18 Best Ab Rollout Alternative and Everything You Need to Know

Using an ab wheel is a great way to build core strength while minimizing stress on the lower back. However, to find a substitute, you’re likely already aware of how beneficial it is. Suppose you don’t already own an ab wheel (which I highly recommend). In that case, you’ll need to get creative to find an exercise that mimics the movement pattern and targets the same muscles as an ab wheel rollout. Fortunately, ab wheels are inexpensive and easy to store in a gym bag. The best ab wheel alternatives I’ll cover in this article include exercises that don’t require any additional equipment and more advanced moves that you should practice in the gym.

Why do you need a Ab Roller at home?

Ab rollouts can be done without a wheel, but they work best when you have the equipment. It’s not too expensive, and the results are great. It works your whole core, including your hamstrings, obliques, transverse abdominus, and back. Of course, a six-pack isn’t the only thing you can do with an ab wheel workout. It also works out your whole upper body. If you’re interested, you can read about the ab wheel’s benefits here. I recommend the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro because it has a kinetic engine and an ergonomic design that allows you to complete the rollout correctly and may help if you have lower back problems while training.

Ab Roller Effectiveness

Small, sturdy wheels with rods running through the center serve as handles on exercise wheels. Due to its primary function as a support for core-strengthening exercises, it’s also known as an ab wheel. An inexpensive fitness tool, the exercise wheel, must be used correctly to avoid muscle strain or injury.

1. The theoretical underpinnings of the Ab Roller

In addition to improving your overall fitness, a well-developed core reduces your likelihood of suffering a muscular injury. The exercise wheel strengthens your lower back muscles as well as your core muscles while working your abs. You will need strong back muscles to counter the natural arching of your back as you roll forward on the wheel.

2. The Health Benefits of Ab Roller Exercise

An accurate spinal alignment depends on a well-balanced core muscle group. In addition, good posture and a stable foundation for your limbs are both made possible by a properly aligned spine.

All of your core muscles must work together as one cohesive unit for an ab wheel exercise to be effective. Exercises that only target your abs or back, on the other hand, may lead to a muscle imbalance in your core. Using an exercise wheel can provide a welcome change of pace to your current core-strengthening routine.

According to ACE Fitness, crunches are just as effective as the ab roller and don’t cost a penny.

3. The Downsides of Using an Ab Roller

Using an ab wheel can put a lot of strain on your lower back and hips, which is its main disadvantage. In addition, if your back muscles or hip flexors cannot reverse the gravitational effects on your abdomen during exercise, an overarching of the back may result.

Lever and row exercises can help you regain strength before attempting the ab wheel. If you have lower back pain, avoid ab wheel workouts until you see a doctor.

4. Preventing Injuries by Following the Correct Procedures

Ab wheel workouts can cause muscle strain if they aren’t done correctly. For example, kneeling on the floor, one can grasp the exercise wheels’ handles. Then, slowly move the wheel on the floor while keeping your arms and back straight.

ExRx.net recommends keeping your elbows straight during the exercise. Constrain your abs to keep your spine straight. While rolling forward, keep your torso straight. Engage your abs rather than your hips to return to the starting position. Several times a day.

An incline or a cable attached to an ab wheel can be used in place of the full rollout of the ab wheel exercise if you find it too challenging.

 

Ab Rollout Alternative

1. Leg raises while lying down

Leg raises, like many other exercises on this list, are performed on the floor. Yoga mats are an excellent investment if you don’t have a soft surface to work on. To perform a leg raise, perform the following:

1. Lie on your back, legs stretched out in front of you on the ground, and close together. Your arms begin to tremble. Stretch your legs out in front of you while lying on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Rest your arms at your sides on the ground to maintain your equilibrium.
2. Slowly bring your hips in toward your chest by turning them slowly. You should theoretically be able to keep your legs in the same position as your hips. You can even raise your lower back off the ground if you want to. Make sure your mid-back is flat on the floor.
3. Put your legs back on the ground slowly.

You can also perform the leg raise on a gym ab machine known as the captain’s chair. However, this increases the difficulty of the leg raise, which can lead to greater muscle growth in the abs.

2. Crunches

For a good reason, crunches are one of the most popular abdominal exercises. It’s a great way to get stronger abs without any special equipment. To perform a crunch, follow these instructions.

1. You begin by laying on the ground with your legs extended in front of you, knees bent, and feet planted firmly on the floor.
2. Put your hands behind your head, chest, or anywhere else. During the exercise, do not move or use your arms at all.
3. Keep your lower back flat on the floor while lifting your head and shoulders as high as possible. Don’t rely on your arms for this movement; instead, use your abs.
4. Return to the starting position by lowering your head and shoulders.

You can compare the crunch to a half-sit-up. You should be doing at least four sets of 10-40 crunches, depending on how much progress you’ve made.

3. V-ups

Like all other exercises, V-ups should be performed correctly to avoid injury. However, it is possible to start with smaller angles and build up from there if you don’t yet have enough strength. Follow these steps to perform a v-up:

1. Lie on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Inexperienced ab-trainers can hold their arms close to their chest, while more seasoned athletes can extend their arms above their heads.
2. Slowly raise your legs, keeping them slightly less than stretched. Curl up your upper body in a V shape with your legs, starting with your shoulders and working down your back. Make sure the movement is powered by your abs, not your arms’ momentum.
3. Lower your legs and upper body once more in a controlled manner. Your lower back will be pressed against the ground with the help of your abs if you do more repetitions of this exercise. When you’re finished, you’re free to lower your legs to the floor.

You can make V-ups harder by putting weights on your ankles, wrists, a weight plate, dumbbells, etc.

4. Russian twists

Following are the steps involved in performing two repetitions of the Russian twist:

1. Your feet should be hovering just a few inches above the ground as you begin to sit in a comfortable position. Maintain a 45-degree angle with the ground with your back straight. At the base of your spine, your hands form a fist. The exercise can be difficult by holding any weight between your hands.
2. Gently twist your upper body to the left and then to the right.
3. Then go back to where you started.

To avoid injuries, ensure you don’t twist too much and keep your back straight. Not everyone is a fan of the Russian twist, even with the correct technique. It’s best to avoid this exercise if you have any back, neck, or shoulder problems.

5. Sit-ups

Another popular ab exercise is the sit-up. Despite the fact that they aren’t quite as effective as some of the ab wheel exercises, they can still help you achieve your six-pack goals. Follow these steps to perform one sit-up:

1. Place your feet on the ground and fold your legs over, so you are lying on your back. Inexperienced ab-trainers can hold their arms close to their chest, while more seasoned athletes can extend their arms above their heads.
2. Curl your body so that your chest is near your knees. It’s a gradual progression, starting with the shoulders and working down to the knees. Make sure the movement is powered by your abs, not your arms’ momentum.
3. Slowly curl your body down again. First, your lower back touches the ground, followed by your upper body.

Sit-ups, like crunches, should be performed in 10-40 reps, with the number of sets varying according to your experience level.

6. Flutter kicks

The following are the steps involved in flutter kicks:

1. Lay on your back with your legs and stretch out in front of you on the ground. To stay steady, you start to put your arms on the ground by your sides.
2. Use your core muscles to press your lower back against the ground. Maintaining a flat lower back is essential for strengthening core muscles during this exercise.
3. Maintain a 90-degree angle between your legs as you raise your feet, keeping your legs elongated and together as you do so.
4. Lower your legs until you can no longer keep your lower back on the ground or until they are just above the ground, and then slowly raise them back up. The closer you get to the ground with core training, the more experienced you will be.
5. Lift one leg slightly while keeping the other stretched.
6. When returning to the starting position, lift the other leg while lowering this one.
7. Alternate back and forth between the two sides as often as you like.

Flutter kicks are a type of leg movement similar to the crawling motion in the water. Ankle weights are an excellent addition to this workout if you’re looking for a more difficult version.

7. Knee-to-elbows

When you get the hang of knee-to-elbows, they’re a good alternative to ab wheels, but they require some coordination. For example, knee-to-elbows require the following steps to be completed twice:

1. Begin by laying down on your back, hands behind your head.
2. Make a 90-degree bend in both your hip and knee joints.
3. Turn your upper body slightly to one side and reach your elbow to the knee on the opposite side (for example, your left elbow to your right knee). Stretch the leg of the elbow you use while keeping it off the ground (continuing the example of stretching your left leg).
4. Bring the leg stretched back to where it started, and then do the same thing on the other side.

Knee-to-elbow exercises work your abs and obliques at the same time.

8. Rollout of the Barbell

The barbell is used as a substitute for the ab roller in this case. However, due to the weight of the weight plates, it will be more difficult to perform the move. As a result, this ab exercise is only suitable for athletes at the most advanced levels.

1. Grab the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart as you kneel.
2. Keeping your back straight, lower the bar until your torso is nearly perpendicular to the ground.
3. Take a moment to stop and hold this position for a moment.
4. Then, to return to the starting position, pull the bar backwards.

9. Your office chair can stand in for the Ab wheel

Let’s use an office chair instead of the wheel. So what? It lets us move in the same way. Brendan Meyers shows us how to train our abs at the office in just 5 minutes. What a great thought!

10. Roll out the TRX

The best way to strengthen your core muscles is with a suspension trainer. No matter which TRX workout you do, it will work your abs. But with the rollout, we work on the abs as much as possible, and it also works well on the back.

1. Set the length of the TRX so that the handles are at the hip level when you kneel.
2. Grab the handle and move them forward with your arms straight. Try to pull off a move like Superman’s, if you can.
3. Stop for a moment when you’re fully stretched.
4. Pull the grips back to return to the beginning position using aligned arms.

11. TRX Spike

Another alternative to the ab roller works great to strengthen the abs, but it’s hard. In addition, it strengthens the shoulders, chest, and arms.

1. Step onto the plank by putting your feet on the handles.
2. Lift your hips toward the ceiling while keeping your legs straight. Make sure your thighs are perpendicular to the ground by lifting as high as possible.
3. Get back into the plank position slowly.

12. Walkouts on Planks

Plank walkouts may be a better abs exercise than the ab wheel since you cannot cheat the activity by using any arm/shoulder drive to complete a rep. This often happens when people do ab wheel rollouts because they let their arms finish the move if their core isn’t strong enough.

It takes a lot of core work to keep the hips stable and from dropping, maintaining a neutral spine while you walk out one hand at a time with the plank walkout.

Smaller muscles in the core and hips are targeted. While it’s a difficult workout, it’s an excellent introduction because it gives you more control over the movement than you would have on an ab wheel.

13. Rollout the towel

Instead of using an ab wheel, use a towel walkout or rollout, which you probably already have in your home. You’ll need a very smooth surface with little friction for this exercise. Your best choices are tile, laminate, hardwood, or vinyl flooring.

This is because the towel just stands in for the ab wheel. So the motion is the same, and you slide out with the towel, which has friction and won’t move as smoothly as the wheel or barbell.

This is a harder option, but it’s great for people who want to work on their abs at home or don’t have access to many tools. Since this is a hard exercise for beginners to learn, I suggest starting with the next one on this list and moving up to a towel rollout as your core strength improves.

14. Ab Rollout with a Stability Ball

Stability balls are a wonderful alternative to ab wheels, but in my opinion, barbells and towels are superior options. The main reason is that a stability ball puts your body at an angle so that your core doesn’t have to work as hard during the movement.

This exercise does not consider the weight from your hips down, so it is usually used by beginners who want to work up to an ab wheel rollout.

Still, the wide support area takes a lot of pressure off the shoulders. It lets you stay in a much more favorable position during contractions.

Because of this, many professional athletes use this variation. The only reason I prefer the other options is to build muscle and load the exercise, but this is in no way a worse choice.

15. Plank

The plank is the simplest alternative on this list, but it is also one of the best ways to work your abs and core.

Compared to the ab wheel and other rollout alternatives, the plank is more restricted because of its isometric nature and inability to move during the set. In contrast, all other varieties involve static contractions of the abs and core muscles.

You’ll also find it harder to get better at this exercise because the only ways to do so are to get faster and do more sets. Of course, you could try to add more weight as a way to progress, but it’s hard to do that with this exercise, so you should use it to build strength instead of your abs.

16. Crush the cables

Now we’re going to talk about other ways to work your abs that don’t involve a steady contraction like the ab wheel. This is important because you need to completely tire out the muscle fibers to make them grow.

The cable crunch is a great way to strengthen your abs because, unlike the lying crunch, it doesn’t stress your lower back or spine. Bad form is the main thing to worry about when doing sit-ups or crunches and is often the cause of a bad back.

By changing the weights, you can train your abs with more weight on the cable stack without putting too much pressure on your spine or making it curve more than it needs to. Cable crunches are great for working the core, but only if you exhale fully during each repetition.

17. Hanging Leg Raises

I’ve included hanging leg lifts as an alternative to the cable crunch to address the abdominal’s lower half. The abs have two jobs. One is to pull the torso closer to the middle, like during a sit-up or crunch. The other job is to pull the hips closer to the middle.

This is done with the lower abs, and if you don’t make a move where you crunch your lower half, you’re hurting your ab and core development in a big way.

Hanging leg raises are one of my favourite ab-building exercises, although they’re rarely performed in most gyms. Unlike a leg raise while lying down, a leg raise done while hanging forces you to use your core, and it’s hard to cheat at this exercise.

Depending on how strong and fit you are, you can start with knee raises and work up to fully extended legs over time. The important thing with this exercise is to start the movement with your lower abs.

This is partly because the quadriceps rectus femoris muscle crosses the knee and hip joints. So, bringing your upper thigh up with your hips engages the rectus femoris and makes it easy for this muscle to get more work than the lower abs.

18. Dragon Flag Sit-Ups

The last choice on this list is dragon flags, an advanced exercise. This is an advanced move that the great Bruce Lee made popular.

This can be thought of as the opposite of the ab wheel rollout. With a dragon flag, your upper body will be locked in place while your legs undergo a longer static contraction. However, instead of your feet being locked, your upper body will be.

They aren’t the same, and each exercise works for different muscle groups. Still, dragon flag sit-ups can be a great alternative to the ab wheel if you want a more advanced way to work your abs.

Ab Rollout Substitute

The ab wheel is a contentious piece of fitness equipment. Although ab wheel exercises are inexpensive and effective, they may do more harm than good. To avoid injuring your lower back by overstretching it, you’ll need more abdominal strength than you might think. There’s a chance you’ll experience back pain. Fabio Comana of the American Council on Exercise points out that the wheel does not have a brake. It can hurt your back when you try to bring the wheel back in after rolling it out too far. People who like how the wheel moves but don’t have access to one or want a safer workout can use a stability ball instead.

How Many Ab Rollouts Should You Do

You can get a chiseled stomach for a reasonable price using an ab roller. To tone your abs, you can use it, but you can also use it to build strength elsewhere in your body. As tempting as it may be to use the ab roller daily, this is counterproductive and should not be done. Instead, train your abs two to four times weekly to increase your overall strength.

The Effects of Training Frequency

The more effort you put in, the better the results you’ll get, is a well-known fact. You’ll get better at the piano if you practice. The more you speak Spanish, the better you get. Weightlifting, on the other hand, is not affected by this rule. You need time to rest and recover in between workouts to build muscle.

An important rule of thumb when lifting weights is to do as little as possible. For example, a study published in 2015 in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that bodybuilders who worked out four or six days a week had the same response to resistance training regarding muscle growth. In the same way, a study from 2015 that was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Fitness found that after six weeks of abdominal strength training, people who had never done it before and trained three times a week almost got the same results as people who trained once a week.

As another adage goes, quality is better than quantity. So to get the best results, you should only do ab roller workouts three or four times a week, focusing on proper form and contraction of the abdominal muscles.

Making the Abdomen Work Harder

Ab rolling too frequently is not only ineffective, but it can also have negative side effects. It is best to only use the ab roller once or twice weekly to get the most out of it. Muscle imbalances can result from the ab roller’s ability to target specific muscles. For example, working too hard on your abs to the point where they are stronger than your back and shoulders, according to the American Council on Exercise, can lead to postural problems.

The Ab Rollers’ Schedule

The frequency with which you roll your abs is up to you. There is a correlation between intensity and one’s fitness level. Additionally, the workouts you’re doing affect your health. Five to six days a week is the maximum amount of time you should spend on the ab roller.

It’s also important to consider the variety of options available. To get the most out of your workouts, switching things up from time to time is important. The American Council on Exercise claims that this “surprises” your muscles and prompts them to make further adaptations to their current state of function. For example, bicycle crunches and Russian twists are used as a supplement to the ab roller exercise routine.

What Muscles Are Targeted by the Ab Wheel?

The ab wheel is a great way to work out because it works for many different muscle groups. The main problem with ab training is that most people only train their abs directly, and even then, sit-ups and crunches tend to focus more on the upper abs.

To have a defined and, most importantly, strong core, you need to work all of the muscles around the core. You should target the rectus abdominis (abs), the transverse abdominis, the internal/external obliques, and the serratus anterior.

When used in different ways, the ab wheel can work for all these muscle groups, and the static hold puts a lot of isometric stress on the abs. In my opinion, the ab wheel rollout or the conventional plank should be your go-to exercise because they target a wide range of muscles in the stomach.

One Last Thing

The ab wheel is a great exercise that tests your core strength and stability while also being a good way to build your abs, but it’s not perfect. If you don’t have an ab wheel or want to try something different, you can use a barbell, a towel, a stability ball, or even your hands. All these can be used the same way as an ab wheel. However, suppose you want to try something different. In that case, the exercises in this article are some of the best for building your abs and core. Adding a few to your routine will be a good substitute for the ab wheel!