You want a toned stomach or even beautifully defined abdominal muscles? Then you've probably already stumbled across the little roller. But is an Ab Roller useful or a waste of money? We will clarify that today!
Are you also one of those who do their daily sit-ups for hours and still see no effect?
Then maybe you should try the Ab Roller Wheel.
In many cases, the Ab Roller can be useful, but we'll take a look at exactly which ones in a moment.
Table of contents
What is an Ab Roller Wheel?
The Ab Roller is also called Ab Wheel, ab wheel or ab roller. It is a small, rather inconspicuous-looking training tool that has a lot going for it.
Its name also reveals the effect.
- Ab = abdominal muscle
- Roller = rolling movement
- Wheel = wheel
The structure is kept very simple. The device consists of one wheel (sometimes two wheels) and two handles.
When you do a carryout, pushing the wheel forward from chest height until the arms are extended, it's called an ab rollout. It feels like a combination of a crunch and a plank.
Which muscles does the Ab Roller train?
The Ab Roller, when used properly, strengthens not only the abdomen, but also other muscles in the upper and lower body - which makes perfect sense. After all, the abdominal muscles don't work alone during sports or everyday life; they work together with the back and buttocks. The ab roller trains this interaction of over 30 different torso muscles - from small to large.
The rolling ab trainer gives you a very effective mix of stabilization and strength training.
You can strengthen these muscles with the Ab Wheel:
- the straight abdominal muscles
- the oblique abdominal muscles
- the back extensor
- the buttocks and hip muscles
- the posterior thigh muscles
- the triceps (arm extensors)
- the large back muscle (latissimus)
As you can see, the entire torso is required. It is very important so that you don't injure yourself during strength training. A strengthened core also pays off in everyday life - especially during lifting movements.
You can divide the muscles used into primary and secondary backs.
- Primary: Trunk Muscles: During the Ab Rollout, your trunk muscles are put to the test as they counteract the force of gravity trying to flatten your spine into a hollow back. To keep your spine stable, all of your abdominal and gluteal muscles must hold your rib cage and pelvis firmly in place. The farther forward you roll, the more force your abdominal and stabilizer muscles must use to keep your torso stable - a strenuous task!
- Secondary: Hip, shoulder and arm muscles: When you roll the Wheel forward and back, muscles in the arms, shoulders and hips help stabilize the body.
These are the most effective abdominal exercises for women!
Is the Ab Roller useful for the flat stomach?
No, you won't get a flat stomach with an Ab Roller. It is not a "weight loss roller", but rather a coremuscle trainer.
But this does not mean that an abdominal roller is not useful. You get a firmer abdomen through this training device and can strengthen the core muscles. Only the body fat does not disappear by itself.
To lose weight, you should do strength training and, if desired, a combination of dietary changes (e.g., fewer carbohydrates, more protein, and more vegetables) and exercise.
It is important that you are active on a regular basis in your daily life.
Why is the Ab Roller more useful than sit-ups?
A defined abdomen includes not only trained abdominal muscles, but also a strong torso and that in all dimensions: Abdominal muscles, hip muscles, lateral trunk muscles and back extensors. Because your core muscles only develop their full potential when all muscle groups are strengthened.
This is not possible with classic sit-ups. They target only a few muscles. When you train with the Ab Roller Wheel, your entire core is challenged. However, sit-ups are not useless, in fact the opposite is true - with proper execution and a coordinated workout, they are one of the most effective exercises. most effective abdominal exercises.
What makes a good ab wheel?
Yes, an Ab Roller makes sense. But which device is really well suited for this purpose? What should you look for when buying?
In no case should you buy too cheap. It is important that the wheel and the holding bars can be connected quite firmly. This should not change even after firm shaking and rattling.
Our recommendation
The Abdominal roller with knee mats from Pullup & Dip has ergonomic handles, which makes it easier to hold on to. You'll also find nubs on the handles that prevent slipping. Also included in the set are extra soft knee pads.
If you don't have a Wheel yet and want to grab a good one at a very fair price, this is the place to go. By the way with the Pullup & Dip discount code WEGOWILD10 you can grab 10% discount on the entire range.
For whom is an Ab Roller useful?
With this training device you can strengthen many muscles at the same time. However, the Ab Wheel is not suitable for everyone. The Ab Wheel should not be used by beginners. Because to be able to push the body forward and back to the starting position, torso stability is required.
If your abdominal and back muscles are weak, you can injure yourself. Then it is not possible for you to keep your balance and stabilize your center. The bike rolls forward with you, you let your stomach hang and bang, you're lying on your nose.
Only with trained trunk muscles you can avoid a hollow back and keep the spine neutral.
Venture into training with the Wheel when you can easily hold planks for one minute under full body tension.
If you just want to give it a try, you can also turn a barbell into an Ab Roller Wheel. But be careful: here, too, torso tension is necessary!
To do this, mount light weight plates on a barbell and you can roll the dumbbell forward and back. This only applies to dumbbells with roller bearings and does not work with models that have a star lock.
This exercise will make your abs glow!
What do you have to keep in mind when training?
In general, doing an ab roller workout is really easy. There is hardly any risk of injury.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to keep control of your body throughout the execution. Don't let yourself roll forward too fast and keep a lot of tension in your torso. Only then is the Ab Roller useful, otherwise there is a risk of injury!
How to do the execution correctly
- Get on your knees. Put a mat underneath.
- Reach for the Ab Roller with both arms. The thumbs are on the inside, the little finger on the outside. Place the wheel on the floor about 30 cm in front of your knees. Your shoulders should now be above the wheel.
- Tighten your abdomen, back and buttocks. Slowly stretch your arms forward and let your upper body come towards the floor. However, do not touch the floor.
- Go as deep as it is possible for you. Hold this point for one to two seconds and then return to the starting position.
Tip: Don't overdo it with the workout. The roller uses so many muscles that you'll feel sore even after just a few repetitions. It's better to advance gradually than to be unable to take a step because of muscle pain.
The most common mistakes
When you bend forward, make sure your back doesn't "sag." If you bend too far forward, your core muscles can no longer withstand the tension and your spine can be damaged.
Tighten your butt to bring your pelvis and lower back into a neutral position. The movement should not come from your hips. Make sure your core muscles keep you stable.
When you go back to the starting position, don't roll back too far. This way you lose the tension in your abdomen.
This exercise is not about how fast you perform the movements. It makes more sense to do a few slow repetitions than many fast ones, because then you have to maintain the tension longer.
Help, I have back pain from the device
The back also has to work hard during abdominal training. Improper execution of the exercises can quickly lead to discomfort in the lower back. Therefore, make sure that you perform the exercises cleanly and accurately.
If you suffer from lower back discomfort at first, it's probably due to the unfamiliar movements for your back and the lack of muscle, but that should go away after a few workouts.
It is also possible that you let your back sag - that is, you don't tighten your abdomen enough. Many beginners fall into a hollow back at the beginning, which is a very big strain on the back.
How can I increase my workout?
You already have super trained abs and the classic execution is too boring for you? There are actually a few ways to make the exercise harder.
Basically, the further you roll forward, the more strenuous the execution. This is enough of an increase for the beginning.
The slower you perform the exercise, the more intense it becomes. You then have to hold the tension much longer.
It's very tiring when you pause at the frontmost position. Try it for 3 to 4 seconds.
Additionally build these 30 Days Belly Challenge into your workout if you want to build muscle quickly.
How often and how long do I need to exercise for the Ab Roller to be useful?
10 to 20 reps per workout with the ab trainer is more than enough. If you feel you can do more, you can of course do a few additional rollouts.
It's best to think of abdominal rolling as part of your workout routine. If you don't already have one, I suggest doing a full body workout three times a week.
It is important that you do not train exclusively with the Ab Wheel. This will make the workout too one-sided. Under no circumstances should you start rolling without warming up.
Our conclusion
Is the Ab Roller useful? Yes, definitely! Compared to other abdominal training equipment, this thing really packs a punch. Rolling with the wheel is a very challenging exercise.
The device is not suitable for beginners. You need a certain basic tension in the torso in order not to lose posture. If you do everything right, you will train not only the abdomen, but also the arms, legs and torso. Since the equipment is more than affordable, we can recommend it with a clear conscience!
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