The Ab Roller was invented by personal trainer Dan Brown, who wanted to improve the form of a client who was recovering from a car accident, according to Ab-Machines.net. He wanted his client to be able to do crunches, but without all of the strain placed on the neck and shoulders from traditional ab exercises. The Ab Roller gives you better form when you're completing crunches so you're less likely to become injured, and gain the full benefit of the crunches by isolating your abdominal muscles.
Step 1
Position yourself on the floor, between the arms of the Ab Roller, with your head on the padded headrest and your hands gripping the padded side bars. If you want a more intense workout, try gripping the overhead bar as you exercise.
Step 2
Push yourself as close to your knees as possible by engaging your abdominal muscles to perpetuate the forward motion. Take care to not place pressure on your arms, as they should hold you steady rather than push your forward. Hold the position for three seconds, and then carefully release yourself back to the floor.
Step 3
Complete as many repetitions as you can in one session. It's a good idea to write down how many reps you can perform before tiring, so that you can track your progress each day to see your improvement.
Step 4
Turn your knees to one side, dropping them down to the floor. Complete reps in this position, targeting your oblique muscles. This will help to remove inches from your waist. Remember to complete reps on your other side as well. You may find that you aren't able to roll the Ab Roller as far forward when in this position. Go as far as you can without straining yourself.
Step 5
Keep the Ab Roller flat on the floor as you perform reverse crunches to target your lower abdominal muscles. Hold yourself steady and lift your bottom off of the floor, bringing your knees as close to your chest as possible. Hold the position for three seconds, and then release. Complete as many as you can.
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