Top 7 exercises with a roller for abs: for men, women, beginners, how to perform correctly

Are you building a home gym or just want to add some variety to your abs workout? Then the roller will be a great addition to your equipment. But before you start training, it’s worth understanding all the intricacies of using this equipment.

Table of Contents

Why should you buy a roller and how to choose it?

fitness trainer of DDX Fitness network

“Given the small size of the exercise equipment, the roller is great for independent exercise at home.”

By using the roller during your workout, you’ll be able to engage your deep abdominal muscles, thereby strengthening them. The right selection of exercises and their technique will help to create relief on the abdomen. You will also be able to develop overall body strength and work on improving your posture. The difficulty of maintaining a static position allows you to develop balance by including stabilizer muscles in the work. And do not forget that such equipment makes many familiar exercises not only more effective, but also more interesting.

On the shelves of stores there is a fairly wide range of this sports equipment: from inexpensive simple exercise equipment to more complex options. When buying a roller should take into account your general level of training, as simple equipment can be quite difficult to start.

It is recommended to look at more expensive models of rollers with a return mechanism and replaceable wheels. On the one hand, this will allow you to perform exercises safely for the musculoskeletal system, in particular for the shoulder joints and lumbar spine, on the other hand – to have variability in the load (the smaller the wheel – the more difficult the exercise).

Contraindications

Due to the peculiarities of the load and the complexity of performing exercises with a roller, there are a number of restrictions. Exercises are contraindicated in diseases of the joints (shoulder, spine or hip), diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diastasis, pregnancy, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal system in the acute period of flow (eg, ulcer or gastritis). When the acute period of diseases ceases, you can gradually start light training, preferably doing this after consulting with your doctor.

How to exercise?

First of all, before any training it is worthwhile to warm up – as a general (jumping or running in place, squats with your own weight), and special (rotation in the joints, simple twists and plank on the floor). This will protect the body from possible traumatic effects and activate the “brain-muscle” connection for intra- and intermuscular coordination, which will later be needed to perform a set of exercises for the press with a roller.

Note that each movement is performed under control, maintain concentration, deviation from the technique of execution can lead to injury.

Plank from the knees

The simplest exercise, which is suitable for the beginning of training at any level of fitness.

Execution technique

Stand on all fours, place your palms on the handles of the roller.
Smoothly pull your body slightly forward, flexing the hip joint.
Take an even body position, abs tense, no excessive bending in the lower back, arms straight and perpendicular to the body.
Try to stand for at least 30 seconds, gradually increase the time in the plank

Cape plank

This is a more complicated version of the kneeling plank. The only difference is the increase in the load due to the extension of the knee joint to assume the starting position.

Technique

Stand on all fours, place your palms in the handles of the roller.
Put your feet on the toes. The body – a straight line from head to heels, abs tense, no excessive bending in the lower back, arms straight and perpendicular to the body.
Smoothly pull the body slightly forward.
Try to stand for at least 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time in the bar.

Roll from the knees

This exercise adds dynamics. To make it more difficult, increase the amplitude of rolling the roller forward. But it is worth being extremely careful with the range of motion, so as not to get injured.

Technique

Starting position – a plank from the knees with a stop in the roller, additionally you can squeeze the abs, slightly bending the spine.
On an inhalation, roll the roller slightly forward, increasing the angle between the body and arms from 90 to 120-135 degrees. The spine will gradually straighten and the abs will stretch.
On exhalation, due to the contraction of the abs, try to bend the spine and return yourself to the starting position.
The exercise is performed not by moving the pelvis backwards or arms downwards, but by the abs. Try to perform 10-15 repetitions.

Rolling from the toes with a wide foot placement

Technique

Stand with your legs wide apart, lean forward and place your hands on the roller.
Smoothly pull the body forward, following the hands, at the bottom point the body is parallel to the floor.
Then exhale by contracting your abs and try to bend your spine and return yourself to the starting position.
The exercise is performed not by moving the pelvis backwards or arms downwards, but by the abs. Try to perform 10-15 repetitions.

Rolling from the toes with narrow leg positioning

This is a difficult variation of the exercise that requires good physical preparation. The feet are close to each other, increasing the distance between the support points and the working muscles, which forces the abs to show even more strength.

Technique

Stand with your feet close together, lean forward and place your hands on the roller.
Smoothly pull the body forward, following the hands, at the bottom point the body is parallel to the floor.
Then exhale by contracting your abs and try to bend your spine and return yourself to the starting position.
The exercise is performed only at the expense of the abs. Try to do 10-15 repetitions.

Fold

To perform it, you will need a roller with foot pedals. The movement itself is a reverse twist. For additional complexity, you can not bend your legs when performing it.

Technique

Stand on all fours, rest your feet on the handles of the roller.
Extend your legs backwards, assuming a plank position.
Body – a straight line from head to heels, abs tense, no excessive bending in the lower back, arms straightened and perpendicular to the body.
As you exhale, draw your knees closer to your chest.
The exercise is performed not by moving the pelvis backwards, but with the help of the abs. Try to do 10-15 repetitions.

Oblique fold

The exercise is performed in the same way as the classic “fold”, only the knees are not pulled to the chest, but are taken one by one behind the elbows. The emphasis is shifted to the oblique muscles of the abdomen.

Technique

Stand on all fours, place your feet on the handles of the roller.
Extend your legs back, taking the plank position.
The body – a straight line from head to heels, abs tense, no excessive bending in the lower back, arms straightened and perpendicular to the body.
As you exhale, draw your knees to your right elbow.
As you inhale, straighten your legs back, and as you exhale, draw your knees to your left elbow.
Try to perform 10-15 repetitions per side.

Choose the right abs roller for you and test out new exercises. We are sure that with the right approach, the result will not wait long.