Alexandra Ramirez
1. Perfect Fitness
Best Overall Ab Roller
5/5 Product Rating
Included with the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro is a digital download featuring a 21-day work out for the fastest results possible. It will create six pack abs and sculpt your arms fast and effectively. Created by a Navy Seal it provides the perfect support for effective pushups. It will increase upper body strength while developing your core. Using the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro will give you a lean, flat stomach by providing the proper form and a quality workout. This gives you faster results with less work.
– Jonathan Maxwell
2. Iron Gym
Best Overall Ab Roller – Runner Up
4.7/5 Product Rating
The Complete Workout Iron Gym Abdominal Roller Wheel includes an interior steel coil for added resistance on the way out and a controlled return when pulling the roller back in. The wheel is large enough to be balanced giving you greater efficiency and working muscles with proper posture. The hand grips are a comfortable rubberized grips that are ergonomically designed to reduce hand fatigue during your workout. This also gives you better control and reduces the chance of injury. This roller will work effectively on any floor surface effectively due to the anti-slip wheel. The Complete Workout Iron Gym Abdominal Roller Wheel will provide a full upper body workout and build your balance as well as your muscles.
– Jonathan Maxwell
3. Valeo
Best Budget Ab Roller
4.5/5 Product Rating
The wheels are made from a strong plastic material with rubber nonslip grips. There are two wheels that are combined together for greater balance and control during the pushups. The wheels are locked into place securely not allowing any movement while you work out. The grips are also made from plastic with rubber grips for increased comfort. The bar that rolls the wheel is made from a metal material for additional durability. This is a great wheel for beginners who are just starting out. The two-wheel design offers better stability and the design is very simple to use. The wheel will stay balances and will give you an effective ab workout with only a few minutes a day.
– Jonathan Maxwell
Ab Roller Buying Guide
What is an Ab Roller?
When looking for an ab roller there are a number of decisions that will impact the quality of the workout you will receive.
An ab roller is a device that helps complete pushups more efficiently and works a larger range of muscles than pushups without an ab roller. You can isolate the right muscle groups and work muscles more efficiently that doing ordinary pushups. These are good for beginners who struggle with pushups and build upper body strength with the help of the wheel. More advanced users can use the wheel to work specific muscle groups and create six pack abs more efficiently. Even highly trained athletes like Navy seals use ab rollers to keep their bodies in top condition. While tight abs are nice for your appearance, having strong ab muscles improve posture and help with overall fitness and health.
The design of an ab roller is fairly basic. You have a wheel and handles. The wheel rolls in and out to assist with the pushup and isolate muscle groups. The handles are designed to hold the entire weight of your body and can offer a complete upper body workout.
Ab wheels or rollers are compact devices that can be stored at home without taking up space, brought to the gym, or carried during travel. They are lightweight and compact, yet provide a range of exercises that are specific for building abs and upper body strength. They are also known to build back strength and can alleviate a host of back pain issues due to muscle weakness.
Two Wheels or one?
Ab rollers either come with two thinner wheels or one wide wheel. The two thinner wheels can be used as one wheel or two. Two wheels offer the ability to change your balance requirements and sit up skill level. The two wheels are put tightly together for a smooth movement in and out. The wider single wheel units can be less stable and are often angled giving you the ability to work oblique’s as well as abs. Instead of going straight out and back you are able to go in and out at an angle to work different muscle groups.
Foot Pedals Or Handle?
Some ab rollers come with foot pedals as an option, in addition to the hand grips. The key with the handles are comfort. It needs to be able to hold your full body weight and have the wheel still roll easily forward and backward. You use your muscles in both directions creating an efficient exercise routine.
Getting The Most Out of Your Roller
Some ab rollers only include the rollers and others include exercise videos or downloads that can help you make the most of your workout. They are simple machines but they are a wide range of exercises that can be completed with a roller. You Tube videos are also available to help guide you through a workout routine that will work with your fitness level and lifestyle.
How Do You Work Out?
Will the ab roller add to your current exercise schedule or be used solely? A full upper body workout can be completed with ab rollers that have a wide wheel that can be used at different angles. This allows you to work more muscle groups that a two-wheel roller that only goes forward and backward. You may also benefit from ab rollers that look more like a set of weights and you use one roller in each hand. These are typically used by more advanced users as they are more difficult to control.
Diet and Exercise
Any diet routine will be more effective if you add cardio, lower body exercises and a proper diet. Adding the ab roller to a sensible diet and a complete workout routine will provide the best results.
Features to consider
The Wheel should help you stay balances through the whole push up and give you support on the way back. Pushups can be completed from the knees or in full push up position and will work the upper body. You want a wheel that is wide enough to keep you balanced as you exercise. Some wheels offer the ability to work at an angle while still giving you support. This feature will allow you to work your ‘love handles’ as well as your core abs. Some units offer two wheels, and others have a wider wheel for better support. Rollers can come with one or two wheels or one wheel for each hand. Two wheels together provides the most stable surface to work with. One wide wheel gives you a larger range of exercises that can be accomplished with the roller. A wheel for each hand offers the ability to improve balance as well as working out your core and upper body.
The Hand Grips are often plastic or rubber. Because the whole weight of your body is on the wheel having a comfortable grip is essential. An ergonomic grip will help reduce hand strain while you are building arm, back and ab muscles. Handles care typically either straight out or a curved design. Curved handles give you a more ergonomic design.
The Internal Mechanism that offers resistance will make for a more efficient workout. These can still accommodate beginners and advanced users because you can start from knee pushups and work your way up to toe pushups. Extra resistance allows you to get more muscle workout with less pushups.
Non Slip Features are essential for both the wheel and the hands. You do not want the wheel to slide on a hard floor surface and your hands sliding could cause you to fall. Rubber and other non-slip surfaces should surround the wheel and the hand grips to prevent falling or injury.
Conclusion
When choosing an ab roller consider where you will use it and how it will fit into your current workout schedule. They are compact and do not take up much room and are very functional for building upper body strength. Looking for a six pack abs or a flat stomach, an ab roller will help you complete exercises necessary to build these core muscles quickly and efficiently, with proper form. If you are looking to improve your core or build your upper body then an ab roller can help you find success.
