Late night television is full of fitness gurus hawking equipment such as the Ab Roller for working your abs. The Ab Roller's lack of moving parts bodes well for its durability. Its ease of use makes it likely that, if you are truly committed to getting a good ab workout or really need extra support for your head and neck, you will use the Ab Roller consistently.
Appearance
The Ab Roller resembles a steel ellipse that has been bent in the middle, with a headrest affixed to one end. The end result is a steel frame that rocks in an arc, with a padded headrest to support your head and neck and another bar perfectly situated for supporting your hands when your arms are extended straight out from the shoulders.
Purpose
The Ab Roller is meant to support your head, neck and upper body as you perform abdominal crunches. The Ab Roller comes with a spring attached to the headrest, supposedly to give you an extra assist with each repetition. Using the spring to help power yourself up takes some of the load off your abs, contradicting the purpose of doing crunches in the first place.
Efficacy
An American Council on Exercise-commissioned study conducted by the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University in 2001 compared various forms of crunches and pieces of ab exercise equipment. The Ab Roller was found to recruit 5 percent more activity in the rectus abdominus and 1 percent more activity in the obliques than a standard crunch. According to the study notes, however, only exercises that recruited at least 25 percent more activity than the crunch were rated as "notably more effective."
Exercises
The Ab Roller is suitable for variations on standard and oblique crunches, which emphasize the rectus abdominus and obliques respectively. Many of the recommended crunch variations can also be done without the Ab Roller. These include standard basic and oblique crunches, vertical leg crunches--which the San Diego State University study ranked as more effective than using the Ab Roller--and double crunches, which combine a standard crunch with a reverse crunch.
Cost
As of May 2010, the ab roller costs $19.99 plus shipping and handling. This includes the Ab Roller itself, a diet plan and a workout guide. You can also purchase a commercial-grade steel version for $195 plus shipping and handling. The same manufacturer also produces the Ab Toner and Ab Trainer, both minor variations on the Ab Roller, at a cost of $39 and $59 respectively.
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