# Electronic Muscle Stimulators and working abs.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 6, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602 "2002-05-06T19:33:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602/1 "2002-05-06T19:33:41Z")

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Two Questions:

What is the best way to work abs? Currently, I am working my abs everyday and they are painfully sore at the moment. The good news is that I am actually seeing the outline of my abs in the mirror after a week of continuous work out.  
Second question is this: I spent 50 dollars on an Electronic Muscle Stimulator. Unfortunately, it just seems to hurt my stomach and it doesn’t feel like its working my abs at all. Are these stimulators effective at all?  
Thanks for reading!

Brian

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602/2 "2002-05-06T20:12:56Z")

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\>\> Are these stimulators effective at all?

If you search past threads the consensus seems to be they are a fraud.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602/3 "2002-05-06T21:05:21Z")

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Well, there’s only a couple motions that abs are really involved in, so there are only a few exercises that really get 'em. Do a google search on ab exercises, or poke around [this site](http://www.exrx.net/) for some info. btw, what are you doing for your abs (other than the stimulator)?

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602/4 "2002-05-06T21:15:24Z")

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Ab muscles are dense but I don’t think they’re dense enough to work every day. Try every other day.

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**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electronic-muscle-stimulators-and-working-abs/107602/5 "2002-05-06T21:20:35Z")

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Isn’t it about time the answer to this is put in the forum FAQ?