First, let me apologize ahead of time for the photographs - there simply isn’t very much space to take pictures in my house, and the ab wheel isn’t very practical in the yard!
This is one of those exercises that looks far, far easier than it truly is. The device itself is simple a wheel of some sort on an axle strong enough to support your weight. They actually make them commercially, as can be seen in the photo. Since I believe in being somewhat utilitarian when it comes to equipment (also known as being cheap), I grabbed a solid iron rod and an old plastic barbell weight. It’s less stable than an actual wheel, given the curve of the rolling surface, and presents and even harder challenge to shoulder stability. The key to successfully doing this is managing the curve of your spine. Don’t stick your butt high into the air, but rather do the opposite. Try to fully contract your abdominals in both positions, you’ll notice there is a point in the latter pose which allows you to get much better engagement.
Start with the wheel between your feet, or just in front of them. I like to keep my shoulders in line with my hands, as moving the hands further back seems like wasted movement that doesn’t add much to the exercise. Really lock your core but allow yourself to breathe fully as you go through all of the motions.
Then slowly roll out, keeping your core engaged. Your whole body should be very stiff. Gripping the axle harder and “pressing” the floor with your feet helps keep it that way. This may be as far as you can go. No worries! It’s not common to go all the way to the floor if you haven’t done much exercise of this sort before. If it helps, roll the wheel into a stop such as a wall, or up an incline. If you’re really having trouble, start on your knees rather than your feet.
Roll out as far as you can manage, because once you reach that point you have to roll backwards into the starting position again! This is about as far as I can go on a normal day while still being able to roll back. The goal is to have the lowest part of your body as close to the floor as you can get it without touching. The weakness I can see from my photo is the position of my pelvis. Ideally it would be tilted back further, allowing me to potentially stretch out more.
Alternate exercises which can enhance the wheel once you’ve mastered it include using a weighted vest, rolling out with one arm, or with one wheel in each hand (you’d need a double wheeled version for that.) Experiment!
