The ab wheel

Scott Birdby Scott Bird | July 15, 2006
Filed in Equipment , Favourites , bands , bwexercises | 14 comments

Ab wheelThis afternoon I came across this amongst a pile of near-vintage gym gear: an ab wheel. Unlike a lot of fitness equipment for the abs, this one has survived - because it’s simple and it works. In fact it’s so simple that any sort of rotating bar and a round plate can be used.

Although Ross Enamait makes them look easy (he does a few on the Low Tech, High Effect video [.wmv, 5.1mb] amongst others), the standing version is incredibly hard. In fact, starting with the kneeling version was more than enough to feel it working.

Ab rollout (often called a ‘barbell rollout’)
  1. Grab an ab wheel, or a barbell with 10kg(25lb) plates on, or a couple of adjustable dumbbells with the 10/25 plates.
  2. Begin in a kneeling position, with straight arms holding the handles/bar on the ground in front of you.
  3. Slowly roll it forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as possible.
  4. Initiating the movement with your hips (and keeping arms straight throughout), use your abs to bend back to the starting point. Bring the wheel/bell as close to your feet as possible, and keep your hips high.

Variations
Beginning from a standing start will obviously make the exercise a lot more difficult than the kneeling version. To adjust the intensity between these two stages, try using various inclines (a piece of wood and a staircase are your friends here); and on different surfaces (carpet vs concrete for example).

To make the entire movement more difficult, use only one arm; or attach a light band to make it that much more interesting.

Other considerations
This exercise places quite a lot of stress on the lower back and shoulders (if arms are near horizontal at end of movement). These certainly aren’t reasons to avoid it, simply points to be aware of.


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Discussion

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Comments

1

I loved this exercise in college. The point about the low back is well taken.

Posted by: Bud Gibson | July 16, 2006 3:11 PM

2

Cool. In case you haven’t seen it, Ross demonstrates 1-arm (!) rollouts in his video, The Home Gym.

Really been enjoying your blog, thanks!

Posted by: Jim Biancolo | July 16, 2006 3:53 PM

3

Bud, I was actually surprised at the amount of low back involvement at first - but it makes perfect sense when you consider the movement. Have you done them lately? It’s certainly one that I’d forgotten about until I found the ab wheel.

Jim, I just saw that: I think the standing version will be enough of a challenge, Ross is just a machine when it comes to stuff like that. It’s great to watch.

Posted by: Scott | July 16, 2006 4:24 PM

4

I have not done the ab wheel lately because I think the trade-off between potential lower back issues and ab benefit isn’t good enough (I have a bad memory of overdoing it a couple of times during college). Nancy is an abs genius, and her exercises, some of which we’ve documented here, really hammer the abs but don’t hit the back (she has back issues).

Of the exercises we’ve tried lately, I think our bridge with medicine ball might come the closest to the ab wheel, plus it throws in a balance element.

Posted by: Bud Gibson | July 16, 2006 10:56 PM

5

What about the terribly named “Butt-ups” as an alternative to ab rollouts?

Less lower back stress, arguably less intensity… no equipment required.

I’m putting together a core training routine (getting back in shape after a long hiatus including a now-healed deadlifting lower back injury) and I’m debating whether to buy the ab wheel… it does look like a good exercise, especially with arms straight, not extended yet I have no experience with the movement.

I’m not very price sensitive, just injury averse.

Oh, a plug here… a lot of Matt Furey’s stuff is hyped to the gills and some of his exercises are a bit dubious (Hindu Push-ups, for example, seemed to have caused him a bursitis shoulder injury… that he then had to rehabilitate using strand pulling, which, I ruefully admit, I’ve bought off him and am awaiting to arrive), but to rehabilitate a lower back injury, his “How to Eliminate Lower Back Pain” program included as a special report with Combat Conditioning was easily worth the $39.95 I dropped for that book. Easily.

I don’t say this out of any great love for Furey or his marketing (I just unsubscribed from his annoying newsletter today after a particularly offensive invitation to pay an introductory one-month rate of “only” $19.95 followed by a higher monthly rate to learn that watermelon has lycopene and is hence good for the prostrate… seriously… while I knew already that that is true, do want Matt Furey as your urologist?), just that if you have lower back pain, this particular program is easy and effective.

Posted by: Chris from Victoria, BC | July 28, 2006 12:41 PM

6

Hi Chris,

Thanks for dropping by. I know you said you’re not very price sensitive, but the ab wheel isn’t exactly a complicated piece of equipment. You can do the same exercise using a barbell, dumbell or a weight plate with a broomstick through the middle - I’m just using an ab wheel because there’s one here.

If you want to try out a few of them, start kneeling and use one of the abovementioned items. This still puts a bit of stress on the lower back, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as the standing version and it will give you a good idea.

Regarding Matt Furey - I’ve been reading his stuff for a couple of years now and I’m not going to start bringing up negatives on his business, but I hope you’re aware that exercises like the ‘Hindu push-up’ are just old ones that he’s taken and renamed. There are plenty of similar ones around (such as the Divebomber push-up in that case).

Back to the ab stuff. When it comes to putting less stress on your back, I generally go with hanging knee or leg raises. In fact, these are great after a bit of deadlifting to relieve the back a bit.

Posted by: Scott | July 28, 2006 1:18 PM

7

Hey, Scott, thanks for taking the time to reply. And no, I’m not negative on Furey. As an aspiring marketer and fan of Dan Kennedy, I’m mostly impressed… if he turns old knowledge into money for himself and his family, I can’t complain.

I’m just pointing out that I hurt my shoulder shortly after doing Hindu Push-ups, that he hurt his shoulder (which may or may not be related to the Hindus), and that Tamir Katz, whose $3.95 book I just bought and love, is of the opinion that that particular movement may cause the exact type of problem that Furey and I experienced.

Anyway… I figure if I add some “strand training” and really stabilize the shoulder joints from all angles, plus give them rest (core training or even grip training on those days), that this should help.

I was never an advanced trainee, but was in good shape a few times in my life, like when I was a teenager and used to live off the land often hiking hundreds of kilometres in a single trip, when I later took up long distance running in my late teen years, and then again when I joined the army infantry reserves.

Since then, but especially since my back injury (I was at least lifting weights semi-regularly at the time) I’ve become a lard ass.

I’m definitely doing the whole healthy eating thing in a huge way (á la Tamir Katz) and I feel vastly more energetic in every sense. I’m going to use mostly calisthenic (and some minor equipment like a jump rope, exercise ball, etc.) exercises to get in shape again… don’t care if I get big, but want to get lean and be far more capable.

I like the theme of your blog. Talking about colours and design and such. Good choice.

Posted by: Chris from Victoria, BC | July 28, 2006 4:51 PM

8

Chris, thanks for putting me on to Tamir Katz - looks like an interesting guy. With the workouts you’re planning for yourself, someone like Ross Enamait seems like a great resource. If you haven’t seen him in action before, grab one or two of the videos on his site (the Low Tech, High Effect one is great) and prepare to be inspired. He’s got some great stuff on there.

With the strand training, I’m keen to hear how it goes. Do you blog any of your fitness stuff anywhere?

Posted by: Scott | July 28, 2006 7:04 PM

9

Hey Scott, yeah, Tamir Katz seems pretty cool… what I really like about him, other than I agree with his philosophy (hunter-gatherer type diet, calisthenics being very time and cost efficient, and not at all opposed to weight and sports training) the fact that you can purchase his great ebook for $3.95 is impressive. And it’s not a sales pitch at all, just page after page of great info.

While I was researching calisthenic programs online, the only program I found that reviewed higher than TBK Fitness was Ross’s stuff… I’m holding off on purchasing Ross’s info partly on cash flow grounds and mostly because it will be at least 6 months of following all of Tamir Katz routines before I’m physically prepared for the higher challenge.

I’m sure he has a great progression path too, it’s just that Katz’ ebook is so well layed out, I’ve got my work cut out for me mastering that.

This is my plan:

Mon./Wed./Fri:
Whole Body Calisthenic Workout OR Strand Pulling followed by optional Wind Sprints, Rope Jumping OR Brisk Walking… OR Swimming

Tues./Sat.
Core Ab and Back training using my body, a stability ball, and perhaps an ab roller

Wed./Sun.
Repetitive Stress Injury Prevention (basically, stretching the whole body and carpal tunnel finger and glide exercises) and Grip Work

This whole routine leaves my shoulders worked out only 3 days per week, my abs and back 2ish to 5ish depending on how you do the math, and my rest days stretching and working a little on my grip.

It’s not a bad plan.

In the last 2 days I’ve come across Ross and watched all his videos. Yes, he’s an inspiration. As far as the strand training goes, I’ll fill you in when they finally arrive.

Basically, I’m getting 9 Lifeline “Chest Expanders” and a Matt Furey video on strand pulling.

As far as my blogging goes, I happen to have one of the most one-of-a-kind blogs on the Internet, but it’s not sports and it’s not politics, it’s completely different.

I call it “Loving Jacqui”… it’s about my ridiculously silly girlfriend, Jacqui, from Perth and our lives while we work to get together.

Want to check it out and leave a comment?

http://lovingjacqui.net/

P.S. We definitely take friendly referrals and recommendations from friends… yet she is ultimately the person I created this for so my “target market” is one wonderful girl.

Posted by: Chrisfrom Victoria, BC | July 28, 2006 11:17 PM

10

Hey, Scott, I replied a week ago, but I guess your spam filter ate it.

I just got the strands last night, so I’ll see!

As far as a blog, my personal non-fitness non-politics blog is http://lovingjacqui.net/ - it’s about my sweetheart in Perth.

Posted by: Chris from Victoria, BC | August 6, 2006 9:17 AM

11

Scott, your spam filter is eating my comments.

Posted by: Chris from Victoria, BC | August 6, 2006 9:18 AM

12

Sorry about that Chris, the spam filter seems to pick on someone (for a couple of weeks or so) occasionally. New comments should be fine.

Posted by: Scott | August 6, 2006 7:29 PM

13

Hi, to the owner of the blog quick question PLEASE: how do you suggest one warms up to the ab-wheel exercise,

Secondly, about how many reps are worth writing home about: 20, 30…

I can be reached at foa0911yahoo.com or I’ll just check back at this blog…thanks

Foras

Posted by: Foras Aje | August 12, 2006 1:49 AM

14

Hi Foras,

I generally include a bit of light ab work in my warmups anyway, so they’re already ready to go when I do stuff like the ab wheel. Usually things like hanging knee raises (bodyweight only) or V-ups (also called jackknives); and side bends or plate twists as a precursor to exercises such as suitcase deadlifts.

I also tend to pyramid up in the main exercises themselves, which for the ab wheel means a few sets kneeling before considering the standing version. As to the number of reps worth writing home about - 1 more than you can currently do. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no limit when it comes to this stuff. Having said that, how do you line up with Ross in the abovelinked video?

Posted by: Scott | August 12, 2006 10:06 AM

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