How to Use an Abdominal Roller: Proper Form, Exercises & More

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Strengthen your core without hurting your back with these ab roller tips

Co-authored by Brendon Rearick and Cheyenne Main

Last Updated: August 1, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Using an Ab Roller
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• Improving Your Form
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• Ab Roller Exercises
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• Ab Roller Benefits
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• Do ab rollers reduce stomach fat?
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A
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• Tips

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Ab rollers are super easy to use and effective for working out your abs, lower back, and shoulders. While there are tons of rollers out there, they’re all built essentially the same way—with a large wheel and 2 handles to hold onto as you roll forward. We interviewed personal trainer and strength coach Brendon Rearick to find the safest ways to use an ab roller. We’ll also go over the benefits of using one and some other exercises you can do for even better results.

Using an Ab Roller: Quick Tips

Kneel on a cushion or exercise mat and grab the roller’s handles, making sure your wrists are under your shoulders. Using your core, roll forward until just before you feel like you can’t pull yourself up. Hold the position for a second, then slowly pull the wheel back toward your knees.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

How to Use an Ab Roller

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1. 1
   Start on your knees with your hands on the roller’s handles. Make sure there is a smooth, unobstructed floor space in front of you that’s as long as your height. Place a cushion or exercise mat under your knees for support and comfort.

   • Make sure your hands and arms are directly underneath your shoulders.
   • Start with the toes of your feet touching the floor.
   • If you don’t have an ab roller, try using a barbell with round plates or a towel on a smooth floor, instead. If you’re using a towel, simply place your hands on top of it and slide forward.
2. 2
   Contract your abs and roll forward, tucking your pelvis in. As you hold the bars on either side of the ab wheel, move forward using your core. Push your hands, arms, and torso forward until just before you feel like you can no longer pull yourself back up. Try to keep your abs tight, your hips stable, and your back flat.

   • Personal trainer and strength coach Brendon Rearick says to “make sure your rib cage and pelvis are on top of each other.”
   • If it’s too difficult to keep the proper form, roll the ab roller toward your knees until you’re in the right position. As you practice, it’ll get easier to roll further and further.
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3. 3
   Hold the position for a second or two before moving backward. The longer you hold the extended or "rolled out" pose, the more intensively you will target your abs. If you’re starting this workout as a beginner, pause for only a second. As your abs get stronger, you’ll be able to pause for a few seconds longer.

   • If holding this position is too difficult, instantly pull back as soon as you extend forward. You can also spread your knees apart slightly before pushing forward.
4. 4
   Engage your abs and lower back muscles to pull the wheel back. Use your core and latissimus dorsi (lats, or lower back) muscles to roll the ab wheel toward your knees slowly. As you "roll in," perform the mirror opposite of the "roll out" move you used to stretch yourself out. Once you're back, you have completed one "rep" of a standard ab roller workout.

   • Make sure you’re using your abs to pull yourself back. Try not to use your hips or arms.
   • This may damage your shoulder if done improperly, so proceed gradually and with caution. If you experience any shoulder pain, reduce how far you push forward and build up gradually.
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Section 2 of 5:

Improving Your Form & Technique

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1. 1
   Keep your arms straight and focus on your abs. Make sure your arms and back are completely straight before, during, and after you push forward. Try to keep your elbows straight—some lifters bend their elbows slightly, which can push the emphasis onto the triceps (the upper arm) instead of the abs.

   • Make sure your wrists are completely straight. Bending your wrists can put unnecessary strain on them.
   • Try not to let your knees or your bottom sag toward the ground at any point. Imagine that there is a long, flat plank of wood on your back from your head to your tailbone.
   • Instead of arching your back, Rearick says to round in the opposite direction, like a rainbow. This is because “when you go out and your hands go above your head, you actually end up going into neutral,” he says.
   • Try not to drive your hips down when you push the wheel or up when you pull back. This can cause your lower back to arch, taking tension out of your core.
2. 2
   Roll forward and backward slowly. Unfold and contract your body gradually and carefully as you move through the exercise. Keep your arms even and straight so that the wheel doesn't spin out of control or fall to the side. Try to maintain the same slow, measured speed throughout the entirety of each rep.

   • Inhale as you roll forward and exhale as you pull the ab wheel back towards your body. This allows you to use your exhale to contract your abs and bring your arms back in.
3. 3
   End your roll against a wall or kettlebell. Rearick recommends putting a kettlebell in front of you or positioning a certain distance away from a wall so that the object can catch the wheel and help prevent you from falling. This can also help you “gauge how far away you are” and “progress the exercise in a way that is going to build on each week.”

   • To start, position yourself 3 ft (0.91 m) away from a wall. Then, perform the ab roll as normal until your ab roller makes contact with the wall or kettlebell.
   • The wall or kettlebell is your "touch point," or signal that you have gone far enough on this rep. Roll back up to your hands and knees for the next rep.
   • You can also mark the furthest you can push forward without falling with a piece of tape. Move the piece of tape forward 2 in (5.1 cm) when the workout feels easier.
4. 4
   Do the exercise on your knees. Some amateur exercise enthusiasts suggest using ab rollers in a standing position, but most people, especially beginners, may not have the muscle control to do this. Always perform this exercise on your knees to make the most of the motion and to keep yourself safe.
5. 5
   Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Build the ab roller into your weekly routine. For a basic regimen, aim to do a set 2 to 3 days a week. Make sure to incorporate at least 1 rest day into your weekly routine to prevent injury.

   • To see continual progress and build even more strength, try to incorporate warm-ups and nutrition into your exercise program.
   • If you find it difficult to do this many reps, try doing 1 set of 3 to 8 reps until you have mastered your form and built up your ab, arm, and lower back strength.
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Section 3 of 5:

Ab Roller Exercises

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1. 1
   Ab roller planks This exercise is similar to a plank and can help strengthen your balance and your core. Try to hold the fully extended, "rolled-out" pose with your knees off the ground for a couple of seconds before rolling back to your starting position. Try to stay fully extended for 30 to 60 seconds, then lower your knees to the floor.

   • Repeat this exercise 2 to 3 times.
   • Try not to overextend yourself. Losing strength or reaching a failure point while extended could cause you to strain your lower back and other muscles or tendons.
2. 2
   Kneeling v-rollouts To exercise your obliques (the sides of your abs) a little bit more, angle your roller diagonally out from your knees. Begin in the starting position, then position the roller so you move forward and slightly out to the left. Pull back, then push straight forward. Pull back once more and move forward, positioning the roller slightly to the right.

   • Aim to do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each direction you go in.
   • You can also start to the left, return to the middle, then immediately move to the right.
3. 3
   Bird dog ab wheel rollout This workout is great for improving stability and building strength on both sides of your core. Kneel on a cushion and grab the ab wheel. Extend your left leg out behind you, then push the ab wheel forward. Hold the pose for 2 to 3 seconds, then roll back to the starting position. Extend your right leg out, then repeat.

   • Try to do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
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Section 4 of 5:

Benefits of Using an Ab Roller

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1. 1
   Ab rollers strengthen your glutes, abs, lower back, and obliques. As you push forward on the ab roller, your abdominis (ab) muscles and glutes contract and engage to keep your spine and back neutral. Your latissimus dorsi (lower back muscle) also lengthens and works to bring your hands back underneath your shoulders when you roll back.

   • Additionally, your triceps, biceps, and shoulders are trained to keep your elbows and arms straight during the exercise.
   • The control and stability necessary to complete this exercise along with the time you spend in the extended position can also increase your abdominal muscle mass.
2. 2
   Ab wheel exercises prevent you from arching your back. Using the ab roller can strengthen your core and the muscles surrounding your spine, improving your posture and helping to reduce general back pain. Exercising these muscles can also make you more aware of your posture throughout the day and can help prevent you from arching your back.

   • Regularly using the ab roller can also help build greater shoulder mobility.
3. 3
   Ab roller routines can improve your squats or deadlifts. Many lower body exercises, like squats or deadlifts, require you to keep your spine in a neutral position to reduce your risk of injury. Using an ab wheel regularly can help you develop the muscles necessary to protect your spine and lower back.

   • Similarly, doing squats regularly can help strengthen your glutes, stomach, and lower back, which are necessary to use an ab roller.
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Section 5 of 5:

Will using an ab roller reduce your stomach?

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1. Ab rollers can strengthen your core muscles, but won’t burn fat alone. “Spot reduction is a myth,” Rearick says. “You don't get to choose where the fat comes from, the body gets to decide and genetics gets to decide. You do not. So you have to lose overall weight everywhere and everyone's going to be different.”

   • Instead, working your core muscles with these abdominal exercises is a good way to improve your flexibility and build a stronger, more functional body.

Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can I properly use an ab roller without a spotter?

  

  Brendon Rearick
  Personal Trainer & Strength Coach

  Brendon Rearick is a Personal Trainer, Strength Coach, Fitness Program Director, and co-founder of Certified Functional Strength Coach (CSFC), a fitness education company in the San Francisco Bay Area. With 17 years of experience in the fitness industry, Brendon specializes in strength and conditioning, and his company CSFC has certified over 3,000 trainers in over 20 countries. Brendon has worked as a Program Director for Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC) and earned his massage therapy license from the Cortiva Institute-Boston. Brendon holds a BS in Kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

  

  Brendon Rearick

  Personal Trainer & Strength Coach

  Expert Answer

  I would recommend using a wall or something solid like a kettlebell to stop yourself. That way you'll have something to catch you if you lose control while rolling.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 3 Helpful 33
• Question

  What are rollouts?

  

  Michele Dolan
  Certified Fitness Trainer

  Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

  

  Michele Dolan

  Certified Fitness Trainer

  Expert Answer

  From kneeling, place your hands on the handles of the ab roller and push/roll it forward away from your body.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 7 Helpful 15
• Question

  What does the ab wheel work?

  

  Michele Dolan
  Certified Fitness Trainer

  Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

  

  Michele Dolan

  Certified Fitness Trainer

  Expert Answer

  The ab wheel works the chest, biceps and rectus abdominus muscle of the abdominal area.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 6 Helpful 40

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Tips

• Some people press their feet against a wall when rolling to help stabilize them, allowing them to move out further.
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• Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.
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• Use the ab roller on a flat, level surface. Make sure that the wheel will not have trouble rolling.
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