Ab Wheel - Yes or No?

SaltNBurnBoys
SaltNBurnBoys Posts: 170 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy an ab wheel. Like with a lot of exercise merchandise, I've heard both good and bad (ineffectiveness, mostly) things about it, and I wanted to get your opinions on it.
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Replies

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    They're like 10 bucks.

    If you're purchasing it with the intent of strengthening your ab's, it will help.

    If you're purchasing it with the hope that it'll "spot reduce belly fat" ....it will not.
  • iPlatano
    iPlatano Posts: 487 Member
    They're like 10 bucks.

    If you're purchasing it with the intent of strengthening your ab's, it will help.

    If you're purchasing it with the hope that it'll "spot reduce belly fat" ....it will not.

    +1
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    They're like 10 bucks.

    If you're purchasing it with the intent of strengthening your ab's, it will help.

    If you're purchasing it with the hope that it'll "spot reduce belly fat" ....it will not.

    +1
    Yup
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    They're like 10 bucks.

    If you're purchasing it with the intent of strengthening your ab's, it will help.

    If you're purchasing it with the hope that it'll "spot reduce belly fat" ....it will not.

    winner winner chicken dinner

    one of the few fitness "toys" that's worth it's weight in gold and proven to be as effective as it claims.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    Or you could just do bar roll outs if you're at the gym. If not, yes they are great.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Or you could just do bar roll outs if you're at the gym. If not, yes they are great.

    Save $10 and do this...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Or you could just do bar roll outs if you're at the gym. If not, yes they are great.

    or you could spend the 10 bucks and do them where ever when ever
  • cad39too
    cad39too Posts: 874 Member
    Mine arrived yesterday...I only did 20 and I felt it this morning.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?

    hook your feet into lat pull up- or the hyper back X thing- and use holding onto the bar- you walk your hands down to the bottom then back up to the top- great hammy/ab/shoulder work.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I have a roller with foot straps. Pretty fun array of grueling exercises.
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
    Just be careful if you're listening to headphones at the same time. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I've almost strangled myself.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    I practise Ashtanga yoga and one of the things we do loads of times is to crunch right in and scoop or float our legs through our arms in plank. Look up Ashtanga Vinyasa if my explanation of the movement doesn't make sense!

    One of the exercises we do to build the core strength to do this is to stand on a towel or a pair of wooley socks on a polished floor and from a plank position, draw the feet up to the hands using core strength and then slide back out but with the core muscles still drawing back in as to resist the slide on the way out.

    Same as an ab wheel but we usually carry a towel to class anyway so it limits the kit we have to carry.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    Hey everyone.

    I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy an ab wheel. Like with a lot of exercise merchandise, I've heard both good and bad (ineffectiveness, mostly) things about it, and I wanted to get your opinions on it.

    It is actually quite hard, especially when you graduate to doing it in pike position. I know I worked the muscle the day after I've used it.
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
    I love em!! If my gym didn't just recently get one, I would have purchased one as well. They can be a very difficult exercise if done to full extension, even on your knees. Then you can start thinking about standing rollouts and 1 arm rollouts.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?

    hook your feet into lat pull up- or the hyper back X thing- and use holding onto the bar- you walk your hands down to the bottom then back up to the top- great hammy/ab/shoulder work.

    I can't picture this?
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?

    hook your feet into lat pull up- or the hyper back X thing- and use holding onto the bar- you walk your hands down to the bottom then back up to the top- great hammy/ab/shoulder work.

    I can't picture this?

    Sounds like a walk-out... by this explanation I have no idea how the bar would come into the exercise!?

    As for a barbell rollout, you can just to use a barbell with some plates on it in lieu of the ab roller if you want.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?

    hook your feet into lat pull up- or the hyper back X thing- and use holding onto the bar- you walk your hands down to the bottom then back up to the top- great hammy/ab/shoulder work.

    I can't picture this?

    Sounds like a walk-out... by this explanation I have no idea how the bar would come into the exercise!?

    As for a barbell rollout, you can just to use a barbell with some plates on it in lieu of the ab roller if you want.

    agreed about the hand walkout or inchworm but i can't figure out the bar part either. i can't picture if i'm suspending and walking down or if i'm grounding and working up.
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    A thousand years ago (when I was a competitive swimmer and in amazing shape) we used these during our weight training sessions. They absolutely work (for strength, not stomach reduction), have to admit, I haven't seen one since the 90s...

    ab-wheel-rollout_zpsaa074130.jpg
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    I guess the effects would be slightly different, rolling he straight arms out and back compared to sliding the straight legs out and crunching them back, to and from a pike position. You can use a towel on a polished floor for either arms or legs.
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
    I guess the effects would be slightly different, rolling he straight arms out and back compared to sliding the straight legs out and crunching them back, to and from a pike position. You can use a towel on a polished floor for either arms or legs.


    Furniture sliders work great for this as well. Here is a vid from Ross Enamait, who's awesome by the way.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykf6aQGtrQg
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    yeah - I want me a pair of those sliders and a bottle of "Rainex".

    Our yoga teacher jokes about putting floor polish down and getting us to polish the studio for free. Hang on - is it a joke?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I guess the effects would be slightly different, rolling he straight arms out and back compared to sliding the straight legs out and crunching them back, to and from a pike position. You can use a towel on a polished floor for either arms or legs.

    It's pretty much the same effect. Or at least, I feel it in the same places in my midsection, but don't feel it in my lats and arms as much.

    Even cheaper solution: use paper plates on a carpet and you've got sliders.
  • SaltNBurnBoys
    SaltNBurnBoys Posts: 170 Member
    You guys have all been really helpful. Thank you!

    I'm definitely going to pick one up, and even if it sucks at first, I'm sure my core muscles will thank me for it later.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    I'm thinking the leg slide would engage the lower abdominal muscles of the two, compared to arm slides but maybe only slightly different. The reason we do leg slides out and in in Ashtanga yoga is it mirrors the jump-through movement where you pick your legs up from the pike and jump them through the arms to an L-seated position.

    Paper plates on carpet - I like this idea; thanks. Now I can do this one between patients at work!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    anyone else do bar walk outs?

    What are they?

    hook your feet into lat pull up- or the hyper back X thing- and use holding onto the bar- you walk your hands down to the bottom then back up to the top- great hammy/ab/shoulder work.

    I can't picture this?

    Sounds like a walk-out... by this explanation I have no idea how the bar would come into the exercise!?

    As for a barbell rollout, you can just to use a barbell with some plates on it in lieu of the ab roller if you want.

    agreed about the hand walkout or inchworm but i can't figure out the bar part either. i can't picture if i'm suspending and walking down or if i'm grounding and working up.

    for those- the bar is vertical... I'll try to find a video.

    My friend's client was the first place I saw them
    She does them at 2:55
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member

    agreed about the hand walkout or inchworm but i can't figure out the bar part either. i can't picture if i'm suspending and walking down or if i'm grounding and working up.

    for those- the bar is vertical... I'll try to find a video.

    My friend's client was the first place I saw them
    She does them at 2:55

    "Find" a video? Okay. But if you can't find one you have to make one yourself.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    http://youtu.be/sN0e2x5hlwA

    damnit.

    busy day at work- I'm getting side tracked- not sure if I linked this or not- but I'll do it again. I fail at boards today.

    (saying 'find' only because I knew this one had it in it)

    LOL yes- can always make- but then you would have had to wait for it till like- saturday LMAO
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    http://youtu.be/sN0e2x5hlwA

    damnit.

    busy day at work- I'm getting side tracked- not sure if I linked this or not- but I'll do it again. I fail at boards today.

    (saying 'find' only because I knew this one had it in it)

    LOL yes- can always make- but then you would have had to wait for it till like- saturday LMAO

    Ahhh!!! okay, now I get it. Although I think i'd be tempted to turn it mostly into a hamstring curl up



    and not that i mind watching hardcore chicks work out (not at all, really, but the music was terrible), but can a brother get a time stamp next time? now i'm late for work and it's YOUR fault. the exercise in question happens at the 2:40 mark

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