8 Best Ab Machines for Taking That Six-Pack From Dream to Reality
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Whether you’re trying to tone up for beach season or simply to improve your core strength, a solid ab workout routine is essential. Although you can do core exercises with little more than a mat, many floor-based ab exercises can strain your neck and back—often without delivering the results you were hoping to achieve, as unassisted crunches or planks can fail to target the muscle group effectively.
If you find that performing planks, for example, often feels like more of a full-body workout than an ab-targeted exercise, it's probably because your posture (like most of us) isn't exactly perfect during your planks. Ab machines, on the other hand, are designed to specifically target your abdominal muscles without exhausting your back or shoulders, and many incorporate weighted elements or cardio functions that can help you boost your strength and endurance with every workout.
There is a broad spectrum when it comes to ab machines, from ab wheels you can toss in a backpack to power towers that require a lot of space in your home gym. No matter your goals, space, or budget. To help you choose, we've gathered the best ab exercise machines available today.
The Best Ab Machines
What to Consider
When looking for an ab machine, your primary considerations include how much space you have, what you want the machine to do for you, and physical preferences you may have.
Product Footprint
Ab rollers come in all shapes and sizes, from handhelds to permanent gym equipment. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, so choose a product that fits in your living space. A studio apartment probably isn't the place for a sizable piece of machinery, but if you have the space for it, consider a larger piece of equipment that includes all the bells and whistles like variable weights and multiple positions for different exercises.
Fitness Goals
Next, consider what you’re hoping to achieve. If you’re simply seeking some ab toning, a basic piece of equipment that targets solely that region will suffice. On the other hand, if your goal is to achieve a full-body workout or train for serious strength, you probably need something that incorporates weight resistance or offers a more complex array of motions, like a power tower.
Fitness Level or Pain Issues
Finally, consider your fitness level and any areas of weakness or pain in your body. If you suffer from back problems, ab wheels and Roman chairs probably aren't the best options for you—especially if you don't already have a decent base of core strength—because they require a significant amount of controlled back strength as well as ab strength.
For folks just starting out working on their cores, decline benches are the best option because they allow crunches with your full range of motion while still providing back support.
How We Selected
To find the best ab machines among the many gadgets and gizmos on the market, we researched the most popular models available as well as a few off-the-beaten-path options. We considered price, features, design, size, and versatility, using our knowledge of exercise machines to make sure to only recommend products that'll work well. We looked at both expert reviews and thousands of customer ratings to settle on the best ab machines out there.
Pros
- Knee mat and resistance bands included
- Travel-friendly
Cons
- A few buyers report parts missing
If you’re looking for an ultra budget-friendly ab roller, this is a great option. Not only is it a durable, easy-to-assemble roller with textured handgrips and rubber wheel to prevent slipping, but it comes with a knee mat and a resistance band to improve your rolling form. It’s also compact and super lightweight, making it easy to throw in a backpack or suitcase.
Key Specs
| Style | Handheld |
| Fitness Level | Experienced |
Pros
- Low-impact motion
- Swiveling seat
- Repetition counter
Cons
- Weight pegs hold limited plates
This ab machine gives you a gym-quality core workout home. Its padded, swiveling seat provides a full range of motion for oblique exercises, set along smooth steel rails to ensure perfect form and a low-impact exercise. A repetition counter keeps track of your progress while rolling castors make it easy to move around your living space.
Key Specs
| Style | Machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Sunny Health & Fitness Rowing Machine for Core Workouts
Pros
- Full-body workout
- 12 resistance levels for progressive strength training
Cons
- Some buyers report poor customer service
Rowing machines are a great way to not only strengthen your abs, but your legs, arms, and back, too. This one is super affordable and compact enough to fit in about as much space as a yoga mat takes up. It uses a hydraulic system to provide 12 levels of resistance, and has a smooth and quiet rowing mechanism.
The digital monitor tracks your time, count, and calories while you work out, and it has a foam seat and handlebars for comfort.
Key Specs
| Type | Machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Core Max 2.0 Smart Abs Machine and Total Body Workout
Pros
- Space-efficient and storable
- Multiple workout options
- Three resistance levels
Cons
- Some users report durability issues
If you're looking to get in a great ab workout but don't have much floor space to spare, you can't go wrong with this mini ab machine. It has the functionality to perform eight different exercises, and the handles provide three levels of resistance in both directions. It also folds down flat when not in use, and can easily be stored under a bed or couch.
Key Specs
| Type | Small machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Pros
- Wide range of workout options
- Highly durable
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Not ideal for users with larger body frames
If you're eager to get in a great bodyweight workout at home, practically no machine out there delivers results like a power tower. It's great not only for ab exercises, but upper body workouts, as well. This one also has a back rest, which is great for supporting you during captain's chair exercises or hanging leg raises.
The design also allows you to use it for pull-ups, dips, push-ups, and more—plus, it is super sturdy and can support up to 330 pounds.
Key Specs
| Type | Power tower |
| Fitness Level | Some experience |
Total Gym APEX G5 Versatile Indoor Home Workout and Ab Machine
Pros
- Full body workouts
- Low-impact
- 10 levels of resistance
Cons
- Some buyers report difficult assembly
This ab machine by Total Gym not only tones your abs, but your entire body, too. It's designed to perform more than 80 low-impact, fluid exercises. There are 10 levels of resistance, and it can support users up to 375 pounds.
It includes a cable pulley system, wing attachment, leg pull accessory, dip bars, and a larger squat stand for added upper- and lower-body exercises, plus it folds down flat when not in use.
Key Specs
| Type | Machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Pros
- Great for abs and back muscles
- Can be used in conjunction with weights
- Easy assembly
Cons
- Some buyers report stability issues
While the Roman chair may not be as versatile as some of the other options on this list, it's great for targeting and strengthening your abs and back. This machine can be used in two ways: facing down, which strengthens mostly your back muscles, or facing up, which targets your abs.
To make your Roman chair workouts more difficult, simply add some weight in the form of dumbbells or a kettlebell.
Key Specs
| Type | Machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Pros
- Prevents back injuries
- Easy to use
- Wide angle-adjustment range
Cons
- Not ideal for tall users
If you want to tone your abs while protecting your back, a decline bench might be the best option for you. This machine lets you tackle angled crunches while keeping your back supported for the duration of your exercise routine.
This particular model is adjustable, so you can easily set your preferred angle at 12 different levels of decline to increase difficulty as you get stronger.
Key Specs
| Type | Bench |
| Fitness Level | Beginner |
Pros
- Games make workouts fun
- Full-body toning
- Actually pretty effective
Cons
- Only 2 games without membership
Normally I would recommend avoiding gimmicky fitness tools, but this one actually delivers a solid workout. Planks are a great way to tone not only your abs, but many other muscle groups—but they tend to drag on and feel torturous.
Gamifying the workout makes it a lot less of a chore, and this trainer does just that. The two included games let you use your strength and stability to try to win—but you have to pay a $25 annual membership to use more than two games. That breaks down to just a couple dollars a month to gamify your ab workout, which certainly feels worth it to me.
Key Specs
| Type | Balance board |
| Fitness Level | Some experience |
Pros
- Wide variety of motions
- Heavy weight training
- Can workout additional muscle groups
Cons
- Must be wall-mounted
To achieve a truly comprehensive range of ab workouts, you need a cable system. With this, you can perform ab cable curls, woodchoppers of all angles, pull-throughs, cable-assisted oblique raises, and more.
This outstanding cable setup from Merax not only delivers all of these motions, but an extremely wide range of workouts for other muscle groups as well. It’s also solidly built, though it does require wall mounting and will eat up a not-insubstantial amount of space.
Key Specs
| Type | Cable machine |
| Fitness Level | Any |
Nick Hilden is a writer, globetrotter, and jack-of-many-talents who has written gear reviews for the likes of Runner’s World, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Thrillist, the Daily Beast, the Los Angeles Times, Greatist, and the Manual, and his lifestyle, culture, and tech writing has also appeared in Scientific American, Afar, Salon, Vice, Healthline, and many others. Before entering journalism some 15 years ago, he worked as a bartender, brewery manager, sound engineer, recording and touring musician, cook, teacher, and in a variety of other trades. These days, he lives all over the world, performs music sporadically, and spends a lot of time thinking how to best improve his Honda Element conversion.
Before joining Runner's World, Gabrielle Hondorp spent 6 years in running retail (she has tested top gear from shoes, to watches, to rain jackets which has expanded her expertise—and her closets); she specializes in health and wellness, and is an expert on running gear from head-to-toe. Gabi began her journalism career as a Digital Editorial Fellow for Runner’s World and Bicycling Magazine, and has since advanced to a Runner's World Editor specializing in commerce. She has a double degree in English and Media and Communication from Muhlenberg College where she also ran cross country and track.
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