Add it to almost any exercise to up the intensity.
Full-body moves like mountain climbers, walk-outs, and planks are challenging as-is, but you can ramp up the intensity by doing them with an ab wheel. The beauty of the tool—or the beast of it, depending on your outlook—is its instability factor. “When you work out on the ground you have a solid base, whereas using the wheel, you have to fight tipping over to either side,” says Steph Vehrle-Smith, a Tier 3 trainer at Greenwich Avenue in New York City. “It’s also incredibly narrow, which makes it more difficult to use.” Despite its name, the ab wheel activates the whole body, including the lats, glutes, delts, quads, and more. “That’s why this tiny piece of equipment is so effective,” he says. In the slideshow below, Vehrle-Smith, a field hockey player who represented Brazil in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, demonstrates a series of moves ranging from beginner to advanced. To start, perform 3 sets of 12 reps of the beginner exercises 3 times per week on days you’re doing cardio. Once you can complete all sets and reps with proper form, progress to the more difficult moves. Ease into the intermediate and advanced ones by shortening your range of motion to familiarize your body with the movements. Increase how far you reach or extend accordingly.
Beginner: plank with side steps
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. Without dropping the left hip and twisting the upper body, step the right foot out to the side as far as it will go, tap the toes on the ground, return foot to center, and immediately repeat on the left for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Beginner: mountain climbers
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. Without lifting your hips, quickly bring your right knee toward your right elbow and back to start, then immediately repeat on the left for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Intermediate: push-up
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. Keeping your body in a straight line, slowly lower yourself until your chest touches the top of the ab wheel, then reverse the motion back to start for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Intermediate: alternating cross-body leg reach
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. Without lifting your hips, lift your right leg off the ground and thread it under your body and out to the left until it’s fully extended, keeping the ab wheel as still as possible. Slowly reverse the motion back to start and repeat on the opposite side for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Intermediate: tricep-extended push-up
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, arms forming a 45-degree angle from the ground, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. Keeping your body in a straight line, slowly lower yourself until your forearms are parallel to the ground, then reverse the motion back to start for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Advanced: standing roll-out
Stand with feet at hip-width, holding an ab wheel in both hands. Keeping legs and arms straight, fold forward and place the ab wheel on the ground in front of your feet. In a controlled movement, roll forward, shifting your weight to your toes as you do so, until your body is parallel to the ground and arms are extended in front of you. Slowly reverse the motion back to start for one rep. Continue, completing all reps.
Advanced: pronated Superman plank
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand. In a controlled movement, roll the wheel forward until both arms are extended in front of you. Hold for 10 to 12 seconds, then reverse motion back to start for one rep. Perform 5 reps.
Advanced: supinated Superman plank
Start in a high plank position with legs extended, feet at hip-width, shoulders stacked above hands, holding one handle of the ab wheel in each hand with palms facing forward. In a controlled movement, roll the wheel forward until both arms are extended in front of you with palms facing up. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then reverse motion back to start for one rep. Perform 3 reps.
Advanced: single-leg roll-out
Stand with feet at hip-width, holding an ab wheel in both hands. Keeping legs and arms straight, fold forward, place the ab wheel on the ground in front of your feet, and lift the right foot slightly off the ground. In a controlled movement and with your weight on your left foot, roll forward, shifting your weight to your toes as you do so, until your body is parallel to the ground and arms are extended in front of you. Keep the right foot off the ground and slowly reverse the motion back to start for one rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.
Photography by Coty Tarr. Styling by Jamie Frankel. Art direction by Kathryn Marx.