John is the wheel a pulling exercise?

[GB]

John,

In your opinion would you consider ab-wheel roll outs (done on the knees or from a standing position) a complimentary, pulling, exercise when added to a pushup routine?

GB

[blackbelt]

Hey GB,

Obviously I’m not John. But, although I would consider the ab-wheel roll out a pulling exercise, I wouldn’t necessarily say it would compliment the push up. Actually, in some ways at least, the ab-wheel roll out uses some of the same muscles as the push up. The BIG difference being that there is MUCH more emphasis on the abdominal area.

[John Peterson]

Hey Gary,

Man Oh Man, that's a tough one. I just did a few and I'd say that it is definitely much more of a pulling exercise than a pushing exercise .BUT as Rob observed, it does hit many of the same muscles as the Push-Up but from a completely different perspective. So all in all I'd say that it's a great "pulling exercise".


---John Peterson

[gruntbrain]

Attach some band loops to your Ab Wheel & a fixed object to create more of a pulling challenge. Alternatively attach the bands to the wheel & your feet to create more of a pushing challenge. While you're at it approximate Warrior T pushups with an Ab Wheel.

[Scott Silva]

My 2 cents;

The standing, ab-wheel rollout bears a lot of resemblance to an exercise called pull-overs done either with barbells, dumbbells or machine.

Dr. Ken of HIT fame used to think highly of pullovers (esp. Nautlilus machine), thinking it could've possibly been the best upper body developmental exercise there was because it hit so many different muscles. Lats & serratus, chest, shoulders, triceps, not to mention the core stabilization effects.

The standing, ab-wheel rollout though, is superior to any weighted type of version in the core aspects and even though it's similar to the pull-over I personally always count it in as a push-up when I'm doing my tally for the day...

WB