Unfortunately, this month's newsletter is quite light on content as I did not
manage to update Free Fitness Tips
as much as I would have liked. Fortunately, I have been putting extra
hours in to ensure that during August 2010 I will have some great fitness
content for you. I have already pre-written around half of that month's content
so hopefully it will be a better month for regular readers.
There was only one post worthy of being featured this month. Apologies
to regular readers who will have already received this as an email review but
this month's featured article is...

I am going to be breaking this review down into the following sections:
- 1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW:- This section will discuss how
Slendertone System-Abs for Men tones your abdominal muscles.
- 6) DOES IT WORK?:- This section will answer the key
question..."Does
Slendertone System-Abs for Men really work?"
1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is an electronic abdominal toning belt.
According to the product information
Slendertone System-Abs for Men uses the only clinically proven electronic
muscle stimulation (EMS) toning technology to exercise all of the abdominal
muscles (not just those under the belt). EMS works by sending signals between
the pads of the belt. These signals switch on the nerves that control your
abdominal muscles causing them to contract and relax rhythmically. EMS
technology has been used in hospitals and by physiotherapists for over 50 years
to rehabilitate and strengthen muscles.
2) EASE OF USE
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is very easy to use. When using it for the
first time you need to charge the battery for 3 hours which can be done by
plugging the power unit into a mains socket. Once it is fully charged you then
plug the power unit into the belt. Next you unfold the belt and stick the three
adhesive pads that come in the box over the three silver studs on the
Slendertone System-Abs belt. Once all this is done the belt is ready to
use.
Using the belt is very simple. You wrap it around your stomach in between
your waist bone and your ribs (covering your belly button), securing it with the
velcro strap. Once the belt is securely wrapped around your stomach you then
turn the power unit on and select how long you want the toning session to last
(you can choose 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes or 40 minutes). After you
have chosen the duration of your session it begins at the lowest intensity of 1
and you can manually increase it to the maximum intensity of 99.
Overall,
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is one of the easiest, simplest fitness
products I have ever used. Once it has been charged and the adhesive pads are
attached it takes less than a minute to put the belt on and start a toning
session. The battery life is fantastic too. After charging the power unit for
the first time I only had to charge it once more during the entire six week
period.
3) HOW IT FEELS
Using
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is quite an odd sensation. On the lower
settings it feels like very strong tickling. On the higher settings it is a
similar sensation but much stronger and a lot less comfortable. It is less like
tickling and more like your stomach is being forced to contract very tightly. I
would even go as far as saying that the highest settings are almost painful in
the first few weeks. However, I found that your stomach does adjust to these
higher settings after the first few weeks.
Overall, whilst
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is never comfortable on the highest settings
you do get used to it and it does become bearable.
4) GOOD POINTS
1) You can Multi Task:- One of the best things about
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is that you can do other things whilst
wearing it. You can walk around the house, watch TV or even go for a
bike ride or
jog whilst wearing the belt. This gives
Slendertone System-Abs for Men a great advantage over other
stomach toning exercises because they normally have to be performed in
isolation.
2) It does Strengthen and Tone your Abdominal Muscles:- After
using
Slendertone System-Abs for Men for six weeks my abs definitely did feel
firmer, stronger and more toned.
3) It does not feel like Exercise:- This one may sound quite
lazy but using
Slendertone System-Abs for Men does not feel like exercise. You simply
strap it on, select the duration and intensity, then let the belt do its thing.
5) BAD POINTS
1) It does not Burn Body Fat:- The biggest disappointment I can
see people having with
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is that it does not burn body fat. In
defence of Slendertone, they never make any claims that their product will do
this. They promise stronger, firmer abs and they do deliver on this promise.
However, even if you have the strongest, most toned abdominal muscles in the
world you are never going to see them unless you burn enough body fat to make
them visible. Unfortunately, achieving this is very difficult. You need to
clean up your diet and do more
cardiovascular exercise. In my opinion, burning enough body fat to make
your abdominal muscles visible is a lot harder than getting them toned enough to
form a six pack.
2) It is Expensive:- There are a number of different
Slendertone ab belts available for men but at the time of writing even the
cheapest version costs £69.99. The belt I used in this review -
Slendertone System-Abs for Men - costs £119.99 and there is another more
powerful version - Slendertone System-Plus for Men - which costs £139.99. On
top of this there is also the cost of purchasing replacement adhesive pads.
They need to be replaced every six weeks and each set of replacement pads comes
in at £11.99. So even if you go with the cheapest model, purchasing a
Slendertone ab belt is quite a significant investment.
6) DOES IT WORK?
I will begin this section with my 'before' and 'after' photos which can be
viewed below.
1) Centre Abs Photo 'Before' (left) and
'After' (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan


2) Left Side Abs Photo 'Before' (left) and
'After' (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan


3) Right Side Abs Photo 'Before' (left) and
'After' (right) completing the Slendertone 6 Week Plan


As you can see from the photos there is a visibile
improvement in the appearance of my abs over the six weeks. Whilst using
Slendertone System-Abs for Men has definitely had a positive effect, the
improvement is also down to me following a pretty strict diet and exercise
routine over the six week period.
As I said above,
Slendertone System-Abs for Men does strengthen and tone your abdominal
muscles so technically it does work. However, to ensure that your abdominal
muscles are visible you also need to burn enough body fat and
Slendertone System-Abs for Men will not do that for you. It certainly helps
build your abdominal muscles but it is not a substitute for diet and exercise.
Based on other Slendertone reviews that I have read, I think a lot of people
expect to use the belt for a few weeks and then have a nice set of six pack abs
at the end of it without any additional effort. The truth is that you still
have to do the hard work by watching what you eat and maintaining a regular
exercise routine. Otherwise you will not see any difference in the appearance
of your abdominal muscles, even if they have got firmer and stronger.
7) OVERALL RATING
7/10
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is a great alternative product for
strengthening and toning your abdominal muscles. It is also very convenient and
easy to use. The reason I have not given it a higher score is that it will not
burn body fat and therefore will not give you six pack abs on its own. However,
if you eat a clean, healthy diet and exercise regularly
Slendertone System-Abs for Men is definitely worth considering.

My aim over the next few months is to fully box off the topic of nutrients.
If there are any nutrients you need from the foods you eat I want all the
information on that nutrient to be available right here at
Free Fitness Tips. It is a
big job and there are still a lot of articles to write but I think it will
benefit you - the readers significantly. Any time you want information on
a nutrient whether it be recommended daily allowances (RDAs), the effects of
overdosing or the benefits of that particular nutrient, you will be able to find
it right here at Free Fitness Tips.
I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and are looking forward to the content that
is coming over the next few months.