I am sure many of my loyal readers of my e-newsletters have heard of the AB-Mat.
The AB-Mat is a padded piece of wood with an arch that simulates the arch of the
lower back. The purpose for the creation of the AB-Mat is to pre-stretch the abdominals
when doing crunches.

Using the ab-mat for crunches is suppose to improve muscle recruitment in the
abdominal wall, which doesn’t happen if you do your crunches on the floor or on
a flat surface.

This little piece of equipment not only helps in the development of the abs but also
helps in eliminating lower back discomfort, and lower back pain.

I found another use for this piece of equipment, which I consider a God send.

Many trainees have complained about lower back pain when performing incline
bench presses, either with a barbell or with dumbbells. If you are lucky enough
to have some equipment from Nebula then you would have a unique incline bench
that is designed with an arch in place just for that reason.

Many of us do not have access to this type of equipment. So the next best
thing is to do the following, place your ab-mat on the bench and position
it on the small of the lower back. Man, is this great for elevating lower
back discomfort. Also, it actually helps in furthering the stretching
of the upper pecks when lowering the bar. By adding the ab-mat to your incline
upper pectoral work, your body will render this a new exercise giving you
new muscle recruitment, which means more muscle growth.

If you do not own this piece of equipment, I urge you to do a Google search
and buy one.

Until Next Time,

God Bless You All.

Leon.