Posts Tagged ‘ab wheel’
One of my favorite pieces of equipment for body weight exercises is the good ole ab wheel. It is a tremendous tool for building up real core strength. You can find them in just about any store that sells fitness equipment (i.e. Target, WalMart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, SportsMart, etc). They aren’t very expensive and they last forever.
The ab wheel that I have is almost as old as I am. Yes, they have been around that long. It was originally my parents and I can remember using it as a young teenager (about 30 years ago). I absconded with it when I moved out on my own. I enjoyed using it then and I enjoy using it now.
When you begin using the ab wheel you will most likely have to begin on your knees. While on your knees, grab each handle with your hands and slowly begin to slide it away from your body. You want to reach the position where your arms are extended fully over your head and your body is virtually touching the floor. Now slide it back up. You can see how well this works your abs. Trust me you will be sore the next day.
When you master this part of the ab wheel you can begin to try the advanced version by performing the same exercise from a standing position. I am not going to mislead you. This is tremendously difficult but I am confident you can find success if you work at it. You will probably think I am crazy the first time you try it.
In order to build up to the point where you can do this you will probably need to take it in stages. Perform the exercise and just before you feel as if your are going to collapse to the floor roll back to your feet. In time you will be able to get lower and lower until you are able to perform it without problem. Don’t give up.
There are fancy ab wheels on the market that allow you to hook your feet into straps on the wheel and present you with the opportunity to perform more advanced exercises. I do not have one of these yet but I am quite interested. If you want to learn more about it you can click on the picture below.
