This week I’m sharing 5 ab rollout variations you might not have tried. Ab roll-out variations are great for improving lumbo-pelvic stability. If you are unfamiliar with this term, think core.
#1) Landmine Bear Crawl Lateral Roll-Outs
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. This exercise is extremely anti-rotational in nature.
Coaching Tips:
- Rest the end of a barbell in a corner, against a sturdy object, or you may use a landmine attachment.
- Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Place your thighs so they are in a relatively vertical position, bend your knees, and keep them a few inches above the floor.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- Grab onto the barbell with both hands. Your shoulders should be above your hands.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now roll the barbell laterally to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Once you hit your end range, perform the reverse movement and return the barbell to the starting position.
- Do a proper reset between reps. Don’t rush!
- For the duration of the exercise, aside from your arms your body should remain in a relatively fixed position.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from foot to foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Kneeling Band Resisted Barbell Roll-Outs
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and around the middle of a barbell. You won’t need a lot of resistance to make this exercise challenging. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Get on your knees, and place your hands on the barbell so they are approximately shoulder width apart.
- Your body should form a straight(ish) line from your head to knees.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform a roll-out and roll the barbell forward to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Once you hit your end range, perform the reverse movement and return to the starting position.
- Don’t mindlessly hang out on your shoulders. During the roll-out your shoulder blades should upwardly rotate and protract (spread them apart, and move them away from the spine and around the ribcage, and away from the opposite hip). When you are returning to the starting position your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements.
- Do a proper reset between reps. Don’t rush!
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight(ish) line from your head to knees. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from knee to knee.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#3) Rowing Machine Reverse Roll-Outs
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position with your hands on the floor, and feet on a rowing machine seat. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now slide your feet forward (towards your hands) so you are in a partial or full pike position, and return to the starting position.
- I made this exercise more difficult by pressing backwards with my arms as my feet were sliding backwards/body was returning to the plank position. Start out by keeping your shoulders in a fixed position and above your hands the entire time.
- The entire time, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart, and move them away from the spine and around the ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out on your shoulders.
- Do a proper reset between reps. Don’t rush!
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Band Resisted Stir The Pots
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. I upped the ante by adding band resistance.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and so it is the height of the top of the ball. Hold the band with both hands. You won’t need a lot of resistance to make this exercise challenging. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Place your forearms on a stability ball, and get into a plank position from your forearms and feet. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform figure 8 movements and roll the ball forward and extend your arms as much as you can, WHILE maintaining proper form. Once you’ve reached your end range, return to the starting position by performing the reverse movements.
- Do a proper reset between reps. Don’t rush!
- Don’t mindlessly hang out on your shoulders. Press your body away from the ball (towards the ceiling) and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart, and move them away from the spine and around the ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, aside from your arms your body should remain in a fixed position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Towel Serratus Roll-Outs
This exercise strengthens the serratus muscle, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place your forearms on towels or slider pads.
- Get into a plank position from your forearms and feet. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- First of all, press your body away from the towel and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart, and move them away from the spine and around the ribcage). This movement is here fairly subtle. Do not mindlessly hang out on your shoulders.
- Now use the muscles in your shoulders and around your shoulder blades and slide your forearms forward. Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position.
- Do a proper reset between reps. Don’t rush!
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move. Do not allow your shoulder blades to elevate, or shoulders to shrug.
- For the duration of the exercise, aside from your arms your body should remain in a fixed position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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