Why not use an ab wheel to work harder during planks? It’s a good way to change things up, and the variation challenges balance and stability, activating muscle groups throughout the body.
Switching up the traditional plank can benefit your mind and body, keeping your muscles guessing and your mind stimulated as you learn a new move. And some are harder to nail than others. Trust us: This is a killer for your abs. Before we delve into how to do ab wheel planks and the benefits, here’s a roundup of the best plank variations to try, tested and reviewed by us.
Stop it. Build core strength and stability and develop muscle using the Ab Wheel Rollout. Here’s how to do it and why you should.
Abdominal boards: advantages
Planks build core strength, but they also strengthen muscles in the shoulders, arms, chest, lower back, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps. A strong core supports good posture and muscle coordination and enhances your potential to lift heavier weights in the gym, which translates into other areas of exercise and sports.
That’s because this complex network of muscles (superficial and deep) helps the torso rotate, flex, extend, mobilize, and stabilize.
Regardless of your training style, you may find planks creeping into all types of workouts, from metabolic conditioning to Pilates, using isometric (aka no movement) contraction to activate and strengthen muscle groups. You can learn all about planks here.
(Image credit: Shutterstock Images/Undrey)
Now take that board and remove the stability of the ground beneath you. Hello Abdominal Wheel Board! This variation is much more difficult because your muscles are fighting the instability of a thin wheel with two handles locked on either side. It takes more balance, skill and strength to keep the wheel from moving and it burns the shoulder muscles.
How to do planks with abdominal wheels
Traditionally, ab wheels cater to ab wheel rollouts, but not this time around.
As:
Place your ab wheel in front of you on the mat and grip the handles with both hands
Extend your arms and stack your shoulders over your wrists
Engage your stomach, then step back one foot at a time into a high plank position
Keep your hips in line with your shoulders and squeeze as many muscles as possible as you gently suck your belly button in toward your spine. Hold the position without the abdominal wheel moving
Once comfortable with the exercise, proceed to gently move the abdominal wheel back and forth with control (see above).
Ab wheel plank: common mistakes
Here are some common mistakes we notice.
Shoulder positioning
Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists, forming a straight line. Doing so will help you balance and protect your joints. Placing the weight too far behind the shoulder or further forward will create tension and increase the chance of injury.
Hip too high or low
Another common mistake is placing the hips too high or low in the plank position. You should be able to draw a straight line from head to toe without your butt dipping toward the ceiling or your hips dropping toward the floor, which creates pressure on your lower back. Engage your core by bracing your stomach and squeezing your glutes as you hold the plank.
Forgetting to breathe
Diaphragmatic breathing is an expansive breathing technique often taught in yoga or Pilates, but less so in broader fitness. We know you should exhale when you meet maximum resistance during the concentric phase of an exercise (like push-ups during a push-up), but what about the plank? Direct your breath towards your stomach rather than the constricting part of your chest; this will control your breathing and prevent dizziness.
Ab wheel plank: Variations and modifications
If you’re not there yet, fear not. These two variants still offer plenty of fire.
Balance tables
(Image credit: Sam Hopes)
We discuss how useful balance boards are for increasing plank gains here in our Plankpad review. The larger surface area is easier for people learning to glide on a balance board, while still challenging stability to keep the board from rocking in all directions. Once you feel comfortable with your form using one, practice with an ab wheel instead.
Knee boards
(Image credit: Shutterstock images)
The knee plank is just a regular plank with your knees down on an exercise mat. It helps build core strength and increase endurance without putting too much pressure on the joints. We use this alternative for people returning from injury or for beginners using planks for the first time. Try lowering your knees during an ab wheel plank as a bridging exercise between traditional versions and a full ab wheel plank.
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