Most of us have seen an ab wheel before, it might have been in an infomercial, maybe at your local gym, I know a lot of people use to think the ab wheel was gimmicky or even a little bit scary, but do not let fear push you away from this excellent core builder.

Tough Core Excercise, Awesome Results

If you get hold of an ab roller such as the Valeo Ab roller wheel you need to be cautious at first, they can be dangerous, especially if you have never used one.

This is a tough core exercise and we must be careful to not injure our lower back.

When performed correctly ab rollouts are one of the best exercises for strengthening and developing the whole of your core, rectus abdominis, external, and internal obliques not just your lower and upper abs.

How Do I know If I’m Ready For Roll Outs?

If you are wondering if your core is strong enough to use an ab wheel, you can test yourself by first trying out how long you can hold a plank for. If you can’t hold a plank for more than 30 seconds or you can only do a few push-ups without your back sagging these are very good indications that your core is not strong enough.

This doesn’t mean you’ll never reap the benefits from rollouts, all it means is you will have to do some beginner exercises first. Check out the video below.

Why Do We Like The Valeo Ab Roller wheel?

Before we jump right in and say how great this ab roller is, the one thing it can’t do is work miracles, you must realize that most of your ab training is done in the kitchen, the right diet, foods are essential.

It wouldn’t matter if you trained with an ab wheel for 10 years if you have a 2″ layer of fat covering your abs you will never see the results of all the hard work you have put in.

But don’t fear if your diet isn’t quite there yet, all that work will not be in vain, even if you can’t see your abs, ab exercises are going to increase your core strength which has huge benefits all of its own.

Performing rollouts with proper form on your Valeo ab roller will help improve posture, prevent and help back pain, studies have shown people with weak cores are far more prone to back injuries and pain.

A strong core also improves balance, increases athletic performance and many neck, shoulder, hip, knee, and even foot problems can be traced back to your core as well.

So even if you haven’t managed to shift the unwanted fat yet, you can see that training your core is still a very worthwhile idea.

Simple Design

What we like most about the Valeo ab roller wheel is the simple design, nothing confusing, it’s simple, well built and easy to assemble.

Most of the time, simple is best with home gym equipment, you don’t want to fuss around with all the bells and whistles, sometimes you just want to get to it and work out, and that’s exactly what this excellent lightweight roller will let you do.

What’s really nice is the Valeo only weighs 1lb, super easy to carry and take with you on the move, it’s compact too, the Valeo measures just 8.5 inches by 7.5 inches by 3 inches, perfect fit for your gym bag.

Non-Skid Wheels

The Valeo ab roller wheel comes with two easy-glide wheels, this is a great design for beginners and will help a lot with stability.

The deep treads on the wheels will give you some much-needed grip and reduce the chances of faceplants, this is where you extend the ab wheel beyond your strength capabilities and pretty much face plant the floor.

Handles

There are no issues with grip when it comes to the handles, the easy grip design should allow for a stable nonslip grip, however, the handles are just hard plastic, there’s no rubber or foam to protect the hands and give you that extra bit of comfort when exercising.

The hard plastic handles have caused a few users some pain after extended use. If the hard handles are troubling you and causing some discomfort, you could always buy a cheap pair of weightlifting gloves, they will protect your hands and prevent callouses forming.

The Good

Durable

Solid/sturdy build

1lb weight, compact, easy to store and carry

Treaded wheels allow for increased grip and stability

Great price

Simple design, easy to use and assemeble

The Bad

Hard plastic handles can cause callouses after regular use

                                                                                         

Alternatives

Altus Ab Roller

Very similar in design to the Valeo ab wheel, this roller is compact, lightweight, and comes equipped with the all-important deep treaded wheels for improved grip and stability.

I was slightly disappointed to find out the handles were not foam covered as they seem to be in the pictures but it’s not a deal stopper, this is still a great ab roller for the price.

Altus ab roller product box

Built to last, this durable design should be able to cope with a decent max weight. One user mentioned he was 250lb and said the Altus felt solid and sturdy under his weight, he was surprised there was no flex at all with the handles.

Super easy to assemble many users praised the speedy build time, some in under a minute! If you have been looking for a cheap ab roller to build up your core strength then this simple, stable design from Atlus is definitely worth a closer look.

                                                                                         

Likee Ultra Wide Ab Wheel

The Likee ab wheel is known well for its sturdy build, this excellent ab wheel has a weight capacity of 600lb, which makes it one of the sturdiest builds available.

A little different in design compared to the Valeo and Altus, the Likee has a single wheel rather than the two, the single wheel is coated in anti-slip rubber helping to keep you stable when exercising.

likee ab wheel white background

Sadly again this ab wheel lacks any sort of padding for the hard plastic handle but on the positive side, the ergonomic handle aids proper form which is essential for you to exercise safely.

With a weight of 2.4lb, the Likee ab wheel is much heavier than the two budget wheels above and that’s because the Likee has a heavy duty design with a metal wheel for extra stability.

If you are happy to pay a few bucks more, the Likee ab wheel is worth every penny, stable, great build quality and a lifetime guarantee, ensure you will not be disappointed with your purchase.

                                                                                         

To Sum Up

The Valeo Ab Wheel is an excellent piece of equipment for developing your entire core, solid, dual wheel design and treaded grip should keep you stable throughout. Simple, portable and very affordable, an awesome addition to any home gym.