AB WHEEL
2AB WHEEL
- Two non-skid wheels for added stability
- Easy-grip handles to prevent slippage
- Strengthen and tone abs, shoulder, arms and back
Two non-skid wheels for added stability. Strengthen and tone abs, shoulder, arms and back. Assembly instructions included.Strengthen and tone your abs, shoulders, arms, and back with the Valeo dual ab wheel. The unit teams up a pair of nonskid wheels and two easy-grip handles. To use, simply get on all fours, grab hold of the handles, and glide the wheels back and forth across the floor. At various points during the exercise, you’ll work every major upper body muscle group as your torso adjusts
List Price: $ 14.99
Price: $ 8.85
J. McDonald
Build that six-pack!,
— CORE MUSCLES WORKED WITH AN AB WHEEL:
Shoulders, arms, upper and lower back, abs (all sections)
— WHAT TO EXPECT ON QUALITY:
The quality on these things doesn’t have to be fancy – it has a simple use and just has to be functional. Two wheels are better than one, however. The wheels are solid plastic/rubber and the grips are similar. Are the grips terribly comfortable? No, but they’re not bad either and you aren’t using it for hours at a time -just minutes. Wrap some tennis racquet grip around them for added comfort if you want more, but it’s really not needed. This is a basic tool and doesn’t need to be made of expensive materials. The bar through the middle is solid metal (not sure if there is a weight limit but I’d guess at about 200lbs).
— PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
It arrives in a box as two separate wheels, a metal bar, two rubber handles and a single sheet of instructions. Place the bar through the wheels and center them as best as you can. Then slide/wiggle/twist one handle all the way onto one end of the bar (I didn’t need grease – it went on pretty easily, yet snug). Then try to line up the grip of the other handle and slide that onto the other side of the bar with the wheels in the middle. Push on the ends of the handles to make sure they’re on all the way. You will be able to twist the grips a little to line them up perfectly. Putting it together took me only a couple of minutes.
— USING IT (BASIC):
Using the Ab Wheel is simple, but really works the abs if done correctly. This simple devise helps create the line down the middle of your abs for that nice six pack!
Kneel on the floor with one hand on each handle and the wheel positioned on the floor, centered before you. Without arching your back (keep it straight and keep your head straight too – don’t look up or drop your head down) slowly roll the wheel away from your knees in a straight line before you. Your body moves forward with the wheel, away from your knees – this is KEY to making this move effective! Your weight is supported via your hands on the bar and by your knees (and a straight back). The further you can stretch your arms out before you and the further you can lean away from your knees the more you will work the core muscles in your abs. When you’ve rolled out as far as you safely can, reverse and roll back up to the starting position (this should be hard!). Line your body up facing a wall (knees 2-3 ft from the wall) and roll out toward the wall if you want something there to help you stop rolling. Line up further and further away as you get stronger.
You may not be able roll out more than 2-3 feet at first but that’s okay. (When I stop my abs/hips are about 10-12 inches from the floor. You want to aim for about a 45 degree angle from your knees to your hips and then a countering 45 degree angle from your hands on the ab wheel to your shoulders. Think of making a bridge with your body where your knees are one support on one side of the water and the wheel is the other support on the other side of the river/body of water. Again, the farther you can stretch out, the more difficult the workout, but be careful and don’t push too hard too fast or you’ll tear something! Use your head and be conservative at first.
Beginners should probably start with 1-2 sets of 5-10 reps and work on rolling out further as you become stronger. I’m trying 2 sets of 10 reps and my abs are SORE after 2 days of this!! 🙂
It’s IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT and to not arch it as you roll out. You can hurt yourself if you do this move incorrectly. The wheel comes with some basic instructions that show you the proper form. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!
— USING IT (ADVANCED):
Once you get comfortable using it as described above, add a twist and rather than just rolling straight ahead of you, keep your knees still and roll out at about a 25-30 degree angle left or right of center, twisting at the waist. This will really focus on the oblique muscles. I’d suggest alternating each direction during your reps, but that’s just my opinion. 😉
This really is a GREAT ab workout and you WILL feel it if done properly. Good luck on that six pack!
0
Was this review helpful to you?
|mattontheinternet
Effective and Affordable,
Let me start this off with my conclusion–the Valeo Ab Wheel is fantastic and a great value for the paltry amount of money you will spend on it.
I’ve been eating well and exercising (light weights, a couple sets of pull-ups/chin-ups and resistance cables) five to ten minutes a day–along with 1-1.5 hours of cardio once or twice a week–but wanted a little more strength and definition in my core. I started doing sit-ups once or twice a day–50-100 at a time–which felt pretty good but I was worried about not working all of my abs equally. I was also curious as to other methods because my back or shoulders seem to click when I do full sit-ups. Additionally, it was hard to anchor myself unless I put my feet under the bottom edge of the couch, which involved putting shoes on due to the sharp wooden frame. All in all, it was a bit of a production just to do some sit-ups.
I found the Valeo Ab Wheel on Amazon and ordered it based on the other reviews, and the fact that it seemed such a simple solution compared to my sit-up/crunches ritual. It is a pleasure to use, but make SURE that you read the instructions on proper use so that you do not hurt your back. Keep it STRAIGHT through the whole repetition. I recommend using the Ab Wheel on carpet for the added friction–it helps you control how far you extend yourself and prevent self-injury–but it will operate smoothly on a solid floor. I keep the wheel right next to my bed so that one of the first things I do when I get up (other than kill the alarm) is to do a set. I start my coffee, have a banana, and then do another set when I come back into the bedroom to get my clothes before showering. If I’m feeling particularly adventurous that day, I’ll do a third set of 15 in the evening before dinner.
The first time I used it, I was able to do two sets of 15 a couple minutes apart, but my abs were SORE afterwards–the awesome kind of sore that lets you know you’ve had a good workout. Before I used it the first time I was pretty sure I’d be able to do a good number because I’ve practiced martial arts–which is all about core strength–for 15 years. DO NOT be discouraged if at first you can only do a couple at a time! I could only do two or three proper pull-ups or chin-ups on a chin-up bar when I started a year ago. I added one or two more reps to each set every couple weeks. Now I am up doing two to three sets of 14-20 pull-ups or chin-ups every few days, just from casual consistency. You can do the same with the Valeo Ab Wheel.
After using the ab wheel for a little over a month, I now comfortably do 2-3 sets of 15 every day (giving the muscles a day to rest and heal if they start to get sore). This ab wheel is well-constructed and sturdy for someone who is 5’6 and 145lbs like me, and it does give your back and arms (triceps and forearms) a little bit of a workout, too!
In six weeks of ownership and regular use, I have seen results in terms of better abdominal definition. My girlfriend compliments me constantly, putting her hands on my chest just to touch–which is pretty awesome considering she is also in great shape. In her words I now “have abs that are sculpted like on a greek statue”. To be honest, I haven’t worked that hard at being in good shape, I’ve simply been consistent and made it a lifestyle change. Eating well–a good amount of protein and healthy fats from nuts, eggs, fish, chicken, and oils (walnut and grapeseed oils taste great and have Omega-3s to keep your brain in good order!) along with salads, coarse grains, a variety of fruit and green vegetables, a limited amount of red meat, sweets, and bread/baked products, and lots of water, tea, and coffee (black or with a small amount of soy creamer) along with decent sleep–is probably two thirds of it.
I’ve found that the process of simply learning about how healthy all of these things are for your mind and body–and how bad trans fats and junk/fast/frozen-prepared food is for it–goes a long way in causing your body and mind to literally CRAVE the things that are most healthy for you. I see ice cream, steak, chips, or cake at a party and sure, I’ll have a little, but you know you’re in a good place when you are at home and actually crave carrots/broccoli and low fat hummus, walnuts, and an apple! Eating these things feels GOOD because you know how good they are for you–it seems to be about conditioning your mind and body to desire these things through the education of both.
The last bit of it has been working out in the privacy of my own apartment about 5-10 minutes every day and at the dojo for an hour or so a couple times a week, then going for walks for photography, grocery runs, or just to get out and enjoy the good weather. I was bicycling 13 miles on a flat urban trail near my place 2-3 times a week (which took me about 50 minutes total) but I haven’t done that since last summer. I’ll start up again…
Read more
Was this review helpful to you?
|