Ab Roller Training

The Ab Roller, created by personal trainer Dan Brown, aims to help exercisers perform abdominal exercises with less strain to the neck area. It also provides a means to work upper body muscle groups, including the chest and triceps. The Ab Roller helps add variety to your exercise routine, which can prevent boredom and increase exercise adherence, according to the National Federation of Professional Trainers.

Features

The Ab Roller device features a curved steel frame with a padded headrest to cradle your upper body during abdominal exercises. It's designed to target the whole midsection, including the obliques, or side abs, according to the Ab Roller website. It can also accommodate added weight plates to increase intensity. The curved frame, arm rest and headrest help support the neck, back and upper body to execute better form, purports the Ab Roller website.

Core Exercises

Use the Ab Roller to perform abdominal crunches and oblique crunches that target the core area. To add variety and intensity to the exercises, try reducing the tempo of your exercises. Slowly perform each crunch and squeeze tightly at the top of each crunch. Increase the efficacy of the exercises by up to 25 percent by creating a greater mind-to-muscle connection, according to Brad Shoenfeld, certified strength and conditioning specialist, on the "Oxygen" magazine website. Place your knees to the side and continue a crunching motion to engage the oblique muscles.

Upper Body Exercises

Use the Ab Roller to target the upper body to create a more balanced workout. Perform deep push-ups, which allow a greater range of motion and target the chest and shoulder area. Include Ab Roller dips in your exercise regimen to strengthen your triceps and shoulders. Add workout variety by modifying the push-ups and dips exercises. Elevate your feet on a secure step or platform during the exercises to increase the intensity.

Considerations

Both the basic abdominal crunch and the Ab Roller device engage the core muscles to approximately the same extent, according to an ACE study that tested the efficacy of a variety of abdominal exercises. The most effective ab exercises include bicycle crunches, Captain's Chair exercises and crunches on a stability ball, reports the ACE. Ab Roller crunches placed ninth out of 13 for effective abdominal exercises in the ACE study. No equipment is necessary to train your abs, but may valuable if it serves to motivate you, ACE reports.