Home/core/Ab Wheel Rollout

Ab Wheel Rollout

Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Advancedcore
👆 Tutorial by ATHLEAN-X™Watch on YouTube

Home Setup

Use furniture sliders under your hands on a smooth floor, or a towel on hardwood/tile surfaces to replicate the rolling motion

furniture sliderstowelsmooth floor surfaceyoga mat for knees

💡 Pro tip: Start near a wall to limit your range of motion and prevent overextension as you build strength

Gym Setup

Standard ab wheel or barbell loaded with round plates on both sides

Safety: Keep core braced throughout to protect lower back; stop before hips sag or back arches excessively

💪 Muscles Worked

Rectus AbdominisTransverse AbdominisLatissimus DorsiSerratus AnteriorHip Flexors

⭐ Why This Exercise?

The ab wheel rollout is one of the most effective anti-extension core exercises, building exceptional abdominal strength and full-body tension control. It develops functional core stability that translates to improved performance in all pressing movements, handstands, and athletic activities while building impressive midsection strength and definition.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Wall Ab Wheel Rollout

ab wheel + wall

Limits range of motion by rolling toward a wall, reducing leverage and core demand

2. Kneeling Ab Wheel Rollout (Short Range)

ab wheel + knee pad

Reduces lever arm by limiting how far you roll out, decreasing difficulty significantly

3. Plank with Arm Reach

none

Builds anti-extension strength in a static position before adding dynamic movement

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Standing Ab Wheel Rollout

ab wheel

Increases lever arm dramatically by starting from standing position, requiring extreme core strength

2. Single-Arm Ab Wheel Rollout

ab wheel

Adds rotational stability challenge and doubles the load on one side of the body

3. Ab Wheel Rollout with Pause

ab wheel

Increases time under tension at the most challenging position, building isometric strength

↕️ Similar Movements

Plank
Foundational anti-extension exercise that builds the static strength needed for rollouts
Body Saw
Similar anti-extension pattern with forward/backward movement from plank position
Dragon Flag
Advanced anti-extension movement with similar full-body tension requirements
Hollow Body Hold
Develops the posterior pelvic tilt and core compression needed for proper rollout form
Pike Push-Up
Shares the shoulder flexion component and builds overhead pressing strength

Form Checklist

✓Brace core hard and maintain posterior pelvic tilt throughout entire movement
✓Pull the wheel back by engaging lats and abs simultaneously, not by bending at hips
✓Keep arms straight and shoulders active, pushing down into the wheel
✓Exhale forcefully as you roll out to maintain core tension
✓Move as one rigid unit from knees to shoulders with no sagging at hips or spine

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing lower back to arch and hips to sag, which places dangerous stress on the lumbar spine
  • •Leading with hips instead of maintaining a straight line from knees through torso
  • •Rolling out too far before having adequate strength, causing form breakdown
  • •Holding breath instead of breathing strategically to maintain core pressure
  • •Bending arms or shrugging shoulders instead of keeping them locked and active

📈 When to Progress

When you can perform 3 sets of 12-15 controlled kneeling rollouts with perfect form (no hip sag, no back arch), reaching near-full extension while maintaining core tension throughout, and can hold the extended position for 2-3 seconds