The Total Core Extra (sometimes called Deluxe) is an abdominal fitness machine created by the same company who markets the Shake Weight, which you may have already know or even have. While the Shake Weight is a much more popular product, this abs exerciser also has a certain popularity.
The Total Core is a compact exercise product that is supposed to train your abs, obliques (the side muscles of your stomach) and your lower back.
The promise of the infomercial and other marketing media is that the Total Core provides you with a strain free way of working your abs as it removes stress on the back and neck. The movement itself is similar to a regular crunch: you sit on the pad, rest your back against the circular foam and do the exercise.
The main difference between doing a crunch and using the Total Core machine are the power coils that connect the back rest to the floor rails. These power coils actually make the crunch easier as they push you up a bit when you rise from the low position to the sitting position.
Check out this video to see how the Total Core works:
Does the Total Core Work?
This is really the main thing you need to be concerned with: does the Total Core work your abs and does it give you value for your money. The answer is that you do get a workout for your stomach muscles as you’re doing crunches. This is hardly surprising and would have happened with regular crunches as well.
There are two differences in the workout experience:
1. When you’re going down to a lying position, the power coils give you some resistance which should workout your back a bit.
2. On the way up, the power coils make the crunch easier. This is both good and bad. If you’re not used to working out, this does help you complete the movement and can be a motivating experience. However, as this makes the exercise easier, it also stimulates the muscles to a lesser degree. There is no reason to believe why this will be more effective than regular crunches.
As to relieving back and neck stress. It is true that the Total Core supports the back and so can reduce strain on your lower back. However, as the video shows, your head is not supported so I don’t see how your neck can be spared the strain of regular abdominal crunches.
Can the Total Core burn belly fat
The implied suggestion of the Total Core infomercial is that you can actually lose waist inches by using this machine. This can only happen if you will also maintain a healthy diet routine while using it. You will also likely need to do complete full body workouts to produce the necessary fat burning that you need to reduce belly fat.
The truth is that you can’t burn belly fat by doing focused stomach exercises alone. Your body burns fat from every part of you and not just the body part you train. This is why you need to focus your time on intensive exercises used to burn the most fat possible. This is also why the Total Core infomercial doesn’t say that you can burn belly fat by using it, just tone your abs. Unless your belly fat level is already low, you will not get a six pack or anything like it.
This doesn’t make the Total Core useless or anything like that but it does mean that you will need more than this machine alone to get flat abs.
Pros and cons of the Total Core
Pros:
- Comfortable to use
- Supports the back
- Does work the abdominal muscles
- Has a money back guarantee
- Comes with varioys bonuses: workout DVD, meal plan, workout computer, etc.
Cons:
- Doesn’t seem to support the neck
- Some reviews mention lack of durability
- Is not enough by itself to get your flat abs (no ab machine is)
In Conclusion
The Total Core (Deluxe or regular) is a workout machine that can prove useful to you if you’re looking for a way to maintain proper form while doing a crunch. However, it is not a miracle way to burn belly fat and get ripped abs. To do that you will need a more complete process which includes a diet plan and full body strength and cardio workouts.
Ask yourself whether you will actually make regular use of this machine if you get it. Make sure to not buy a machine that will just collect dust. If you believe that having the total core will get you to train more, than you may consider it. If not, then don’t.
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