In my role as a Personal Trainer and exercise equipment reviewer, I often like to compare various pieces of exercise equipment aimed at the home market to see how they measure up to each other. I look at equipment in the same price bracket, or similar and then analyse purpose, ease-of-use, convenience and how interesting it makes your workouts.

Home exercisers currently being advertised include the Firm Wave and the Ab Circle Pro which are in a similar price range between $100 and $150. The Firm Wave is a rocking platform that you stand, sit or lie on and the Ab Circle Pro consists of a track with kneepads and handlebars.

Using the Ab Circle Pro you move the kneepads from side to side while leaning on the padded handlebars; your abdominal area and waist muscles are toned and you get a cardiovascular heart and lung workout at the same time.

Kneeling on all fours while using the Ab Circle Pro is quite uncomfortable at first, but is a great position for toning chest, shoulders and arms as well as building bone density in the wrists to guard against osteoporosis in later life.

When working out on this equipment, be very aware of your posture. Your shoulders should not be hunched, which will make your back look like a camel’s, and your lower back should just have a slight curve in it. In other words your pelvis should not be tilted forwards or backwards and this is the optimum position forgetting a great ab workout.

The problem with doing sit-ups on the floor is that they are often done incorrectly and make the abs bulge in the wrong direction! There have been several reports of the kneepads being uncomfortable to use on the Ab Circle Pro, but I would suggest that wearing some hockey or football kneepads when you use the machine should solve that problem.

With the Ab Circle Pro you also get a low-calorie diet guide and a short DVD. Like most other home exercise devices, the Ab Circle Pro will indeed help you lose weight and build lean, sculpted muscle if you use it on a regular basis, overhaul your eating habits, and combine it with other types of regular exercise as well.

The other piece of equipment that we are comparing is the Firm Wave, which costs around $120 and is shaped like a curved step, with one side stable for new exercisers and those who may be a little unsteady, and the other side that rocks for increased calorie burn and a good core workout. The Wave also comes with a selection of workout DVDs.

For more Ab Circle Pro Reviews and information on the latest and most effective pieces of at home exercise equipment please visit my blog.