to work your core is essential. However hyper-extending backward (going back to the point where your chest is lower than your waist) is never something I would suggest a client do. Please note that if you are doing Pilates or a Yoga pose and are experienced you may hyper-extend. This is a general statement for the average user.

Since we now know that crunches are most effective using a small range of motion hyper-extension makes no sense to me. In fact some will say that the range of motion should not be more than 30 degrees or so and I would agree with them. I have posted e-mails I have received. You may disagree with me and that’s fine. In fact I would love to hear your opinions if you are a personal trainer.

"Hi Jo,
thank you for review of Ab lounger (Want to crunch together). Reason I am thinking to buy this gizmo besides crunches is the posibility to stretch (bend) my body backward. It should make my aging (67) body more flexible.
But you are sharply against it. Can you please explain what is the danger of doing full backward motion? Ladies on QVC were doing that without noticable problem.
Thank you for your time and thank you again for giving us ordinary folks the oportunity to read your opinions.
>Sincerely xxxx"

My response: “Hi Thanks for writing. In classes like Pilates and Yoga some of the postures involve
hyper-extending. We are very careful and often modify. Those classes are different than the constant hyper-extension of the spinal column during the back phase of the ab lounge. I am going to give you some quotes from a
person whom I consider an expert - in weight lifting anyway - Arnold Shwarzenegger:

"When you do full range of motion exercises (meaning you complete the entire exercise - you don’t go part of the way - in a bicep curl for example full range of motion would be starting with your arms by your side and lifting
them all the way to your shoulders. That is a full range of motion. Partial reps can be done as well - a different type of training- and that would not be a full range of motion). Like hyper-extensions you put so much strain on the lower back that it can take up to a week to fully recuperate."

Hyper-extending will strengthen the lower back because it is an isolating movement. However it can be very dangerous - not just my opinion.

In fact even on the Hyper-extension machine, Arnold writes, "Come back up until your torso is just above parallel. To prevent hyper-extension of your spine don't lift up any higher than this." (I will send you a picture if you need it but essentially it is a back bend.)

The ab lounge does the opposite. Rather than raising the back as I would do on a piece of equipment I am lowering it - same concept.

This is from a site that is talking about stability balls:

"Roll over the ball on your stomach until the ball supports your hips and torso; both your hands and feet should be able to touch the floor. Slowly lift your right leg and left arm and hold for 10-20 seconds. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with left leg and right arm. Be careful not to hyper-extend your lower spine or your neck."

and

Neck Relaxer - Turn and look over your right shoulder and hold. Repeat on the left side. Don't hyper-extend the neck or tilt it backward. Next, gently drop the head so that the ear goes toward the right shoulder and hold. Return to upright position. Repeat forward and on the left side. Keep the spine in an upright position and do not hyper-extend the neck, or tilt the head backward."

Ok so the bottom line is that I feel hyper-extensions can be dangerous. A 25- year old is much more flexible and there is little chance he or she will get hurt however there is research to suggest that stress on joints (such as
running for years and years starting at a young age) can do more damage to the joints than you will find in a non- runner.

As a personal trainer, I was taught not to hyper-extend and not to allow clients to. I realize that it feels good to bend backward and stretch. I have no problem with that. Hope this helps but feel free to e-mail me back with any other questions.
jo"




Recommended: Yes