There’s a saying that “nothing good happens after 2 a.m.” It’s usually uttered as a warning about staying out too late — but even if you’re at home, chillin’ on your couch, bad things can happen, too.
For instance, you could get caught up in an infomercial selling you flat, toned abs: Just fork out three “easy” payments and you’ll be on your way to a beach-ready six-pack!
Bleary-eyed and hopeful, millions of people have jumped on the phone over the years, reading off 10 digits from their credit cards. From Ab Rollers to Ab Scissors to the AbFlex to the Ab Coaster (to name just a few), these machines arrived, gathered dust and then most likely made their way to the curb on a future trash day.
Many shady inventions were nothing more than rip-offs. However, some arguably had some real value once you rolled past the hucksterisms and got real. One such implement? The ab wheel — essentially a simple wheel with a handle coming out of each side. Not only is it effective, but it’s also cheap! You can get a good one for $20 or less on Amazon (like this one or this one as an example of two highly rated options).
Ab Wheel 101
For those ready to take this former late-night star for a spin, we tabbed Aimee Nicotera, MS, health coach and virtual fitness studio owner, for her advice. She answers five common questions and lays out a multi-move wheel workout that hits the abs from all angles.
1. Doing exercises with an ab wheel is tough! What is it that makes this motion so challenging?
Nicotera: Using an ab wheel correctly requires the ability to maintain stability through the entire core — including the muscles around the cervical spine, those deep within the transverse abdominis, diaphragm and multifidus, and down below the hip girdle to the pelvic floor. Basically, your core is everything from your shoulders to your hips. Many people struggle to maintain stability in the shoulder girdle, spine and hips with their hands on the floor, such as during a high plank. Add a moving wheel, creating an unstable base, and the difficulty increases significantly!
2. If you’re a beginner who struggles with even doing one “rep” on a wheel, how do you recommend someone build up endurance to be able to do full sets?
Nicotera: Before even attempting the ab-wheel exercise, you should be able to hold both a forearm plank and a high plank with your legs fully extended for at least 45 to 60 seconds. In addition, strengthening your back muscles is important — specifically the erector spinae group, responsible for spinal extension, lateral flexion and supporting upright posture. A great exercise for this would be a traditional Bird Dog [described below], which involves simultaneously lifting and extending the opposite arm and leg in a quadruped position.
After mastering the stationary plank, you can start with just one rep of the ab wheel. This first attempt should be started from a position with [your] knees on the floor, moving through just a small range of motion as a goal. As your strength and confidence increase, you can also increase the range of motion, and the start position can change to a plank with your knees up in the air or even from a standing position.
3. Are there areas of the abdominals that an ab wheel hits especially well? And are there areas it doesn’t engage as well?
Nicotera: Muscle activity when using an ab wheel is high in the core, most notably the rectus abdominis muscles. The intensity placed on the abdominals changes based on the angle of the arms in relation to the trunk when using the ab wheel. Meanwhile, the ab muscles responsible for trunk rotation — namely the internal and external obliques — aren’t challenged as much due to the limited opportunity for rotation when using the wheel.
4. What are your top tips for doing the ab wheel correctly?
Nicotera: First, you need to maintain a neutral spine — this means there is no excessive flexion or extension of the spine, and the spine remains long from the beginning to the end of the movement. You also want your shoulder girdle and hips to remain stable and your arms to remain straight throughout the exercise. I tell clients to picture a steel rod running from the crown of their head through their spine and hips, holding everything in alignment. Bracing your core as you do the roll is also important. Imagine someone is about to punch you in the stomach, so you engage your abs as if you’re ready to take that punch. I would also encourage people to inhale as they roll out and then exhale as they roll the wheel back in.
5. And what are biggest mistakes people make with one?
Nicotera: Typical mistakes include letting the shoulder blades cave in toward one another and allowing the midback or low back to sag. Bending the arms reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, as well. It’s also important to avoid letting your hips lift up higher than your shoulders.
Your Beginner Ab-Wheel Workout
This quick and effective core workout, which incorporates exercises with and without an ab wheel, can be performed on its own or tacked onto the end of another bodypart workout once or twice a week.
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