Toning abdominal muscles is not an easy task. It requires total commitment to losing fats around the abdominal area first. To do so, you need a combination of aerobic exercises, a combination of challenging core workouts and a healthy diet. This should be a routine carried out at least every day of the week. You can supplement the above with an ab roller. Performing a few rollouts every day will help a lot.
An ab roller is a piece of simple equipment that has been in existence for quite some time now. Knowing how to use it correctly will help benefit from its numerous benefits. Ab rollout being a slightly tougher core exercise the will benefit you adequately utilized. Ab rollouts engage all the muscles and are easy to use.
Ab roller benefits include:
It’s excellent for core stability
This simple tool develops all your core muscles in the mid-section. The cores muscles will in turn help minimize extraneous movements as well as stabilize your spine. These are very important especially when you are stretching moving, bending or lifting. Strengthening the cores usually improves postures providing you with strength reducing back injuries and provides you with enough power when it comes to lifting chores
Boosts overall strength
The ab wheel workouts are beneficial to the whole body. Performing rollouts not only strengthen the core but also tones other body muscles including the arm, hips and thighs shoulder, and upper and lower back and the back. With the movements and the load, you develop strength for various muscles in your body. By working on the front of the body, ab roller tones the pectoral muscles that run across the chest and connect to the upper arm and shoulder.
When it comes strengthening the arm, ab rollers toughen the triceps, the muscles responsible for straightening the arm. If these muscles are flabby, then you have jiggly underarms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYgvlxwhBUM&t=19s
Minimizes the frequency of back pain
Weak abs might lead to back pain. Such muscles are unable to keep your spine aligned and function properly. Using an ab wheel, you will strengthen your abs thus aligning your spine. This way, you reduce the chances of developing back pain.
When you have a strong core, you will perform your daily movements with greater ease and at a reduced risk of injury. If you have persistent lower-back pains, a strong core will provide relief. Besides, midsection strength improves your posture, which can give you a more confident look.
Boosts mobility and coordination
Ab wheel rollouts usually engage a large number of muscles, together with joints. As such it boosts the inter-muscular and intramuscular coordination. With such a wide range of muscle movements, you improve your flexibility and mobility. Crunches provide movement over a short span. Such short-range movements can lead to an adverse health effect especially on the back leading to poor posture because of the development of short abs and hip flexors.
Hip flexors are very vital for walking, climbing a step, and even sitting. Weak flexor hips would mean impaired hip joint movement. The use of ab wheel will tone these hip flexors giving you proportionality
Bottom line is ab wheel do not just tone your muscles. They work a score of other muscle groups throughout your body including the six-pack muscle, i.e., the rectus abdominis. Besides, the ab wheel goes to the depths of the muscle core, i.e. transersus abdominis. With such strengthened muscle, you develop the most coveted six packs
Why you need an ab roller
- It is small in size therefore easy to store: As compared to other gym equipment, an ab roller is small-sized equipment that takes very little space. You can store it in your bag and hang it somewhere.
- Affordable: The cost of an ab wheel will not dent your budget. For as low as $ 10, you can a brand-new perfectly working ab wheel.
How to tap ab roller benefits
Whether you are experienced or new to ab roller, it is very vital to understand that this type of exercises comes with the inherent risk of injury. It is crucial that you concentrate while doing rollouts. Remember, tab rollers are light in weight, and so they require more core control to avoid rotation and extension.
- For beginners, it is advisable to start by moving through a limited set of range motion before working to full extension on the ab wheel.
- Control movements: do not roll out to fast or rush to roll out. Speeding through the motions can increase the risk of your torso rotation or extension.
- Initiate all movements with the core: when you initiate with the core, you work them out. Initiate with the hand might lead to a rush rollout, and this is detrimental.
- Keep your abs contracted: when you roll in and out you keep your core engaged. This way your abdominal muscles are doing a lot of the work and are providing stability
- Do not arch your back: you back should remain straight. Any other posture puts much pressure on the back thus causing strain
- Keep your head straight: do not bend or crane your neck because you may tuck your neck. Besides, this will help protect your back and neck from injury.
- Build your fitness before starting: strengthen your core and shoulder using other exercises before attempting to use an ab wheel. An ab wheel injury may be fatal!
- Move slowly: as a roll in and out, ensure that you can control the wheel. Rolling too fast might lead to twisting your torso, face planting or hurting your shoulder.
There several different variations ab roller exercises that guarantee success. They include:
Kneeling Ab Wheel Roll Out
To perform this, you require an Best ab wheel and a soft mat for your knees
- Start on both knees, with the ab roller in front of the body on the floor
- While tightening the core with arms fully extended, slowly roll the wheel forward until your body is parallel to the ground.
- Roll back to the starting position while squeezing your core tight. Do not arch your back. Moving forward then backward make one complete rep. For Beginner perform 8 to 10 reps, at Intermediate: 12 to 15 reps and for advanced individuals perform 20 to 30 reps.
Next level
You should try this level if perfuming 20 to 30 reps is comfortable for you. For this level, you work it from your toes.
- Start from the standing position; bend as you are touching your toes
- With the ab wheel in front of your toes, Extend your arm fully with core tightened. Slowly roll out the wheel until your body is parallel to the ground
- Roll back to the starting position. Ensure that your core is squeezed tight as you do this.
- Repeat this procedure 5 to 8 times.
Crouching Ab Wheel Roll Out, coupled with Knee Tucks (alternating)
- In a bear crawl position (on the ground) holds the ab wheel with both hands.
- While balancing the wheel, use both your legs to roll out to a high plank position while you balance on the wheel.
- From the same plank position, drive one knee in to touch your elbow of your arm on the same side.
- After 1 knee tuck, use your legs to roll yourself back to the starting position and repeat.
For beginners, perform 8 to 10 reps, Intermediate: 12 to 15 reps while Advanced: 20 to 30 reps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-6CLkzyTE8&t=9s
Oblique Wheel Roll Outs
This rollout aims at working on the obliques.
- The starting position is the knee. You are on both knees with the lower body slightly turned to the right or the left. The ab roller should be to the side of your body. Place your hand on them.
- Extend your arms fully, bracing your core tight. Slowly roll out the wheel in forwarding motion until your body is parallel to the ground.
- Roll out forward as far as you can, then roll back to the original position.
Beginner: 8 to 10 reps
Intermediate: 12 to 15 reps
Advanced: 20 to 30 reps
“Weaving Through Traffic”
This is an advanced stage ab rollout. It only should be performed by experts. To accomplish this, you require an ab wheel and a treadmill.
- Turn on a treadmill to a speed of 2.5mph and Stand on the ground at the base of a treadmill. With the ab wheel on the middle of the belt, extend both your arms fully and brace your core. Roll forth to a high plank position over the treadmill. Both your feet should be still firmly fitted on the ground.
- In the plank position, “weave” on the wheel from side to side as fast as you can manage. Ensure you control yourself.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
Beginner: 2, 30-second rounds
Intermediate: 3, 45-second rounds
Conclusion
Ab roller benefits can be achieved when you use the wheel properly. Before attempting this workout ensures that your body is ready. This way you avoid injuries. The benefits of the ab roller are numerous when combined with proper diet and another exercise.