Overview
There’s no two ways around it, targeting the abs using conventional exercises is no fun, which is why a six pack is so coveted. Having a toned, flat stomach involves the right mix of rock hard abs, as well as a low enough body fat percentage to show them off. Attaining this golden BFP involves a pretty serious mix of diet and exercise, unless you’re genetically gifted in this area, and even then it’s going to require a bit of work. Or maybe you can simply stick some electronic nodes to your stomach. Let’s see:
The Claim
The people behind Butterfly Abs claim that their product is FDA cleared to firm, strengthen, and tone abs. They phrase it in a way that makes it seem like the FDA is saying that this works to firm, strengthen, and tone your abs, but what they are really saying is that the device is FDA cleared to be sold to consumers. The FDA is not going to comment on what the product does, just that it is safe to use and you won’t electricute yourself. But since the FDA has a knack for getting these kinds of things wrong, it might not be the best endorsement to go on.
The Hype
The hype for this is easy to surmise: Get a six pack without doing sit-ups. Game over, no more hype needed. The universal contempt for ab exercises means that any product that tells you you don’t have to do them anymore is going to grab attention. The more it looks like it actually might work, the more people are going to be intrigued by it and hope that it’s the answer to their prayers.
The Cost
Butterfly Abs is $50 which ships it to your door. Since this is only one payment, and doesn’t involve any extra offers like buy one get one free, it’s not a bad pricing set-up. The nice thing is that you get a 60 day window to evaluate it, and that you’d only be out the $10 shipping plus whatever it costs to ship it back if you don’t like it.
The Commitment
Not having to do sit-ups and crunches is the crux of the sale here, and it’s a big enough draw that many people will try this out just in the hope that they wouldn’t have to do these grueling exercises anymore.
Evaluation
Butterfly Abs is pretty much the same as other ab belts that are designed to stimulate the abdominal muscles, causing them to contract repeatedly, which gives the same sensation that you get when you tighten your abs either from laughing or from doing sit ups or crunches. While this might give you the feeling that you’re building up your muscles, it Many people have a solid abdominal wall already, but their abs are not visible due to the layer of fat on top of them. This product will not help you lose that layer of fat, no matter how much you use it, and if you want visible ab muscles you’re better off going about it through dietary changes and more exercise.
The before and after pictures are borderline humorous because they show people going from overweight to fit and there is absolutely nothing about this product that would suggest that it helps you lose weight in any sort of way. The people in these pictures were obviously following a diet program as well as getting aerobic activity to create a caloric deficit and were also probably supplementing with other weight loss aids. Whether or not they were also using Butterfly Abs is a moot point because the results that are shown are not typical of the average use of the product, which they admit to in the fine print of course.
What’s interesting is that the same exact product is being sold as a massager, so it’s not clear which function it is better suited for. Most likely the massaging aspect has more likelihood of success, since contracting and relaxing the muscles would work better to relax them rather than build them up. The two seem mutually exclusive, and it seems that it would only work one way, and not be able to perform multiple functions on the same muscle.
Butterfly Abs is getting our Try rating as long as you’re aware that by itself it won’t produce a six-pack. But we like that you can use this on other muscles besides the abs, and it can provide a massage if nothing else. The price is just about right, it could be a little less but is on the same level as other eletric muscle stimulators, but with a nicer size making it easier to use.
Our Recommendation
We’ve seen our fair share of ab belts and electronic muscle stimulation gadgets, and the design on these is getting better and better. The butterfly design is the best we’ve seen yet, and may be worth spending a big extra if you’re bent on buying one of these devices. If you’re looking for the purely rational recommendation we’d say to avoid the purchase altogether because it will likely end up tossed away or simply tossed aside.
If you have problems with saving money and keeping track of your spending habits then…
When you are looking for space-saving multi-purpose shelving products, you may want to purchase the…
Today's innovative advanced technologies have created many conveniences. The ability to read on the go…
Experiencing the luxury of owning a wireless speaker is a favorite of many people. The…
Home decor is a very individual and personal choice. A new product like Chasing Paper…
Keeping track of events and goals may be difficult for some people. Purchasing a product…
View Comments
Common sense seems to suggest that if you are stimulating muscles, you are burning more calories and, therefore; weight loss would occur. This technology simply stimulates muscles to flex and will tone if used enough, you would think.
Im going to use this product with eating right and working out and my daily 50 minute cardio that I burn 800 per day 6 days a week.
Watch me @Feedblaster Twitter and Instagram you will see my hopefully transform into a Bodybuilding Powerhouse.
Butterfly abs works on your muscles but what are you going to do with layer of fat on top? U need them to burn. The bigger ur belly fat the chances the machine works for u because in between vibrarion and ur belly muscle there is big layer of fat.
I mean the less chances machine will work for u
Butterfly Abs worked for me because I did soccer training and used butterfly abs when I got home and relaxed. I don't think it will work if you are not going to do exercises with it. For me the soccer training boosted my metabolism and burned the fat while the butterfly abs worked on building the ab muscles. Don't buy it if you are just going to sit at home and do nothing.
I borrowed mine out to a friend and forgot about it, by the time I needed it my friend lost it or probly got stolen and they don't sell it anymore.
The only problem I had with it was when I put it on my left chest I get electrocuted but on the right it works perfect. Something wrong with the left chest lol.
I have back issues and need an easy way to tighten my core up again to give me better support. I don't care about the six pack, just want to know if this would help my situation
Jesus...
I've posted on stuff like this before, and I shall continue to do so, in the hope that someone heads my words and never bothers buying any item that promises the impossible. Developing nice abs have almost nothing to do with strengthening the abdominal muscles. It sounds dumb, but it's the truth. Having visible definition in your abs is about the level of fat in your body. I'm serious, to have anything close to a six pack, you need somewhere in the region of 10% body fat. That is not going to happen by placing a vibrating pad on your gut for half an hour a day.
Uh wrong! You need to exercise to have a good definition of your six pack! I had 5% body fat in high school and guess what... No 6 pack was visible. It only started to get visible after I started to get really serious about workouts. The best way to strengthen your abs is to tighten them and shocks going off once in a while would do that. I wouldn't recommend it I still have to point out how wrong you are as well.
Watching this commercial literally makes me giggle. I agree with LS and have a similar practice of not getting sucked into false promises like this. Everyone's body is different and I have always found that cardio and strength training has helped me maintain my healthy weight and size. Like Mike Doherty said, there used to be a "waist jiggling machine" that they played in the movie "Blast from the Past" with Alicia Silverstone. I hope it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings but to attempt to use this product indicates that you might have a laziness that is not likely to get you fit. Or you're just really busy!
If you’re a lazy moron, then buy this product. This is the 21st century version of the waist jiggling machine people used in the ‘50s (and seen in Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” video). You can’t get a 6-pack by shocking your abs. In fact, you can’t get six-pack abs by sit-ups either. You need a low percentage of body fat achieved through proper nutrition and a regular, balances workout. Nice abs are as much about core strength as they are about simple sit-ups. This product cannot help you in any way. Get off the couch, lift some weights, go for a jog, do some yoga, and save your $50.
I couldn't agree more, Mike. It's very naïve to assume you can get a six-pack by electrical stimulation. The only way to achieve what is often referred to as the hardest muscle group to see, you must eliminate the fat on TOP of the muscle. No one is going to get fit sitting on a couch.
Proper nutrition is equally important. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. Health starts on the inside. All I know is that I feel sorry for people who hold out hope that weight loss can be achieved by living a sedentary lifestyle. These companies cash in on false promises that they know they cannot deliver. In a society that values appearance above all else though, it’s not a surprise that these types of products exist. What is shocking though (pun intended), is the number sold.
It amazes me what people will try to sell you by not making an effort whatsoever. It's like they're being set up to fail and then end up wasting money as a result. Misleading products are terrible but you also need to use some common sense too. I mean do they really think you could achieve abs without doing some sort of work? That's absolutely ridiculous. Like Amber mentioned, proper nutrition is also important. If all you do is exercise and don't both changing your eating habits you won't get the results you desire. In fact your stomach would protrude more and fat would build on top of those so-called "muscles" in the end. That's why you need to be well-hydrated, eat healthy and and so some form of exercise in order to get the results you want.
I don't buy into any of these types of products or their claims. These products cater to the laziness in people. Go to the gym, buy some workout DVDs to do at home, and actually get active. You simply will not burn fat and build muscle by sitting on a chair with a strange contraption on your abs. And, of course, if you are eating junk food, a lot of meat and dairy, and sugary drinks, you will not see the results that you crave. People need to realize that they need to take control over their own bodies in order to get in, and stay in, shape.
The idea of this is pretty tempting, especially as someone who always wished my tummy was more muscular. But the infomercial actually deters me from wanting to try this. Maybe this is how all of these products work, but the way it makes your stomach twitch is a little disturbing to me. I feel like the spasms would creep me out.
If it worked well, I might consider trying it anyway, though, because sit ups are hard and annoying, but it seems like anything that tries to cut corners in making you look thinner and more fit doesn't work as well as just dieting and exercise. It seems more like a gimmick that someone would be tempted to buy and just end up at the bottom of their closet after a couple tries.