The Ab Wheel

[Hulk]

Looking through my Ringside and Title catalogs I see the ab wheel is sold for like 10 bucks. Of course it promises results in the catalogs, claiming to build up abs, back muscles, shoulders, etc. So is this thing any good, should I buy one and start using it? I'm thinking about it. Could always use more variety in my workout.

[LUCKY_13]

Yeah it is a good piece of equipment. It doesn't cut the abs into a 6-pack, it's more of a stablizing tool.
Use it properly and it increase strength, not appearence, in the back, abs, shoulders, triceps and little in upper legs.
I used to use this but broke the thing. Make sure its good quality. Not cheap plastic.

[Hulk]

Yeah it is a good piece of equipment. It doesn't cut the abs into a 6-pack, it's more of a stablizing tool.
Use it properly and it increase strength, not appearence, in the back, abs, shoulders, triceps and little in upper legs.
I used to use this but broke the thing. Make sure its good quality. Not cheap plastic.

Thank you. I'd like to add strength, but also get more cut, my arms and shoulders look pretty good, but I need to get my stomach more ripped. I figured this might help. How many reps did you do or start with?

[LUCKY_13]

Well, because it is a bodyweight tool, it's hard to get injured from it. If it gets to much, your body will just drop to the floor. But it is an entirely different exercise to everything else.
With bodyweight exercises like the ab wheel, pushups, crunches, etc. I don't have a set amount of reps. I do the same exercise until I can't do anymore. Then rest for two mins and repeat this. I do this 3 times.
I ONLY do this with bodyweight exercises though, cause they are alot safer.

If you want to get your stomach ripped, do heaps of crunches and reverse crunches. (Need know what reverse ones are, let me know.)
If you have a little fat covering the ab region, just sweat it off with some sparring or aerobic work.

[Hulk]

Well, because it is a bodyweight tool, it's hard to get injured from it. If it gets to much, your body will just drop to the floor. But it is an entirely different exercise to everything else.
With bodyweight exercises like the ab wheel, pushups, crunches, etc. I don't have a set amount of reps. I do the same exercise until I can't do anymore. Then rest for two mins and repeat this. I do this 3 times.
I ONLY do this with bodyweight exercises though, cause they are alot safer.

If you want to get your stomach ripped, do heaps of crunches and reverse crunches. (Need know what reverse ones are, let me know.)
If you have a little fat covering the ab region, just sweat it off with some sparring or aerobic work.

CC. Thanks again. To be honest with you I am a BOXING FAN first and foremost, I do not go to a boxing gym, although a local one has opened or is opening very soon and I am trying to start gettin up there. I do have a Heavy bag which I hit just about daily and I do skip rope just about daily. I do 60 pushups and 200 sit ups every day, run a mile a day 5 times a week and lift light weights with 60 reps 3 times a week. I'm just looking to get more cut and mix up my work out. I'm also thinkin of buyin a cheap weight bench and some heavier weights and start liftin more. I'm 19, 6'0, 155 lbs at the moment, which is the most I've weighed in years, by end of this week I ought to be back down to 150 even, then see if I wanna get down more to 145 which has been my normal weight for the past 2-3 years. Also what are reverse sit ups?

[LUCKY_13]

First. If you want strength you should be using heavier weights with 6-8 reps for each set.
But if you are just looking for tone, then your on the right job.
Second. This is my personal opinion, so only follow it if you choose to, but to me crunches are better then situps. Situps make you come all the way and back down again true?
Crunches make you just lift yourself high enough until your abs are fully squeezed, hold this for 3 seconds and go back down. These are slow and more focused on abs then situps are.
Third. Reverse crunches:
Lie down as if you were going to do normal crunches/situps. Put your legs out straight. Then raise them until they make a 90* angle with your body. Keeping them straight always. Lower them again but do not let them touch the floor. Repeat.
Many people call these Leg raises or whatever.

Hulk, on a personal note, you seem to have alot of focus on your goals.
When I moved out on my own, I had little money to 'spare' after my bills, rent and household needs were paid. I bought a little equipment each fortnight, USING what I had. I have come to depend on very little tools to make me stronger and more cut.
Nowdays I use heaps of weights and stuff and, when I'm not studying, dedicate most of my time on boxing/weight training.
You said you have light weights, a bag and skip rope?
With these, your bodyweight and wisdom, you can do ALOT. You can get strong, be a mad boxer and get cut. Just using the stuff you have already. It's good you want to buy an Ab Wheel, cause it will help alot. And it's even better you sought advice before deciding. Make sure you don't run and buy everything though that promises 'A great body'...'Perfect Abs'.
What you have is heaps enough.

Why am I telling you this?
I don't know. Lol.
But yeah just thought I'd tell you in case you thought you need something special to make you as strong as an ox!

Need any other help. Just holla.

Peace.

[Hulk]

First. If you want strength you should be using heavier weights with 6-8 reps for each set.
But if you are just looking for tone, then your on the right job.
Second. This is my personal opinion, so only follow it if you choose to, but to me crunches are better then situps. Situps make you come all the way and back down again true?
Crunches make you just lift yourself high enough until your abs are fully squeezed, hold this for 3 seconds and go back down. These are slow and more focused on abs then situps are.
Third. Reverse crunches:
Lie down as if you were going to do normal crunches/situps. Put your legs out straight. Then raise them until they make a 90* angle with your body. Keeping them straight always. Lower them again but do not let them touch the floor. Repeat.
Many people call these Leg raises or whatever.

Hulk, on a personal note, you seem to have alot of focus on your goals.
When I moved out on my own, I had little money to 'spare' after my bills, rent and household needs were paid. I bought a little equipment each fortnight, USING what I had. I have come to depend on very little tools to make me stronger and more cut.
Nowdays I use heaps of weights and stuff and, when I'm not studying, dedicate most of my time on boxing/weight training.
You said you have light weights, a bag and skip rope?
With these, your bodyweight and wisdom, you can do ALOT. You can get strong, be a mad boxer and get cut. Just using the stuff you have already. It's good you want to buy an Ab Wheel, cause it will help alot. And it's even better you sought advice before deciding. Make sure you don't run and buy everything though that promises 'A great body'...'Perfect Abs'.
What you have is heaps enough.

Why am I telling you this?
I don't know. Lol.
But yeah just thought I'd tell you in case you thought you need something special to make you as strong as an ox!

Need any other help. Just holla.

Peace.

Thanks bro. I'm still livin at home man. Goin to community college and what not. I like to think I pull my weight around the house since I do most of the grocery shopping, dish washing, laundry, get the mail, feed/take care of the animals, take/pick up brother from school, and generally help out my brother and Father. But its gettin time to move out soon, I'm thinkin of movin into the dorms for a semester if a buddy will split with me, try that out, and possibly join the NAVY Reserves or active NAVY, depending on how pissed and fed up I get with life. This summer though, if nothing else, I'm gettin more ripped than I've ever been. I workout every summer and year round, but this summer I'm goin all out.

[LUCKY_13]

Haha good stuff. I was in the army here, the Australian army, before I broke one of their laws and got booted from boot camp! Lol. :P
Good to hear you help out at home and stuff. When you do decide to move out, make sure you can survive and eat well.
But yeah go hard at your workouts this summer. Hope it all goes well for you, and if and when you do move out, if you don't have access to weights and facilities like that, remember your body is your portable home gym.

[ICB]

Get yourself a stability ball Hulk there cheap and you will see the results.

[Scrap]

A tip Hulk instead of the ab roller use 2 dumbells with sleeves as an alternative. Much better and you can do so much more. Like rolling pressups theres about 15 different things can be done, all you need is imagenation.

[Sharla]

You make your own sleeves Scrap? Might be a stupid Q but I don't think I've ever seen any for sale - the closest thing I've seen is a padded sleeve for long barbells.

[Hulk]

Thanks to everyone for their help. What the hell is a sleeve anyway?

[Scrap]

I thought most metal dumbells had them, its a sleeve that fits over the bar where the hands fit on dumbbells using the dumbells in both hands gives you better stability. The sleeves help rolling whether upwards or out

[Hulk]

I thought most metal dumbells had them, its a sleeve that fits over the bar where the hands fit on dumbbells using the dumbells in both hands gives you better stability. The sleeves help rolling whether upwards or out

ah....