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Written by Jesse ZuckerLast updated on August 22nd, 2023 3 Wheel Ab Roller
If you’re working on your six-pack, you probably know that nutrition plays a significant role. But for building those core muscles, the ab wheel is a powerful piece of equipment. You’ll work your entire body while targeting your abs to stabilize your spine as you fight to control the unstable ab roller. It’s a killer workout that builds core strength, stability, and muscle.
But the ab wheel is nothing if not intimidating. But rest (or work out) assured: beginners can conquer the ab wheel with variations or alternatives to build up their strength first. We’ve put together an array of the best core exercises into the four best ab wheel workouts you can do if you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced athlete.
You may also be searching for a full-body workout that incorporates the ab wheel for extra core work — we’ve got you covered, too. We’ll also get into the anatomy of the abs and the specifics of how the ab wheel can provide some of the most challenging and effective core workout. Let’s roll it out.
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There’s more than one way to use an ab wheel. It’s not all about the most advanced moves in the book. As a beginner, you can try different exercises on it, try the classic ab rollout with a reduced range of motion, or sub the roller for a stability ball or sliders.
Starting with an ab wheel plank helps you get used to holding the ab wheel. You’ll build core stability as you hold your plank position while hanging onto the ab wheel. Knee tucks are up next — use foot straps to attach your feet to the ab wheel.
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Next, you can try the kneeling ab wheel rollout with a reduced range of motion, then finish with some side planks to work your obliques.
*If these are too challenging, do fewer reps, or use sliders under your feet to perform your knee tucks from a plank position.
**Go as far as you can in your kneeling rollout and return to starting position. Do fewer reps if you need to. If it’s still too hard to do with proper form, substitute it for stability ball rollouts. These will help get you accustomed to the demands of the ab wheel without so much pressure on your upper body.
Intermediate athletes who are comfortable with the ab wheel can take it up to the next level by performing the kneeling rollout with the full range of motion. You’ll also try a single-arm rollout to work your upper body unilaterally while torching your abs.
This intermediate ab roller workout alternates upper and lower body-focused movements. It starts with the full rollout from a kneeling position. As a progression from knee tucks, you’ll use foot straps to get your feet on the ab wheel and do some pikes.
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The kneeling ab wheel rollout will majorly challenge your upper body strength and stability, all while giving your core a strong challenge. You’ll finish with ab wheel bridges with your feet strapped to the ab wheel to work your glutes with an unstable base of support.
*If you can’t complete the single-arm rollout, only go as far as you can and return to starting position with control. Do fewer reps if necessary. Squeeze your glutes and keep your lats engaged for more stability.
Get ready to try the most advanced ab wheel exercises. You’ll hit the final version of the ab wheel rollout from a standing position, then do it as a single-arm rollout as well. Be sure to keep your back straight as you work your entire core.
To crush this workout, you’ll start with a full rollout from a standing position. Next, do hanging leg raises to enhance your core engagement along with some upper body work. Try the single-arm ab wheel rollouts next.
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Then, you’ll do ab wheel push-ups: roll all the way out, return to plank position, perform a push-up, and return to starting position. If you’re in a gym, you can end with some challenging barbell rollouts to switch it up and finish strong.
Aiming to target more than just your core? In your average ab wheel workout, you’ll engage your upper back, shoulders, and even your grip. But here, you’ll up the ante by deliberately integrating a bigger diversity of exercises to jack up your heart rate and truly taxes you from head to toe.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hit a quick full-body workout that incorporates the ab wheel to work your core, upper body, and even lower body all at once.
This full-body workout alternates lower-body compound movements with bilateral and unilateral ab wheel exercises. It hits multiple muscle groups and you’ll quickly work up a sweat. It’s customizable for multiple experience levels, as you can perform your rollouts from kneeling or standing.
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If you don’t have dumbbells, you can do bodyweight squats, and sub your Romanian deadlifts for bodyweight good mornings or lunges to up the intensity.
*Do this from kneeling or standing, depending on your fitness level. If you’re a beginner and not up to doing rollouts, sub for an ab wheel plank.
**Choose kneeling or standing depending on your level. Beginners can sub for ab wheel knee tucks.
Your abdominal muscles connect your trunk to your pelvis. They’re responsible for four movements of your trunk: flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation. They also work to stabilize your spine under load and tense your abdominal wall. (1)
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To picture it, your core can be split up into your anterior core on the front side of your body and your posterior core on the back. Ab wheel rollouts work your entire core, including your lower back.
The transverse abdominis is your deepest core muscle. It helps create tension in your abs and stabilizes your spine.
Your internal obliques are the second deepest muscles and are located on both sides of your torso. Your external obliques are superficial to them. Together, both sets of obliques work to rotate, twist, and laterally flex your trunk.
When you think about visible six-pack abs, you’re thinking of your rectus abdominis. They’re responsible for spinal flexion. When you hear about lower abs, it’s usually referring to the lower part of your rectus abdominis.
Your erector spinae are the stabilizer muscles in your lower back. They stabilize your lumbar spine as you do your ab wheel rollouts.
If you’re trying to build a stronger core, ab wheel workouts can be one of your biggest allies. They’re convenient, customizable for different levels, and majorly work your abs. Here are the top benefits of ab wheel workouts.
Doing ab wheel workouts can majorly build your core strength and stability. Having a strong core can improve your posture, may help reduce back stiffness over time, and improve your athletic performance in other exercises and sports.
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Building core stability helps protect your spine in other exercises and activities of daily life. To develop even more stability, bring your feet or knees closer together during your ab wheel workouts. Since the ab wheel is unstable, the closer your base of support is together, the harder your core has to work to keep your spine steady.
Each of the ab wheel exercises is a compound, multi-joint movement. Rollouts, planks, knee tucks, pikes, bridges, and push-ups all work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Beyond your abs, they work your shoulders, chest, lats, and arms. They also work your lower back, glutes, and legs.
Doing compound exercises can get you more bang for your buck whether you’re trying to build muscle, lose fat, or just save time in your workout. They get your heart rate up and teach you to move your entire body with tension.
The ab wheel is incredibly effective at activating your abdominal muscles, especially if you are an advanced athlete doing higher-level variations. This will come in handy when you’re trying to teach yourself to engage your core during heavy barbell exercises like the squat and deadlift.
One study was done using a surface electromyography (EMG) to detect muscle contraction activity while performing ab exercises. It showed that performing ab wheel rollouts was more effective than sit-ups and crunches at activating the rectus abdominis, internal obliques, and lats. (2)
This may make the ab wheel a good option when you’re looking to build your abs.
The ab wheel is a convenient piece of equipment — it doesn’t take up much space and isn’t very expensive. You can do ab wheel workouts in your home or toss it into your bag when you travel.
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Although the full versions of ab wheel exercises are best for intermediate or advanced athletes, beginners can still try planks and knee tucks with the ab wheel. They can also work with sliders and stability balls to work up to being able to use the ab wheel.
The best ab wheel workouts will challenge your entire core while incorporating your upper and lower body. They’ll hit all the muscles in your core to stabilize your spine during dynamic movement. You can try different exercises depending on your fitness level, make exercises bilateral or unilateral, and incorporate the ab wheel into a full-body workout with dumbbells.
The ab wheel is small and convenient, and it truly packs a punch. While abs may be revealed in the kitchen, they can be built with the wheel.
Jesse Zucker (they/them) is a National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) Certified Personal Trainer, 200 Hour Certified Yoga Instructor, and Precision Nutrition Certified Coach. Jesse trained at Equinox in NYC and now trains private clients virtually and in the Washington, DC area. Jesse specializes in teaching clients to build body awareness, strength, mobility, and sustainable healthy habits. Jesse is also a freelance writer and an actor with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film Studies from New York University.
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