How to Effectively Use the Ab Wheel
The ab wheel is an effective means of strengthening the abdominal muscles, if used properly.
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Things You'll Need
- Abdominal wheel
- Open space
- Flat surface
- Exercise mat or pillow
- Wide belt
- Wall
- Decline bench/abdominal slant board
Instructions
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Article Steps
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1
Find an open space on a flat surface, either carpeted or flooring. With the wheel in your hands, get down on your knees at the edge of an exercise mat -- so that the mat does not interfere with the path of the wheel -- or pillow.
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With your arms locked tightly, inhale, round your back maximally, and tuck in your bottom and chin. Your hips should be pushed forward and vertical to the floor. At no point during the exercise should your bottom stick out backward, or your back arch.
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Keep your lats, or armpit muscles, tight to protect your shoulders. Pay special attention to keeping your bottom and your abs particularly tight throughout the entire exercise. This will protect your lower back.
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Roll as far forward as you can comfortably and safely go, and come back up by trying to round your back and simultaneously pulling with your arms. Don't exhale until you reach the top.
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If you are a novice at using the ab wheel, Pavel Tsatsouline suggests in his book, "Bullet-Proof Abs", that you have a spotter hold a wide belt under your hips in case you lose control. An alternative is to perform the exercise in front of a wall, so that it stops you from going farther than you can currently control. The stronger you get, the further from the wall you position yourself.
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Your initial goal is to roll forward until your abs touch the floor and then come back up to starting position, all the while under complete control. Once you can easily complete 12 to 15 full repetitions in this manner, you are ready to progress to the next level.
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Rather than performing each rep on one breath as suggested above, relax after the descent with your abs on the floor for a moment. Then inhale, round your back and come back up to the starting position. This method will build superior strength due to the lack of a stretch reflex and reversal of energy. You should be able to easily complete 10 to 15 full repetitions before you progress to the next level.
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Progressing from your knees to your feet is a big step and creates a much greater disadvantage in your body's leverage. Use a decline bench, or abdominal slant board, to make a smooth transition and take weight off the end of the movement.
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Begin in a pike position, with the wheel at the low end of the bench in front of your toes with your legs straight. All techniques for the knee version apply here as well. Roll out to the point just before you feel that you will lose control of the movement. Hold that position for a second or two and then roll back to the starting position.
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10
Take small steps away from the bench as the movement becomes easier. When you reach the point where you are using the ramp only for the very last bit of the movement, you are ready to perform the ab wheel jacknife on the floor.
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Tips & Warnings
It is imperative that your back does not arch. Keep it rounded, or at least flat. If you can't and the exercise hurts your lower back, stop the exercise immediately.
Negatives, or yielding repetitions, may be used as a method of increasing strength while on your knees. After rolling forward, if you can't come up then let go of the wheel and push with your arms. Continue performing the lowering half of the exercise until you can reverse the movement.
The plank position with arms and legs at full extension is a prerequisite for the ab wheel jacknife. It is essential for strengthening and reproducing the same muscular contractions used for the wheel.
Consult a physician before engaging in a regular exercise program.
Know what you're doing. If you're not sure how to do an ab wheel jacknife, have someone teach you the proper technique and you'll lessen your chances of injury.
Never push beyond your limits. Let injuries and weak spots fully recover before you resume your workouts.
