The 26 Best Fitness Gadget For Six Pack Abs | Men's Health Magazine Australia

The 26 Best Toys To Help You Get A Six-Pack

Losing weight and landing that elusive six-pack needn’t be a slow, dull grind. Add some grease to the wheels and you can make quicker work of the task at hand – hell, you might even enjoy the ride. Whether you want to be beach-ripped or simply erase your winter indulgences, this is our hot list […]

Losing weight and landing that elusive six-pack needn’t be a slow, dull grind. Add some grease to the wheels and you can make quicker work of the task at hand – hell, you might even enjoy the ride. Whether you want to be beach-ripped or simply erase your winter indulgences, this is our hot list of the tech, gear and gadgets that will deliver you from love handles. Invest and ensure this summer you finally make the cut.

1. The Straight Shooter

If you don’t feel sore when you start a new fitness plan, you’re probably not doing it right. But while a touch of DOMS never hurt anyone (much), spending every other day sprawled on the sofa could park your fat-loss goals. This vibrating gun drills down into your muscles to increase mobility before your session and speed recovery afterwards. Adjustable arms let you hit hard-toreach spots, so no body part goes unpunished.

Theragun G3Pro; $849, theragun.com

Theragun G3Pro

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2. The Silent Treatment

Those dawn-alarm gym sessions count for less than the hours preceding them. In a study by the University of Chicago, men who logged just five and a half hours’ sleep lost half as much body fat as those who managed eight and a half. Make a full night’s kip more achievable with Bose’s wireless noise-masking earbuds, which supply the soothing sounds of rolling waves, a crackling fire or (oddly) an aeroplane cabin.

Bose Sleepbuds; $375.95, bose.com.au

Bose Sleepbuds

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3. The Frozen Asset

A summer spent juicing in the hope of squeezing yourself into tighter trousers can quickly start to feel joyless. The Yonanas Elite offers another way to pack nutrients into your diet – but it will keep your tastebuds sweet, too. The dessert maker turns fruit into soft-serve ice cream, without the need to add extra sugar or fats. It also comes with its own recipe book. Get a sweat on with chilli-spiced mango.

Yonanas Elite; $179.95, yonanas.com.au

Yonanas Elite

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4. The Short Order

Just as you wouldn’t go running in your Levi’s, the better suited your attire is to the task at hand, the harder you can work. The best pair of training shorts is one that you won’t even notice you’re wearing (though do remember to wear them). Lululemon’s T.H.E. Short has a highly breathable inside liner and quick-drying fabric to keep you cool and sweat-free, while four-way stretching minimises weight and allows for a greater range of movement. Because jump lunges are miserable enough as they are.

Lululemon T.H.E. Short; $69, lululemon.com.au

5. The Movement Coach

Tracking your mileage is one thing, but nothing will hinder your fat-loss progress like an injury. The Moov band is designed to keep you in the game for longer. Wear it on your wrist or ankle and it can sense your movements, then offer feedback and form correction, such as advising you to soften a heavy footfall. It has programs for biking, swimming and boxing, too. You’ll be a better athlete, not just a leaner one.

Moov Now; $129.95, theiconic.com.au

Move Now

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6. The Better Bottle

“Drink more water” is a well-shared weight-loss rule – and it’s worth heeding. In one Obesity study, subjects who knocked back a glass before each meal lost 2kg more fat mass than those who didn’t. For those who need help gulping, this bottle is vacuum-insulated to keep your water cool for 24 hours. It’s also hard as nails, in case the brutality of your workout has left you slightly butter-fingered.

Thermos 2L Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Hydration Bottle, $94.99, thermos.com.au

Thermos 2L

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7. The Support Act

A tight-fitting base layer will do more than just show off your newly honed physique – it could help you build it, too. Adidas’ Alphaskin is made of a stretchy jersey material, which shrinkwraps your torso to support your muscles, helping them to generate more power and burn more kilojoules in the process, too. It also makes use of the brand’s Climachill tech, developed to keep you cool and dry in hot weather. Which should also come in handy if the office air-con proves a little temperamental.

Adidas Alphaskin Tech T-Shirt; $49, adidas.com.au

8. The Home Gym 2.0

If you’re not quite willing to hold a PT captive in your living room, this is the next best thing. The set-up includes a bench and cable attachments, with a screen that plays fitness classes in front of you. Tonal also monitors your strength and range of motion, so its training plans get tougher as you progress, while a steady stream of new content circumvents boredom. It’ll require more effort not to get in shape.

Tonal; $2,995*, tonal.com

Tonal

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9. The Rowing GOAT

The rower is one of the smartest training tools, providing a full-body muscle burn while testing your heart and lungs. But if you find your brain switching off after the first few strokes, the Hydrow is worth the splash. It streams live waterside workouts and claims to burn through 1600kJ in 20 minutes. It’ll keep more than just your muscles engaged.

Hydrow Rower; $2199, hydrow.com

Hydro Rower

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10. The Cord Cutter

Battle ropes are a staple of functional training, beloved of MMA fighters for their ability to exhaust muscles and wage war on body fat. These ropes go one better. The addition of elastic resistance means they fight against your movements, making it tougher on your upper body. Taking off your T-shirt afterwards won’t be easy.

Stroops Son of The Beast Battle Ropes; $234.95 stroops.com

11. The Metabolism Hacker

Fine-tuning your eating habits can sometimes feel like a stab in the dark. Lumen promises to shine new light on the matter. Exhale into the breathalyser-like device and it will tell you whether your body is burning fat (good, if weight loss is your aim) or carbs (the body’s preferred energy source). Lumen then offers a bespoke nutrition plan according to your metabolic patterns and goals. It’s fussy nutritional science, made digestible.

Lumen; $249, lumen.me

Lumen

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12. The Macro Minder

This has all the regular metrics you’d expect from a modern tracker (heart rate, steps, sleep quality), but its USP is that it detects your energy intake, too. By sensing variations in the fluid volume of your cells, which fluctuate according to your glucose levels, the GoBe2 band displays the number of kilojoules it estimates you’ve consumed. We’d forgive you for leaving it off ahead of a weekend barbecue.

Healbe GoBe2; $322, healbe.com

Healbe

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13. The Meal Prep Master

Put aside the money you would have spent on a week’s worth of cafe sandwiches and invest in a meal prep jar that’s a cut above a plastic tub. This 500ml container has a tight seal, so your work documents won’t end up stained with three-bean chilli, and it’ll keep your food warm or cool for up to six hours, sparing you the battle for the office microwave or fridge.

Vaya Preserve; $38, vayalife.com

Vaya meal prep

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14. The Uphill Battle

An all-in-one “treadmill, sled and parachute”, the Skillrun is no lowly cardio machine. It offers on-screen gait analysis, as well as workout programs that adjust the belt speed and incline automatically, so you won’t need to faff about with the touchscreen mid-sprint. To ensure your fat-burning ambitions last the course, it also has a resistance mode, forcing you to “push” the belt around to mimic the action of driving a sled. Your next marathon will feel like a breeze by comparison . . . Well, maybe.

Technogym Skillrun; from $20,900 including delivery, technogym.com

Technogym Skill run

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15. The Brain Trainer

Some people tear through CrossFit WODs for breakfast; for others, their morning gains amount to a third slice of toast. If you’re in need of a push, Modius claims it can rewire your brain to make smarter health decisions. Its headband stimulates the vestibular nerve, which affects appetites. How’s that for zapping your cravings?

Modius Health; $650 modiushealth.com

Modius Health

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16. The Whizz Kid

Training on empty can suck the life out of your performance if you’re not used to it – but so does waking at 6am to prep breakfast. This blender eliminates the hassle. By removing the air from the jar, it preserves nutrients and flavour for longer, so you can prepare your smoothies in bulk ahead of time. It also has an auto-clean mode, making your post-blitz clear-up less of a bore.

Philips High-Speed Vacuum Blender; $477, harveynorman.com.au

Phillips Vaccum Blender

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17. The 5-a-Side Hero

If you prefer to get your kicks on the pitch, the Playr football tracking system combines GPS with an accelerometer, allowing you to measure your movements on the field. An in-app coach then offers pointers and recovery tips, while comparing your performance to the pros, motivating you to push harder. It might not promote you to the Premier League, but if Ronaldo abs are your goal, consider this your wingman.

Playr Jacket; $349, playrsmartcoach.com

18. The Battery Pack

In fat-burning, as in life, 80 per cent of success is showing up. If you often resort to the snooze button, the HumanCharger could help. These wireless earbuds shine a light through your ear canal – which is believed to stimulate brain receptors that boost levels of serotonin and dopamine – for energy and motivation at the flick of a switch. It’ll ensure your training resolve outlasts the good weather, too.

HumanCharger Wireless Headset; $279, optimoz.com.au

Humancharger Wireless Headset

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19. The Wellness Watch

There’s a reason this is the world’s most popular watch: it does everything. The Apple Watch Series 4 features curated workouts and training playlists, along with health functions like fall detection and HR tracking. It incentivises movement through Activity Rings and head-to-head competitions to earn badges and is an effective life manager – track the weather, pay bills with Apple Pay and record voice memos so you don’t lose track of all the PBs you’re racking up.

Apple Watch Series 4; From $549, apple.com.au

Apple Watch

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20. The Swing King

There are two ways to measure how hard you’re working in a kettlebell session. One is by monitoring the size of the sweat puddle around your Nikes as you gear up for another round. The other, more accurate method is by investing in a smart kettlebell. The Jaxjox syncs with an app to track your reps, sets and breaks and has six adjustable weight settings so you can instantly upgrade your workout from “brutal” to “barbaric”.

Jaxjox KettlebellConnect ; $299, jaxjox.com

jajox Kettlebell

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21. The Protein Perfecter

The fewer obstacles your meal prep presents, the more likely you are to resist the lure of Deliveroo. This smart thermometer will make light work of batch-cooking your weekly protein. Insert it into the meat and select your desired level of “doneness”; the app notifies you once it’s ready. Its cloud function also lets you access the data from anywhere, so you could even pop out while it cooks.

Meater Plus; $199, austore.meater.com

22. The Jump Leads

Skipping might offer an unparalleled cardio workout, but it’s often, er, skipped in favour of more quantifiable kilojoule-burners. No longer. This smart rope tracks your jump count and kilojoule burn in real time, while syncing the data with its app. Far cooler still, it fires its LEDs at pinpointed intervals to display the data in front of you. Can your treadmill do that?

Tangram Smart Rope; $129.95, apple.com.au

Tangram Smart Rope

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23. The Second Skin

We’ve all been there: you set off on your Sunday run in the sweltering heat, only to find the rain clouds rolling in when you’re miles from home. North Face’s so-called “better than naked” jacket could prove to be the solution. It’s water and wind-chill resistant, but still feather-light and breathable. Best of all, it can be packed down into its own pocket, taking up minimal room in your running bag.

North Face Flight Series; $210, thenorthface.com

North Face Flight Series

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24. The Trail Blazer

Taking your runs off the beaten track burns notably more kilojoules than pounding flat pavements, with the increased instability challenging muscles in your lower body and core. Fit for all purposes, these shoes are as sturdy on rocky paths and muddy bogs as they are suitable for your local track. The soles are infused with graphene – the strongest known substance on Earth – making them grippy and durable. Carve new paths on Strava.

Inov-8 Roclite G 290 $212, inov-8.com

Inov Shoe

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25. The Comeback King

There’s a fine line between burning fat and burning out: overtraining raises your levels of cortisol, a hormone linked to fat storage. The Whoop Strap will tell you when to stop being a hero, offering analysis of your recovery by monitoring patterns in your heart rate and sleep states. It scores you out of 100, so you don’t commit to HIIT when you’d be better off with a steady ride around the park.

Whoop Strap 3.0; from $40 per month, whoop.com

Whoop Strap

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26. And the World’s Fittest App!

Finally, allow us to introduce the MH family’s brand new training app. Choose from four 12-week plans, written in collaboration with Ross Edgley – the bloke who swam around Britain and our June cover star. You get day-by-day workouts, with how-tos and videos of every single movement along the way. It will unlock the best fat-burning and muscle-building gadget ever made: you.

MH World’s Fittest App, $54 on iOS and Android

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