Ab wheel rollout

Ab wheel

Also called ab roller rollout, ab wheel

Kneel holding an ab wheel under the shoulders, roll forward while bracing the trunk, then pull back to the start.

Movement

Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.

Upper body

Core

Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.

Muscle growth higher is better3.0
Solid; a reasonable default. 2 sources.
- 2/5 C tier: demanding isometric work but limited progression since you can only roll so far. Jeremy Ethier, It's Weird, But Destroyed Every Ab Exercise I Tested @ 15:55videoExpert opinion2026checked by AI
- 4/5 Big range of motion with highest tension at the bottom and an emphasised eccentric; called an incredible ab exercise. Renaissance Periodization, The Worst Exercises People Still Do (And What’s Better) @ 2:04videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
Loaded stretch higher is better4.0
Hard in the stretched position. 1 source.
- 4/5 Tension is highest at the extended position and near zero at the top, matching the preferred force profile. Renaissance Periodization, The Worst Exercises People Still Do (And What’s Better) @ 2:04videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
Progression higher is better2.0
Coarse jumps or a low ceiling. 1 source.
- 2/5 Hard to make harder; moving from knees to feet is a massive jump. Jeremy Ethier, It's Weird, But Destroyed Every Ab Exercise I Tested @ 16:25videoExpert opinion2026checked by AI