Forget ab wheel rollouts, try this Pilates exercise to strengthen your abs, obliques and shoulders

Ab wheel rollouts are one of the toughest ab exercises. They require stable shoulders and core strength, but also build strength and mobility if you can successfully do them.

However, the wheel can feel daunting for many people who don't feel stable or secure while rolling in and out, so I have another option for you: the Pilates ab rollout. You can use a reformer bed, which offers a much wider surface area, or you could position your knees on a towel or sliders instead.

If you’re searching for ways to strengthen your core without lots of equipment, read on to see how to do Pilates abs rollouts.

Do ab rollouts build definition?

The ab rollout (wheel or no wheel) targets your core muscles, including the rectus abdominis (six-pack), erector spinae (spinal stabilizers), transverse abdominis (a deep, stabilizing belt of muscle that wraps your lower trunk), obliques, and even your hips, lats, upper chest, shoulders, and arms.

The idea is to encourage anti-extension, preventing overextension of the lower spine and enforcing isometric contraction in the core. Stabilizer muscles like the internal obliques also help prevent excess rotation, while your shoulders support your upper body and your hips assist with lower-body movement.

However, when it comes to building definition, other major factors like diet, lifestyle, sleep, stress, and activity levels all determine body fat percentage, alongside genetics and underlying health conditions, which means some people are more primed toward fat loss or a low body fat percentage than others. And the lower your body fat percentage, the more likely you are to see any muscle you've built.

If the process of building muscle and losing fat interests you, I recommend our guide on body recomposition.

That doesn't mean you can't build abs or shred fat, but remember, it'll take more than one exercise and some discipline and consistency along the way. Besides, there are lots of functional and longevity benefits to a strong core that go above aesthetics, like protecting your spine and pelvis and reducing the risk of falls or injuries.

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How to do Pilates ab rollouts

To perform an ab rollout, Bojana, a Pilates instructor at Strong Pilates, demonstrates using a reformer, but as I mentioned earlier, you really don't need one. You just need to be able to drive your knees backward rather than your arms forward (which would be a regular ab wheel rollout).

We've demonstrated with the reformer so you can try it in your local Pilates studio or just see how to do the movement with the best form possible. Although you may meet some natural resistance performing on the ground with your knees on sliders, you can load springs on the reformer bed, making this even tougher on your shoulders and core muscles.

The instability of the wheel recruits your core to maintain balance and control, but it's not a must-have. Using this variation, you'll start with your shoulders stacked over your wrists in a tabletop position, hands about shoulder-width apart, then push away with your hands to slide your knees back in the rollout, delivering a deep stretch down the front of your body.

Some of my clients report feeling more stable driving the knees back with the hands planted compared to moving forward with the hands. Either way, push away with your hands, almost creating a hollow position with the upper body as you move and count at least 3-4 seconds out and back in.

You'll also challenge your core to draw your knees inward to the start position again, holding your muscles under tension through the entire movement.

• Start on your knees with your hands on the stable platform and knees on the bed. Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists
• Engage your core, then push away and slowly push your knees backward to open the bed. Keep your hips lifted and push out of your hands to keep your shoulders stable and active
• Once you've rolled out as far as you can control, pause, then really squeeze your stomach as you roll back into the starting position again
• Try 6-10 reps and 3-4 sets.

If you plan to try ab rollouts of any kind and are dealing with low back pain, shoulder injury, are pre or post-natal, or have a health condition, check with a qualified professional first and seek medical advice.

The rotator cuff muscles support the scapulae and assist movement to stabilize your shoulders, which is crucial for movements like ab rollouts in the gym. If you are working with rotator cuff injury in particular, seek personalized advice.

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