The Flex Belt

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OK so what’s the skinny (no pun intended) on The Flex Belt? There are a lot of skeptics out there that believe ab belts using electronic muscle stimulation are nothing but a scam. I say those people haven’t done their research.

Products like The Flex Belt have been clinically studied and proven effective to strengthen, firm and tone your abdominals. The Flex Belt in particular has been cleared by the FDA as a Class II medical device for toning, sculpting and firming abdominals. There’s just no scam about it.

So what’s all the fuss about? Why are people skeptical about how well ab belts like The Flex Belt can work?

I have one assumption. They take effort. I know this first hand because I had my Flex Belt at home for two months before I really gave it a serious look. What I found after I finally committed to using my belt was that it really worked. I felt stronger and had more abdominal endurance, but it took me committing to using it 4 or 5 times a week to get there.

Note: This video was originally posted on my blog I’m using to track my Flex Belt progress at myflexbeltreview.com.

In The Box

The Flex Belt came in a much smaller package then I had anticipated. The box was probably 8” across, 12” high and about 3” deep. I was intrigued to see how this device was stuffed in there.

After removing all the contents what I had was a 3-pack of Gel pads, the Belt itself, manual, charger, remote control (also the battery) and the carrying case (see image for all the contents).

I was eager to use the belt right out of the box, but realized pretty quickly that the battery was dead as a door nail, so I quickly plugged it in to charge.

Putting it Together

The Flex Belt might not seem like something you need to “put together” but the gel pads need to be installed, and it’s worth taking a quick read through the manual to fully understand how the workout programs and intensity levels work.

Gel Pads

The three gel pads have plastic on both sides. The side with the grid on it is the one that sticks to the inside of your flex belt. The other side also has plastic on it, but leave that plastic attached as you’ll need it for when you’re not using your belt. I made the mistake of tossing it away and having to replace my first set of gel pads earlier then I probably would have had to otherwise.

First Use

I had my battery all charged up (only took a couple of hours for a full charge and I used the belt about 10-12 times before I charged it again) and was ready to put The Flex Belt on for the first time.

The gel pads were cool when they first touched my stomach, but warmed up very quickly. Be sure to put the belt on tight, but not so tight that you feel squeezed. Also ensure that the gel pads are over your abs and not touching your hip or pelvis bones. There’s no danger in having the belt too low, but you won’t be give your abs the best workout possible.

I turned on the belt by pressing the power button on the remote it popped up to allow me to select what program I wanted to start with.

Basically the programs work you up from a shorter period of time and include a warm up and cool-down for every work out. If you start at program one then after a couple of sessions you’ll be automatically bumped up to program two and so on.

What Does it Feel Like?

The sensation the belt gives to your mid section is find of luck a buzzing vibration. It’s not uncomfortable, but when you work you way up to higher intensity levels it’s definitely noticeable that you’re getting an ab workout. After the first two or three days of using the Flex Belt consistently I was a little sore since I wasn’t used to flexing my abs that much. However after a week I was used to it and began to feel more strength in my core.

After I removed the belt from my first use I noticed that my stomach was a bit red (see image) from where the belt had been on, but I have not experienced any soreness or marks left from the belt. The redness you see in the image at right disappears within a few minutes after each session.

Over all I’d say that the belt is very easy to use, does not cause me any discomfort and you can easily do something else (watch TV, read etc.) while wearing the belt.

Intensity Levels

The Flex Belt has 150 intensity levels, how do these actually equate to the amount of juice being delivered to your abs through the belt? Well there’s a measure of “toning power” in the manual which s measured in micro-coulomb’s (there’s a scientific sign for this but I have absolutely no idea how to duplicate it on my keyboard). The upper end appears to be about 22 micro-coulombs and the lower end 14.

When you first start out with program one you’ll have a 20 minute session. You manually adjust the intensity level to what you feel comfortable with. The manual suggests you start at a 40 intensity level, if that doesn’t feel strong enough or feels too strong you can manually adjust it to your comfort level up or down.

As of right now I’m on my 3rd week and am up to an intensity level of about 75, although I haven’t been using it as frequently as I should be, this is 35 levels up from where I started at 40.

The manual suggests 5 workouts a week for optimal results.

Results Using The Flex Belt

I know this is what everyone is after. Like I said, at the time of this writing I’ve been using the Flex Belt for about 3 weeks. I am definitely stronger in my mid-section, and the upper part of my abdominals are more defined (at least that’s how I feel when I check myself out in the mirror).

I do carry an extra pound or two right on my belly, so this stops the lower abs from shinning through with lovely definition, but I’m working hard to drop those extra couple of pounds through cardio exercise, diet improvement and drinking a ton of water each day. The diet software that comes as a bonus with purchase of The Flex Belt is very helpful here.

I started at of intensity level of 40 three weeks ago and today did my session finishing at an intensity level of 75. Also moving up through the different program levels I started at 20 minutes sessions and now I am up to 30 minute sessions. So without question my abdominal endurance has increased (based on the increased length of session) and my strength has increased (based on the increase in intensity).

My goal is of course to get a nice set of 6 pack abs, and seeing that I’m only half way through the intensity levels as well as the programs I have no doubt I’ll be able to achieve this goal pending I can stick to my diet and other exercise routines.

If you want to follow my progress more closely you can read my blog.

Is The Flex Belt Right For You?

I’m not going to sit here and try to tell you that The Flex Belt is the silve bullet solution for getting sexy six pack abs, because it’s not. It takes discipline to go through each session every day, and depending on how much weight you’re carrying around your mid-section you may need to lose a couple of pounds to show off your newly toned abs.

The science behind the Flex Belt electronic muscle stimulation is proven to get results. This device went through clinical studies and was cleared by the FDA as a class II medical device. So if you’re going to purchase an ab belt, The Flex Belt is the best consumer grade device on the market right now.

The fact that it comes with a rechargeable battery is a big plus, and not something you’d likely think about until the batteries went dead in your belt and had to run out to the store to pick up some more AA’s. Being able to recharge the battery means no lost workouts and savings on batteries.

Finally, because The Flex Belt has the highest number of intensity levels on the market you have the chance to get even stronger abs. The next closest product, Selndertone, has 130 intensity levels and the Contour Belt has only 100.

Since isn’t any real compelling reason to buy one of the competitive products available I’d say go with the Flex Belt. They have a solid 60 day money back guarantee so if you decide after purchasing it’s not your cup of tea you can request a full refund (of course you’ll have to send the belt back). I haven’t tried to return anything personally to Flex Belt but I have been in touch with their customer service department and they respond well to questions and concerns so I presume the return and refund process would be reasonably painless.

Since I’ve been posting my progress with the belt online and spreading the Flex Belt “good word” they’ve set me up with a couple of coupons I can offer my readers.

The first will save you 10% off your purchase and the second will get you free shipping when placing your order.

I haven’t tested the free shipping coupon so I am not sure if it will get you free express shipping. If someone tries this and has success please send me a note and let me know.

FlexBelt Coupons

For more detailed explanation of how to use these Flex Belt Coupon codes visit our coupon page.