Around Thanksgiving I was in Sports Authority and saw the Ab Circle Pro and thought it would be a really nice way to vary my ab workout and exercises. I have faithfully used an Ab Rocket ( Ab Rocket Honest Review - Ab Crunches / Situps Fitness Equipment ) for over a year and developed some really nice abs. They aren't cut like the models you see on TV, but there is a six pack and I am very, very happy with how I look and my clothes fit.
Unfortunately, the Ab Circle Pro
is out of my budget at around $170 since I already have an Ab Rocket. However, while surfing, I ran into the Power Wheel
which is more affordable and has a lot of positive reviews in strengthening and firming the abs.
I never got around to buying a Power Wheel, but then Christmas came around and my wonderful wife buys me a $10 Ab Wheel. For the past few nights I have been using it along with my Ab Rocket to see if the results are as good as everyone says. Here is a quick review of my experience using the Ab Wheel as a means to vary my ab workout.
Assembly
First, I have to talk about the assembly of the Ab Wheel as I hate assembling anything. The beauty about the Ab Wheel, and probably most Ab Wheel equipment, is how incredibly easy they are to put together. The Ab Wheel consists of a strong bar with one hand grip already attached, two wheels, and the other hand grip waiting to be attached. You simply put the two wheels onto the bar and attach the remaining hand grip and assembly is done! Beautiful!!
Note that the hand grips are snug, as they should be, to keep the wheels from sliding around and off the bar. It does take a bit of effort to put the second hand grip on the bar, but you only have to do it once in your lifetime so be patient while putting it on. I have read reviews where people complain how difficult it is to attach the second hand grip, but seriously, it isn't that hard to do. I think that if you can't get the hand grip on the bar, then you probably shouldn't be using the Ab Wheel :)
Quality
I initially had doubts about the quality of the Ab Wheel when I first saw it. The Ab Wheel felt cheap when I first took it out of the box. Even the packaging felt cheap. The bar, wheels, and hand grip are just tossed in a nothing-of-a-box with a small piece of paper that doesn't really tell you much about what to do with it and how to assemble it.
Thinking about it later, however, this is what you should expect for $10. Quite frankly you are getting the most for your $10 - an Ab Wheel that is made to help you do ab exercises and nothing more. With normal wear and tear I doubt it will break or wear out soon so you are getting the biggest bang for your buck. If you are worried about it only being $10, you can certainly find others for a higher price :)
Storage
As I have mentioned over and over in my other home gym equipment reviews, when you workout at home you have a minimal amount of space to put your home exercise equipment. The Ab Wheel takes up very little space and will fit in a bag when traveling. This is a definite plus in my book as I don't want to dedicate a room to exercising or have fitness equipment all over the house.
Ab Workout
I have only used the Ab Wheel 3 times and the one thing I noticed about it compared to an Ab Rocket is the pressure it places on your arms, shoulders, and lower back. What I like about the Ab Rocket is how it isolates your ab workout without putting pressure on any other parts of the body. In fact, the pressure the Ab Rocket takes off your neck when doing normal situps is heavenly.
However, the Ab Wheel requires you to hold up your upper body with your hands and arms via the hand grips on the bar. If your upper body is not strong this will take some getting used to. You might find that your arms are tired before your abs at first. The Ab Wheel is definitely a workout for your arms and upper body and some people might like it. Others might not like it as they really want to isolate their abs.
The other pressure that is immediately noticeable is the pressure on your lower back as you roll forward and back with the Ab Wheel. I am guessing, and recommend, that ones starts out with slow, small motions back and forth to develop proper technique and develop those core lower back muscles. Using bad technique or starting advanced ( long ) moves too quickly could give you lower back problems.
Putting those things aside, I do notice a tightness in the abs when I use the Ab Wheel when rolling the Ab Wheel. If I hadn't been using my Ab Rocket regularly, I bet I would really feel the Ab burn. I bet I would also notice a bit of a burn in the arms and upper body as well since I have to hold myself up.
The key with the Ab Wheel is to make the back-and-forth motion using your abs and keep your back in a relaxed and normal position. The back must stay in its natural alignment and you must use your abs to roll the Ab Wheel back and forth.
Again, its only been three days, but I see the potential and like the change in my ab workout so I plan to keep using it every evening along with the Ab Rocket to see if I get results.
Conclusion
If you are looking to work out your abs or vary your ab workout, you really can't beat the price of an Ab Wheel at $10. Unlike some ab machines, like the Ab Rocket
and Ab Circle Pro, you do have more pressure on your arms, upper body, and back. Some people will like that it works out other muscles, but if you just want pure isolation on the abs, you may not like it. It is easy to assemble and store in your house as it takes up almost no room. Although it looks and feels cheap, I have no reason to believe it will break or wear out quickly with normal use. Seems like a good bang for your buck if you want some strong and firms abs in the new year.
If you have any experience with the Ab Wheel I would love to hear about it.
You can read the reviews on Amazon.
Be Safe and Healthy!
David Hayden