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A calendar for July 2010.
The Free Fitness Tips Newsletter

July 2010

 
Hello,

Welcome to the Free Fitness Tips Newsletter - July 2010.  Regular readers are probably quite surprised that I managed to get it out on time but hopefully this is a trend I will manage to continue.

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.

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1) Newsletter Contents

  • July 2010 Blog Posts! (featured in the right hand sidebar)

  • Featured Article!

  • Final Words!

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2) Featured Article

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...

My Slendertone System-Abs Review for Men

A man with toned abs sitting in a red chair.

I am going to be breaking this review down into the following sections:

  • 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

A front shot of my abs before starting the Slendertone 6 Week A front shot of my abs after completing the Slendertone 6 Week

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

A left shot of my abs before starting the Slendertone 6 Week A left shot of my abs after completing the Slendertone 6 Week
 

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

A right shot of my abs before starting the Slendertone 6 Week A right shot of my abs after completing the Slendertone 6 Week
 

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.

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3) Final Words

Long time readers of Free Fitness Tips will know that a lot of my posts have been focussing on the wide range of nutrients that can be found in the foods we eat.  So far I have covered the macronutrients in detail and a wide range of micronutrients.

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.

Until next time,

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Tom Parker (Owner and Creator of Free Fitness Tips)
http://www.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
enquiries@freefitnesstips.co.uk

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July 2010 Blog Posts

The Slendertone 6 Week Plan: Workouts Explained - July 5th 2010

The Slendertone 6 Week Plan: Week 6 - July 13th 2010

Make Exercise Fun and Eliminate Stress (Guest post from Jim Rollince) - July 18th 2010

My Slendertone System-Abs Review - July 22nd 2010

Choline Explained - July 25th 2010

Cobalt Explained - July 29th 2010