I have been wanting to write a post on Slendertone since I first started this blog over 2 years ago. Why have I been so keen? I hear you ask. Well, mainly because it has provoked quite a lot of controversy in the fitness industry, with people giving either praise or condemning it – as with many of the other fitness gizmos that come on to the market. I love controversy and nothing makes a more interesting post than making a stand. At Beeble’s Fitness blog we are very enthusiastic about Slendertone and you should read more to find out why we feel this way.

Slendertone – a brief history

Slendertone has not come onto the scene in the same way as many other fitness products. They have been developing the Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) for 40 years – initially in a clinical environment. EMS is used a lot by Physiotherapists within their work to rehabilitate their patients, helping them to build strength and tone into the weak muscles, resulting in a much quicker recovery than would be the case without it. This technology has been taken and developed to create the range of Slendertone belts we see on offer today.

How the Slendertone belt works

Whilst ‘electronic’ obviously means that this uses batteries, what is perhaps not so obvious is the fact that it is the electricity from the batteries that is used to stimulate the nerves via small pads in the belt. This in turn will activate the muscle fibres linked to that nerve. As you can see from the video it produces some very amusing facial expressions but it really does make those muscles work.

Which muscles does it work?

The Slendertone focuses on the abdominal muscles which are the rectus abdominus (6 pack – Beeble), the obliques (positioned to your sides – Beeble) and your transverse abdominals. The latter are big belt-like muscles that sit under the other stomach muscles and are one of the hardest muscles to work, yet one of the most important muscles to train in your whole body.

Why is it controversial?

The EMS machine’s effectiveness has been analysed by fitness professionals, many of whom consider them not to be effective as they do not get the muscles working through a range of movement. Because the muscle is not working through a full range of movement it could be said that it is not creating functional strength. By that I mean if you only contract the muscle with no movement then you will not receive the same benefits that you would if you put the muscle under stress through movement.

The benefits of Slendertone

There are many benefits of Slendertone but one of the key benefits is the convenience. You can wear these belts and continue to work or do what you want while you are exercising. When I train my clients there is a common misunderstanding from them that the belly bulge is all due to fat. Wrong! Whilst fat does play a part, a large part is played by bad posture created by weak stomach muscles that allow everything to hang forwards. So yes, when Slendertone say that their product can make your tummy firmer and flatter they are not lying and it is not a gimmick. However my favorite feature of the belt is that it can actually work your transverse abdominals.

The benefit of working your transverse abdominals

The transverse abdominals are without doubt the hardest muscle in the body to work. Just ask any Pilates teacher and they will confirm that there is no exercise that trains the muscle specifically. You cannot say: “Do this exercise and it will really work those transverse abdominals” because they only work if you can actually activate them. Every exercise for the transverse abdominals can be completed without even activating them (apart from some very specific Pilates exercises – Beeble).

Why do we recommend Slendertone?

It can take more than a year to get complete control of your transverse abdominals and it is for this reason alone that I recommend the Slendertone products because they really do work the transverse abdominals and when these muscles are nice and strong they will not only help give you a firmer tum and waist (just ready for the beach – Beeble) but will help protect your back from injuries and give your body so much more strength. And don’t think you don’t need one if you are not overweight because the chances are that your transverse abdominals are going to be weak as well.

And remember . . .

While this is a quick and convenient way to work your muscles and can seem like a miracle worker, it doesn’t do the work for you when it is sitting in the cupboard: you must use it regularly and as part of you fitness program. It does work well on its own, but for the best results always make it part of your workout routine. Give it a go and stick to it.

Please let us know your experiences with the belts and how you get on. If anyone decides to buy a Slendertone product because of what we have said in this article (and I hope there are many of you – Beeble) then please get in contact in a month or so and let us know how you get on.

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This entry was Posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm and is filed under Core, Equipment Tests, Exercise, Recommended Fitness & Diet Products, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.