Roll it out for total core activation

You can roll your way to a stronger core and more defined mid-section by adding an ab wheel to your usual routine.

You can also add this inexpensive exercise tool to your home workout routine for an effective way to target the numerous powerful, functional muscles that make up your core, which include more than just your abs.

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The core elements

Your core includes muscles in your hips, glutes and lower back that are involved in just about every aspect of daily life and are closely linked to exercise performance.

Your core consists of the following muscles:

• Abdominals (rectus abdominis, external obliques and transverse abdominis)
• Lower back muscles (spinal erectors, latissimus dorsi and multifidi)
• Lateral stabilisers (quadratus lumborum and internal and external obliques)
• Pelvic floor
• Diaphragm
• Glutes
• Illiopsoas

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Core roles

These muscles perform vital roles in stabilising your spine and pelvis, which is essential for good posture.

A strong and functional core also helps to generate and transfer power throughout the body during compound lifts and other exercises while support more efficient movement.

In fact, research shows that core activation before a compound lift can increase the force you subsequently produce, which delivers performance benefits. And a strong core protects your back under heavy loads when lifting weights.

Conversely, a weak core means that other muscles need to compensate by performing stabilising functions, even if they were not designed to do so. This creates weakness and inefficient movement patterns, which reduces strength and often results in injury.

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Total core solution

Incorporating an ab wheel into your regular ab routine delivers a total core workout that targets all the important core muscles.

Dynamic trunk extension movements like an ab rollout require you to actively stabilise your core to stop your back from arching.

Add these moves to your usual ab routine for total core development:

Kneeling ab wheel rollouts

1. Kneel on the floor and hold the ab wheel so that your arms form a 90-degree angle with your torso. Your hips should also be bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Engage your abdominals and keep them braced throughout the movement.
3. Roll the wheel forward by slowly extending your hips and arms, opening up the 90-degree angles with your arms.
4. Gradually stretch your arms out as far as you can while maintaining a neutral spine and pelvis.

Exercise tips:

• Keep your chest up throughout the entire movement.
• Extend your hips and arms to equal degrees.
• Do not arch your back.

Standing ab wheel rollout

1. Stand holding an ab wheel using with an overhand grip.
2. Flex your hips and lower the wheel to the floor in front of your feet to support your weight.
3. Roll out as far as you can in a controlled manner without your back arching. Keep your elbows slightly flexed during the extension.
4. Hold for a count, then slowly roll the ab wheel back to the starting position.

Form tip: If your lower back drops when you roll out, it means that you are rolling out too far.

Author: Pedro van Gaalen

When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.

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