The 4 most useless workouts ever?

The Abtronic

What is it?

The abtronic involves having your stomach rubbed with a gel, wrapped in a powered waist band, after which your abdominal muscles twitch through electrical stimulation.

The promise

Lose weight while watching TV

The truth

It’s the electrical impulses from the machine making the muscles twitch, so you are not actually doing anything except feeling silly. If you don't do the work, it doesn't work.

Do this instead

To strengthen your abdominal muscles and abdominal core, try stability ball crunches or planking. But just remember, training your abdominal muscles to be stronger does nothing to remove the fat over the top of them.

The Shake weight

What is it?

A set of light dumbbells with weighted springs on either end that are designed to be shaken back and forth vigorously in a small range of movement.

The promise

Targets your upper-body muscles by up to 300 percent more than some traditional weights. In fact, the revolutionary "shock waves of energy" will tone your arms and shoulders in just 6 minutes a day.

The truth

Think maracas dressed as dumbbells! Light dumbbell exercises with small movements do little to trigger a training response in your muscles, even if the resistance is "shaking".

Do this instead

Use a variety of training tools to work your muscles in different ways, such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, pin loaded weights, and body-weight exercises. If you can lift a weight more than 12-15 times, make it heavier.

The Thigh master

What is it?

Two pieces of padded metal tubing connected with a tensioned hinge that you squeezed between the thighs. This is one of the first products to be mass marketed via infomercials, selling millions.

The promise

Watch inner thigh fat melt away before your very eyes

The truth

An oversized paperclip that is now often found at garage sales or roadside council clean ups. Just getting up out of a chair would work more leg muscles. Yes, it targets the muscles of your inner thighs, but does little to work the major muscle groups in the front (quadriceps) and back (hamstrings) of your legs.

Do this instead

Perform lunges, squats, step ups or leg press exercises to target all the major muscle groups in your thighs. These are much more effective than small, isolation exercises.

The Belt massager

What is it?

An oldie but a goodie (or is that baddie?) no honest article about useless exercise machines would be complete without a mention of the belt massager. These had a platform to stand on, and a moving belt that wrapped around your waist

The promise

Tummy fat is jiggled away by the electronic massage belt.

The truth

It was probably very effective at removing the fluff from your belly button - but that's about it. If your heart rate doesn't become elevated, there's not a lot of kilojoule burning going on. There is no scientific evidence to prove that vibrating belts reduce belly fat (and don't wait up for any in the future).

Do this instead

Stop looking for a magical cure. Weight control can only come from a long-term combination of activities that elevate your heart rate and strengthen muscles, and a nutritious eating plan that helps to reduce your kilojoule intake.

How to spot a useless exercise gadget

1.    Claims that you don’t have to raise a sweat.
2.    Claims that sound too good to be true.
3.    Warnings such as “results not typical, or “must be combined with exercise and a kilojoule controlled diet”.
4.    Anything that comes with steak knives.