Benefits

The ab wheel can produce excellent results. It trains not only the abdominal muscles but the entire core, including the lower back, latisimus and gluteal muscles. Arm and leg muscles also come into play to create a total body workout.

Variations

More challenging exercises can be performed using the ab wheel. The rollout can be done standing on your feet rather than kneeling. Other exercises can be executed with ab wheel strapped to your feet. For example, assume a push-up position, and then push and pull your legs forward and back, rolling on the ab wheel. In this same push-up position you can raise your hips in the air, rolling the ab wheel toward you to form a pike position. Lying on your back, you also can lift your hips off of the floor and roll the ab wheel with your legs.

Level of Difficulty

While the ab wheel is a simple device, it is quite challenging on the body. At first you may not be able to roll out very far. It is a good idea to limit your ab wheel workout to 10 reps for the first few days. Your endurance will build up over time, and you will be able to roll out farther and complete more repetitions.