Ab roller exercises. Exercises with a gymnastic roller for the abs, back and other muscle groups
Get ripped abs with a roller machine and ab exercises without leaving your home. This may sound like an advertising offer motivating you to buy a sports gadget, but after 2 weeks of use you will see for yourself how effective it is. To keep your body in good shape, you don’t have to buy a gym membership or bulky exercise equipment. A compact ab roller and regular exercise are suitable for this purpose. 10 minute classes 5 days a week.
Despite its simple design, it is in no way inferior in efficiency to expensive analogues with numerous options. Models with 1 or 2 rubber wheels mounted on a rotating axle are designed to work the upper body.
What zones are pumped?
When performing exercises with a roller, the back muscles work - the latissimus, the lower spine. The peak load occurs when the wheel rolls back and forth. All grasping and holding movements are carried out with the help of deltas, triceps, etc.
Exercises with an abdominal roller load small skeletal muscles, which are often left unused when working with free weights.
In total, up to 20 muscles are involved. The hips and shins are deprived of dynamic load, but throughout the entire practice. When tilting and straightening the pelvis, the buttocks are included in the work.
Remember that the key to a quality workout with a gymnastic roller:
- sequencing;
- smoothness of movements;
- constant tension in the abdominal muscles;
- correct breathing.
As you tilt your body, you inhale, and when you return to IP, you exhale.
A set of techniques for the press with a lying roller
Before you move on to serious loads, learn how to roll it on my knees. This is one of the basic roller exercises for beginners to learn the basics. Practice consists of 3 stages:
- Take the IP position - get down on your knees, round your back and lean against the side handles of the machine.
- Move your body after the wheel without arching your lower back.
- After reaching the climax, when the chest lies completely on the floor, go back in reverse order.
Detailed technique of exercise with a roller in video format:
Extensions with an ab roller for beginners
- Lie on your stomach, hold the mini exercise machine in your straight arms.
- Without lifting your hips from the surface and arching your back upward, pull it towards you with effort.
- After exhaling, roll forward in a smooth motion.
Exercise with a gymnastic roller for men and women for the lateral abdominal muscles
- Kneel in a basic position in front of the machine.
- Grab the handles with your palms and push the wheel forward, maneuvering your body left and right until it is straight as a string.
The oscillating movements engage the obliques and strengthen them.
Another version for pumping oblique muscles.
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward.
- Place the abdominal roller on the left side.
- Grab it with your hands and roll the wheel to the side until it touches the floor of your lower chest area.
Repeat 10 times in 3 sets for each side.
However more than once per week lateral exercise with abdominal roller girls don't need to do it. Increased muscle volume gives the waist visual volume.
How to do exercises with a roller for the middle and lower abs
- Sit on the floor with your legs bent.
- Place the wheel under your feet and lean on the side handles, like on a pedal, and roll it forward.
- The further it moves, the closer you move your chest to your knees. Touching your tibia with your chin, return to IP.
Standing extensions with a roller for the back
- Take a vertical position with your feet at shoulder level.
- Place the projectile in front of you.
- Bend over, rest your hands on it and follow it along one trajectory until your body is horizontal with the floor, without touching the surface.
- Then return to IP and duplicate all movements the required number of times.
To do exercises with a gymnastic roller correctly, avoid common mistakes:
- For beginners, it is preferable to work with a large wheel.
- At first, 5 repetitions are enough.
- Do not overstrain your back, trying to keep your body straight. If you feel any discomfort, stop training.
The number of repetitions determines the level of training. At the entry level limit yourself 10 repetitions in 2 sets. After 2 months increase the number of takes of training 15 x 3.
(5
ratings, average: 5,00
out of 5)
A gymnastic roller is a very effective exercise machine, despite its simplicity. It helps strengthen the abdominal muscles, and also works on other equally important parts of the muscular corset. The roller also has other names, which include a sports wheel. The simulator is very comfortable to use for both women and men.
Also, exercises with a roller are recommended for beginners who have just started playing sports. But you should know that there are some contraindications for using a sports wheel, such as pain in the spine and injuries.
Technique for women
- Exercise No. 1
- Place your knees on the floor and pick up a gymnastic roller. The arms are straight, and the roller is on the floor, this will be the starting position.
- They grab the handles of the machine and very slowly roll it forward. In this case, the body should be directed down towards the hips and touch them with the chest area.
- After this, you need to return to the starting position, they do it just as slowly and smoothly. Repeat about fifteen times.
- Exercise No. 2
- Get on your knees and stretch your arms forward, while holding the sports wheel in your hands. This will be the starting position.
- Move the roller forward, while transferring your entire body weight to it and keeping your legs straight.
- During training, make sure that your arms do not bend at the elbow joint and that your knees are motionless.
- Exercise No. 3
- Take a position lying on your stomach. At the same time, straighten your arms directly above your body and hold the roller in them. This will be the starting position.
- When pressing on the gymnastic roller, make a movement in your direction. In this case, you need to make sure that your back bends.
- Your hips should be pressed firmly to the floor. After a short pause, take the starting position.
- Exercise #4
- If you want to shift the main load to the oblique muscles, then it is best to use the following training.
- Take a sitting position on the floor, with your legs extended and pressed tightly against each other. The gymnastic roller is located on the right side. Try to push it forward as much as possible in the same direction; do the same in the opposite direction.
- The exercise on each side is repeated ten times.
Technique for men
- Take a kneeling position with your arms extended forward, holding the roller in them. Make sure that the sports wheel is at the same level with your shoulders. Move the roller forward. The man's body and hips should lower towards the floor, but there should be no contact with it. Return to the starting position. Repeat the training about fifteen times.
- Do the exercise similar to the previous one, only in this case you need to take the starting position, standing leaning on your feet. The simulator can also be moved along an inclined surface.
- The roller is taken by the handles, just like a simple stick that is vertical. Bend over and place the roller on the floor, with your legs very wide apart, and start rolling the wheel in different directions. During this training, not only the abs are worked out, but also the shoulders and arms.
What muscles work when performing the exercise?
- Hands;
- Shoulders;
- Breast;
- Back.
- Lower press;
- Abdominal muscle;
- Small of the back;
- Buttocks.
Also included in the training are:
- Biceps;
Advantages
By incorporating roller exercises into your workout, you can benefit from the following bench press benefits:
- will become much stronger;
- Thanks to this training, you can create a durable muscle corset;
- Up to twenty muscles are involved in the work;
- The rectus and oblique abdominal muscles are very actively worked;
- Endurance becomes higher;
- Posture gets better;
- A very good way to reduce back pain, and is used as injury prevention;
- With these exercises you can increase the weights in regular squats;
- Improves muscle coordination;
- Helps restore metabolism, which promotes rapid weight loss, and also helps gain muscle mass.
Nuances
In order for the training to bring maximum benefit, you need to pay attention to some nuances:
- The sports wheel must be driven very slowly and smoothly;
- The abdominal muscles should be constantly tense throughout the entire movement;
- In a stretched position, you need to take a short pause;
- If you kneel, you need to lay down a mat;
- You should not use such exercises if you have back pain;
- Approaches are done three times twelve repetitions.
- If female representatives do the exercise, then they need to remember that excessive stress can harm women’s health. That is, working on the abs can cause many female diseases.
- Don't do more than you can, as this can lead to back injury.
- It is worth not forgetting about
Sporting goods stores, fitness rooms and “rocking chairs” today are ready to offer their visitors exercise equipment that amazes with its versatility and dimensions. Against their background, a simple and compact gymnastic wheel, “inherited” from parents, looks very unprepossessing. However, the mother’s figure, despite her age, is attractive and slender, and the father can still boast of sculpted muscles. So does the effectiveness of training devices depend on their complexity?
The design of a classic gymnastics roller for the press is simple: a small-sized wheel equipped with an axle and handles.
But not every beginner is able to immediately perform the entire set of exercises. Therefore, depending on the fitness and endurance of the athlete’s muscles, the appropriate model of the simulator is selected from a wide range of sports equipment.
Features of exercises with a fitness wheel for beginners
the first classes are difficult for beginners, so it is recommended to do 3-4 approachesWhich ab roller to choose and how to prepare the musculoskeletal system, heart and lungs to perform a full set of exercises? A correctly selected exercise machine model will help avoid injuries:
- Roller with two wheels. A stable design will help you quickly master the principles of training without distractions on maintaining balance and coordinating movement.
- Roller with return mechanism. It will also help to avoid overload. The mechanical forced return of the wheel to its original position greatly facilitates the athlete’s task and reduces the load on the lumbar spine.
An important element is proper breathing. But The main attention should be paid to training with an incomplete range of motion: This is how muscle strength and endurance develops without overstraining and pain.
The catch lies in the constant monitoring of holding the projectile along the entire trajectory of movement.
Exercises for Beginners
your back should be straight, do not arch in your lower back
Kneel with your feet against a wall or other stationary support. Place the wheel in front of you and, leaning on the handles with straight arms, slowly move it forward. Bend your torso, trying to touch your chest to the floor. If possible, stay at the end point for a couple of seconds. Smoothly return to the starting position. Perform 3-4 sets of 8 to 10 each. The number of repetitions can be increased to 15 as training progresses.
How to learn to work with an ab wheel (video lesson):
Advanced ab roller workout
exercises with double wheels and tension bands significantly increase the load on all muscle groups
Alas, our body is created in such a way that it most steadfastly resists our desire to be slim and fit. That is why every effective exercise aimed at correcting problem areas is so valued.
For men
Of course, by combining this simulator with an ever-increasing weight, you can increase muscle volume. Slow execution of the program will allow you to achieve steel with beautiful “cubes” on the appropriate simulator:
- With 1 wheel and shifted center of gravity.
- Trimmer with tensioners.
- With the Assist System mechanism. The internal system increases the load due to additional resistance.
Scrolling the wheel of this apparatus requires considerable effort, which is only suitable for experienced athletes.
Moving the double wheel of this projectile is complicated by the tension of the cords attached to the legs. It is possible that the tensioner is equipped with a roller for each arm separately.
For women
the unusual arrangement of the handles increases the load on the abs
Fast and dynamic movements with a suitable model will help you get a flat stomach and lose extra pounds:
- With 1 wheel and classic handle arrangement.
- With side handles arranged like bicycle pedals.
This design requires average physical fitness and certain skills.
Diversifies the program, increasing the load on the shoulder girdle and abs.
Exercises
When performing, it is extremely important to tense your abs and buttocks, keeping your arms straight and your back without bending.
Take a position lying on your stomach with the roller in outstretched arms. Slowly arching your back so that your hips do not leave the floor, roll it towards you with straight arms. After pausing for 2-3 seconds, slowly return to the starting position. Do 3-4 approaches. The number of repetitions increases from 8 to 15 as training progresses.
Sit on the floor, keeping your back and legs straight. Lower your straight arms onto the roller located at your right hip. Roll it to the right until your chest touches the floor. Come back and repeat the bend 10 times. Move the roller to your left thigh and repeat 10 times, moving the roller to the left.
The transition to the most difficult exercise is possible after a long study of the previous ones. Stand in front of the wheel with your feet shoulder-width apart. Leaning on it with straight arms, roll forward without bending your legs. Touching your chest to the floor, fix the position for 2-3 seconds. After doing the exercise in reverse order, take the starting position.
Anatomy of exercises with a gymnastic wheel
during exercises, the load is distributed to the muscles of the abs, shoulder girdle, arms, back and hips
It is believed that this one is simple The sports equipment belongs to the category of exercise equipment for Pilates and cardio training. Indeed, its use helps to burn extra pounds and maintain muscle tone, develop their strength, endurance and give noticeable relief.
First of all, straight and oblique beams of the anterior abdominal wall are worked out. The payload also falls on other muscles:
- Major, minor and serrated pectorals.
- Respiratory muscles.
- Superficial and deep back muscles. Loaded depending on the range of motion.
- Gluteus maximus. Involved statically, i.e. does not increase in volume.
- The anterior surface of the thigh and lower leg.
Girls with broad shoulders and developed arm muscles should not focus on power models of the exercise machine: a large load falls on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and, including the muscle fibers of the forearms, and.
I am glad to welcome everyone who is now reading this article. From it you can glean information about what an ab roller is and what muscles are involved when working on it. And this is already the 100th article on the blog, for which I congratulate myself and you.
I'm sure you've seen a similar device on the Internet many times. Typically, an ab roller is a wheel with two handles on the sides, but there are other designs. This same roller in artistic gymnastics is called a gymnastic wheel, so if you come across a similar name, you should know that this is the same device.
By the way, you can buy it at verified store, and the cost is low.
What is a roller?
In modern society, it is now rare to find a person who has such equipment for training the whole body at home. Yes, you heard correctly - for a full body workout. Although in Soviet times these simulators were popular and widespread.
It would seem, well, what’s wrong with this gymnastic wheel? But in reality it turns out that all the main and many minor muscle groups are pumped.
To work out the whole body, it is enough to limit yourself to 6-8 exercises - this will be enough for muscle growth, stretching, increasing muscle strength and overall strength, endurance, if you can perform a large number of repetitions (more than 15).
In order to understand which muscles are involved, we will look at a standard exercise - rolling a roller back and forth from a standing position. That is, you stand on your feet, but rest your hands on the handles of the roller, the wheel of which is on the ground.
After this, you need to, so to speak, “move apart” and “come together” without touching the floor with your knees, stomach or chest. Support only the wheel itself through your arms and legs. At first, it is best to do this exercise from your knees. For men, I recommend doing abs at home.
What muscles work?
Well, to put it in a few words, all muscles. But still, let's take a closer look at the working corset.
Back. You won’t believe it, but the back muscles, and most of all those located along the spine (trapezius, latissimus, lumbar), receive a tremendous load when rolling back and forth. The peak of tension occurs at the lowest point, when it is necessary to keep the entire body straight.
Breast. Not as involved in the work, but still contributing.
Deltas (shoulders). Oddly enough, a huge load also falls on your shoulders - they are the ones who allow you to move the roller back and forth, and it depends on them whether you can do this or not.
Rectus and oblique abdominal muscles (abs and sides). Like the back, it receives quite a large load, because it is responsible for bending the body, and when lowered, it also stretches. The sides are not so tense during work - they play the role of stabilizer muscles, monitoring the balance of the body.
Muscles of the legs and buttocks. Even though the footwork seems obvious, it is not. here even more are involved in the work than all the underlying muscles.
The muscles of the thighs and legs are stretched and tensed only statically, if this is a non-specific leg exercise (but we are discussing a basic exercise now, I will write about all the exercises tomorrow). The buttocks tense during flexion and extension of the hip joints, which also pumps them up enough.
Hands. As in the case of the legs, the arms are loaded only statically (triceps, forearms), responsible for grip, holding the projectile and the position of the arms (bent or straight).
Small muscles of the neck. The neck is also involved in the work, but in general it does not contribute too much to the exercise, although if the neck muscles hurt, you will feel when lowering and rising exactly when they come into action.
Round, diamond-shaped and jagged. These small muscles obey the “older muscles” near which they are located. That is, if a nearby large group of muscles tenses strongly, then they will also be more involved in the work. And vice versa.
Skeletal. As you know, our body is not limited to the muscles that we can see. There are also skeletal muscles that also work quite well during this exercise. Typically, the roller allows you to train these muscles, although it is very difficult to achieve such an effect with conventional exercises with free weights or with your own weight.
Joints. Well, and of course, the joints to which the above-described muscles are attached receive enormous training and strengthening. You may not have outstanding muscles and large dimensions, but thanks to the strength of your joints, you can do what some “jocks” cannot. An example would be Bruce Lee.
A gymnastic roller is a mini-simulator that gives a good strength load and definition of the abdominal muscles, so exercises using it should be in the arsenal of a person exercising.
There are a huge variety of abdominal exercises. Conventionally, they are all divided into those that load the rectus abdominis muscle to a greater extent and those that are aimed at the lower or oblique abdominal muscles.
Surely every bodybuilder has heard of such a mini-trainer as a gymnastic roller, but not everyone has encountered it in practice. For some reason, abdominal roller exercises are considered second-rate, although in fact it is a highly effective workout of the abdominal muscles and a load of many other muscles of the human body (back, lumbar region, arms, shoulders, chest and legs).
If you know how to use a roller, you can give your abs enormous benefits. A nice feature of the video is that you can perform exercises with it anywhere: in the gym, at home, and even on a business trip, because the equipment is small and will not take up much space in your apartment or luggage in your travel bag. The price of the wheel is relatively low, so purchasing it won’t break your budget.
Rolling out from your knees is the simplest version of the exercise. This is where you should start getting acquainted with the simulator. If you immediately switch to heavier “tricks”, there is a high probability of injury. The roller puts a huge load on the lumbar muscles, which is dangerous for completely “green” beginners with weak muscles.
- Get on your knees and first place a mat under them for comfort. Place the wheel in front of you and rest your hands on it. Begin to slowly lower yourself forward until you are almost parallel to the floor. Then return to the starting position. Throughout the entire set, the abdominal muscles should be in a tense state.
If you perform this exercise inaccurately forward, and alternate lowering to the left and then to the right diagonally, the oblique abdominal muscles will be activated. Frequently performing this option will stimulate muscle growth in the area of the lower ribs, which will visually make the waist wider, so you should not abuse the pumping of the lateral muscles.
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight (not bent at the knees) pointing forward. Place a gymnastics wheel on one side of your body, for example, the right. Grasp the roller with your hands and roll it until your chest touches the floor. Then smoothly return to the starting position. Perform at least 2–3 sets of 10 repetitions. Do the same approaches for the left side of the body. This exercise maximally works the oblique abdominal muscles.
- Take an upright position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tilt your torso down, press the roller with your hands and slowly roll it forward, reaching the maximum possible obtuse angle between your torso and legs. For experienced athletes, the point of critical tension will be when the torso is almost parallel to the floor. Pause for a second in the peak position and return to the starting position.
- This exercise can be performed if the gymnastic roller has special clamps. Place your feet on the handles of the wheel, bend your torso and place your palms on the floor. Roll your legs as close to your palms as possible, while raising your pelvis - this will be the starting position. Now slowly begin to move the wheel with your legs back, tensing your abdominal muscles. The distance to which you can stretch depends on the flexibility and strength of the athlete’s muscles. It is recommended to perform about 10 approaches.
- The straight leg roller extension is performed in the same way as the first exercise for the knee roller extension. The only difference is that the support is not on the knees, but on the feet. This fact makes the exercise more effective, but also more difficult and traumatic, so you can’t start pumping your muscles without warming up.
Beautiful abs - it's possible with a roller
Ab roller exercises are not bodyweight exercises that require months and even years of practice; they are recommended for both experienced athletes and beginners who have just opened the door to sports life. It is ideal for young women on maternity leave who do not have the opportunity to go to the gym but want to stay in shape.
The only people who should not use the machine are people with spinal injuries or lumbar back pain.
When practicing with a gymnastic roller, as when performing any other exercise, it is very important to maintain the correct breathing technique. Uneven breathing significantly reduces the effectiveness of exercise. All sources write that exhalation must be done with effort, that is, at the moment when the maximum load is overcome. It turns out that the inhalation will be when the torso is tilted, and the exhalation will be when straightening. Holding your breath while stretching will increase the power of the effort and allow you to tighten your abs even more.
The abdominal muscles can be well pumped up, but if the percentage of subcutaneous fat is off the charts, you won’t see those amazing abs. A rule that everyone needs to know and always remember: it is impossible to achieve sculpted abs with exercises alone without cardio training and proper nutrition.
Video on how to correctly do an exercise with a gymnastic roller for the press: