The great thing about combining an ab and back machine is that you really only need one piece of equipment to build a powerful set of core muscles. At first, ab back machines can seem a little peculiar to many novices, and they may appear hard to work with.All that's really required is good form and a bit of knowledge about how to properly use these machines. Get that right and you'll be strengthening your core muscles in no time.

Before the Ab and Back Workout

A warm up is important before you begin your workout. Now, you may think, why waste the time, but you absolutely do not want to skip this before you hop on your machine. The warm up exercises loosen up your muscles and protect you from injury.

You could try some of the following for your warm up exercise: jumping rope, walking on a treadmill, or even a light jog. Once the blood is flowing and the muscles are warm you'll want to stretch them out. Don’t push your stretch, keep it light and easy.

During the Ab Back Workout

It's good to first consider the amount of weight you plan to use. First time users may not need any weights at all to start out, but might consider adding them as they progress in strength and learn the movements. Don't overdue it if you are a first time user. Start off light. It won't benefit you at all to get hurt.

Next, chose which muscles you want to target first, the abs or the back. One mistake that I regularly see is that people often neglect their back in favor of their abs. After all, we all want that great six pack. But, your back is extremely important to every day movements and to a healthy spine.

Work the abs and the back muscles equally for maximum benefit. When you do twenty ab exercises, be sure to do twenty back exercises.

3 sets of fifteen to twenty reps is an excellent starting point for developing your muscles. Write down how many reps you do each workout. And, record the weight you use each session because you'll see even greater improvement as you increase your weight.

That’s one of the great things about these machines. Many abs machines you see in commercials are great to start, but they don't allow you to add weights in order to progress. You are limited to the resistance that your own body weight offers, and that won't change. Of course, this is one of those machines you can use for years to come and still get a great workout.

Scheduling Your Workouts

A regular workout routine is a good thing to get in the habit of scheduling so that your body will become accustomed to the exercise and so that you’ll achieve the best possible results. For ab and back workouts, using your machine a minimum of three times per week is recommended, but it’s important to not overdo it. Listen to your body and if it tells you it's too sore, skip the workout. Rest and recovery is as important to your muscle development as your workout.

As you become more accustomed to the machine, you can sneak in short workouts through out the week just to target your core muscles even more.

Maybe you already have equipment for you back and you're only looking for ab exercise equipment. In that case, I'd suggest an ab cruncher machine.