Most people would argue that the Ab Roller is one of the best and effective ways to get 6 pack abs the fastest. Using an Ab Roller will only give you the stomach you desire if you perform the perfect technique. The vast majority of people when first using the wheel perform the exercise incorrectly, here are some helpful tips to get the best results.
Why Use An Ab Roller Instead Of Doing Sit-Ups?
There are many reasons why people use the Ab Roller over traditional sit up and crunch exercises. Here are my top three:
- It is a quicker and more effective way to get abs.
- It is a lot safer than traditional sit-ups because it puts less strain on your back.
- It can be done at home, no heavy gym equipment required.
Why Not Use It?
There are however some reasons why I do not recommend you use an ab wheel. Here are my three top reasons, the ab roller may not be for everyone.
- Difficult to learn the correct technique.
- It can be dangerous if performed incorrectly.
When doing sit-ups you only engage certain parts of the abdominal muscles compared to an ab roller. Using an ab roller is a more effective way to get abs. As it works a lot more muscles at the same time. The Ab Roller is way easier to learn than sit-ups as you have your hands on the handles which means you don’t have to use as much effort pushing yourself up as it will be easier.
The Top Mistakes People Make When Using An Ab Roller
There are some mistakes people make when doing the ab roller, if you want to get the most results from this exercise then you need to follow these tips:
- Many people do not keep their back straight, this is very important.
- Do not rock your body back and forth, this can cause you to lose balance causing serious injury.
- Never lift with only your arms when doing ab rollers. You must initiate the movement by using your stomach muscles.
How To Use An Ab Roller Correctly For Best Results And Safety
The best way to get proper form for this exercise is to have someone show you the technique first. Once you get the technique down, it will become a lot easier to remember. No matter what you don’t give up and keep practicing and you will get six-pack abs like the pros in no time.
Some gyms are missing this staple piece of equipment but if this is the case you can always reach out to one of the trainers and politely request if they could show you the motion and critique your form. Is The Ab Roller A Good Ab Exercise? Absolutely!
But you have to do it right. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time and effort as well as risking injury so why not ask a pro.
AB Roller Workout Plan
Do 10 minutes of cardio on a rower or walking on a treadmill first, then do 5 sets of 4 repetitions of the ab roller exercise. Do these three days a week and you will start seeing results within a few weeks.
Advance Ab Roller Workout Plan
Once you get familiar with the exercise and you feel that you are ready to take your ab workouts into deep waters you can try this advanced ab roller workout plan.
- Do 10 minutes on the Ab Roller followed by 10 minutes on the treadmill.
- Do 5 sets of 8-10 reps (4 repetitions). After that do 5 sets of 3-4 reps (2 repetitions) and after those, you keep doing 8-10 reps until it is too hard to continue and you can not maintain proper form.
The balance of cardio and ab strengthening exercises is the perfect combination because it is less stressful on your body. You can recover faster. The way it is built, cardio training has the most impact, the strengthening comes second and then fasted cardio third.
Stretching Your Abdominal Muscles
It is also important to know how to stretch your abdominal muscles, There’s always a few easy stretches you can do. They will help you increase the flexibility of your midsection as well as preventing injuries.
Over Training On The Ab Wheel
Sometimes your ab workouts can be too excessive its a good rule to take rest days in between so that your abdominal muscles may recover. Make sure when you are on rest days to still do some type of low-intensity exercise in order to keep in shape. Rest days are also great because it allows your body to build muscle in between sessions.
Never have an extreme routine for ab workouts. You want to find a balance in order for the benefits of the ab roller wheel workout plan to take effect without causing too much strain on your body.
I once had a big summer vacation I had coming up and I wanted my abs to look on point. I ended up using the ab roller for 12 days straight. I know this sounds crazy but I didn’t care. I wanted to look good for my vacation. I stopped the wheel workout at the end of the week and my abs were nowhere near as defined as they were before…
They were just incredibly sore. I think what happened was that I wasn’t doing enough cardio to keep my abdominals in optimal condition. And without the proper conditioning, the muscle tissue just got weaker and weaker between each session.
Weight Training For Abdominals
If you are looking to finally get your six-pack abs, make sure to do some form of cardio beforehand. Ab muscles are not built overnight and you need to be prepared before you ever go on any kind of ab workout routine. If you are looking to challenge yourself you can try to do a weighted version of the ab rollout by using a weighted vest.
You just want to make sure you do not put any weight or pressure on your lower back. Anything above your waist will put too much stress on this area and make it hurt. I saw one person before using a 20lb plate resting on his upper back when doing the exercise but you would then risk the weight falling and possibly injuring yourself.
Misconceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Ab Rollers
Although I feel that the Ab Roller is one of the best pieces of gym equipment when striving for washboard abs, the truth is that it really boils down to your diet and many other health factors.
Everyone carries a layer of visceral fat in the midsection that blocks out the definition in your abs. This fat while not directly visible can cause a slim physique to appear to have more body fat than they may actually have.
This is the reason why I motivate people to work on getting into great shape and doing exercises such as the ab roller in conjunction with a low-carb diet.
How You Can Get The Most Out Of Your Ab Roller Workouts
After you learn how to properly use an ab roller, put this knowledge to work.
Once you get the hang of it, start doing some succession sets. You can do this by doing one set on the ab roller at the beginning of your workout and then challenge yourself by doing another set with more repetitions (5) after that.
You can also do supersets when you reach a certain level. The Ab Roller takes patience so do not give up after the first month if you do not see the results you wanted. Keep doing this for at least 6 months and you will see some great results.
Remember it is very important to ask questions when using the ab roller, most people are so focused on getting their abs in shape they do not take enough time out of their day to learn how the equipment works properly.
Ask for help and you will be able to follow through with your workout routine and get the beautiful torso you’ve always wanted.
Do you think using an ab wheel is worth it? Share your thoughts below!
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