I am glad to greet everyone who is now reading this article. From it you can get information about what a press roller is, what muscles are involved when working on it. And this is already the 100th article on the blog, with which I congratulate myself and you.
I am sure you have seen such a device on the Web more than once. As a rule, the press roller is a wheel with two handles on the sides, but other designs are also available. This very roller in artistic gymnastics is called a gymnastic wheel, so if you come across a similar name, you should know that this is the same device.
By the way, you can buy it in verified store and the cost is small.
What is a roller?
In modern society, it is now rare to find a person who has such a projectile for training the whole body at home. Yes, you heard it right – for a full body workout. Although in Soviet times, these simulators were popular and widespread.
It would seem, well, what is there in this gymnastic wheel. But in reality, it turns out that all the main and many non-main muscle groups swing.
To work out the whole body, it is enough to limit yourself to 6 - 8 exercises - this will be enough for muscle growth, stretching, increasing muscle strength and overall strength, endurance, if you can perform a large number of repetitions (more than 15).
In order to understand which muscles are involved, we will consider a standard exercise - rolling the roller back and forth from a standing position. That is, you stand on your feet, but rest your hands on the handles of the roller, the wheel of which is on the ground.
After that, you need to, so to speak, “disperse” and “move in” without touching the floor with your knees, stomach or chest. Reliance only on the wheel itself through the arms and legs. At first, it is best to do this exercise from the knees. For men, I advise on the press at home.
What muscles are working?
Well, to put it in a few words, all the muscles. But still, let's take a closer look at a working corset.
Back. You won't believe it, but the back muscles, and to the greatest extent those located along the spine (trapezius, latissimus dorsi, lumbar), receive an enormous load during the roll back and forth. The peak of tension occurs at the lowest point, when it is necessary to keep the entire body straight.
Breast. Not so much involved in the work, but still doing their part.
Deltas (shoulders). Oddly enough, but a huge burden also falls on the shoulders - it is they who allow you to bring the video back and forth and it depends on them whether you can do it or not.
Rectus and oblique abdominal muscles (abs and sides). Like the back, it receives a rather large load, because it is responsible for bending the body, and when lowered, it also stretches. The sides are not so tense during work - they play the role of stabilizing muscles, following the balance of the body.
Muscles of the legs and buttocks. Although footwork seems obvious, it is not. here they are even more involved in the work than all the underlying muscles.
The muscles of the thighs and lower legs are stretched and strained only statically, if this is a non-specific exercise on the legs (but we are discussing the basic exercise with you now, I will write about all the exercises tomorrow). The buttocks tense up during flexion and extension of the hip joints, which also pumps them enough.
Hands. As in the case of the legs, the arms are loaded only statically (, triceps, forearms), being responsible for the grip, holding the projectile and the position of the arms (bent or straight).
Small muscles of the neck. The neck is also involved in the work, but in general it does not contribute too much to the exercise, although if the muscles of the neck hurt, during lowering and lifting you will feel exactly when they come into play.
Round, rhomboid and serrated. These small muscles are subordinate to the "senior muscles" near which they are located. That is, if a nearby large group of muscles is tense strongly, then they will be more involved in the work. And vice versa.
Skeletal. As you know, our body is not limited to the muscles that we can see. There are also skeletal muscles that also work quite well during this exercise. Tellingly, the roller allows you to train these muscles, although with conventional exercises with free weights or with your own weight, this effect is very difficult to achieve.
Joints. Well, of course, the joints to which the muscles described above are attached receive a huge workout and strengthening. You may not have outstanding musculature and large dimensions, but thanks to the strength of the joints, you can do things that some “pumps” cannot. Bruce Lee is an example.
A gymnastic roller belongs to the category of simulators that act by a complex method on the human body during training. This compact projectile is able to provide maximum payload to the muscles of the press, back, and shoulder girdle. Regular exercise with a roller will also allow you to quickly lose extra pounds.
Types of rollers and prices for simulators
Called a press roller, a fitness wheel or a gymnastics wheel, the rollers are ideal for both professionals and amateurs who want to lose weight or improve their physical shape. A small-sized simulator is a wheel with handles on the sides. Manufacturers produce shells of different types. These videos include:
- With return mechanism;
- With a single wheel or with a pair;
- With a displaced center of gravity;
- Equipped with pedals;
- In the form of a trimmer with tensioners.
Gymnastic rollers with a return mechanism
For beginners who do not have experience in exercising, it is advisable to opt for a simulator with a return mechanism when buying a fitness wheel. Causes:
- The ability to avoid excess load on the body;
- Rapid development of the principles of work with the projectile.
The return mechanism makes the moment of returning the student to the starting position easier, reduces the degree of load on the lumbar region. This factor facilitates classes, which is of great importance for a person who is just starting to train. The cost of such a simulator is 350-700 rubles.
Projectile with one or two wheels
This type of roller is the most common. The design, which does not have a return mechanism, looks like one or two wheels equipped with an axle handle. A projectile with a pair of wheels has one advantage: there is no need to maintain balance during the exercise. Prices for such simulators are from 150 to 500 rubles.
Offset roller
Such shells are chosen for training by more experienced athletes. The reason for this is the complexity, which is quite difficult for a beginner to overcome: scrolling the wheel requires tangible effort. The price of the product is 300-400 rubles.
Pedal Trainer
The main advantage of a roller with pedals is access to exercises that put pressure on the legs. The presence of elements in the form of pedals does not significantly affect the cost of the structure. You can buy a wheel at a price of 700 to 1400 rubles.
Trimmer
The appearance of the projectile is a double wheel for the press, to the axis of which a flexible cable is attached. The opposite end of the cable during the exercise is fixed on the legs, increasing the load due to tension. There are models in which tensioning elements are supplied with rollers for each hand separately. Here the cost of the simulator is higher: 800-1500 Russian rubles.
Making the right choice
The level of training and age will not become obstacles on the way to classes with the use of a press wheel, however, the degree of your endurance cannot be ignored.
While the return-mechanism gymnastic roller is the ideal choice for a beginner, the off-center apparatus will allow you to maintain your already good shape. In the latter case, it is also advisable to give preference to a projectile with a tension cable.
Exercise
A simple exercise with a gymnastic roller:
- Kneel in front of a vertical wall;
- Take the wheel, put it in front of you;
- Roll forward, resting the wheel against the wall;
- Return to starting position.
You should increase the “roll out” distance if it was too easy.
In order to pump up muscles, get their beautiful contour or get rid of excess weight, unaesthetic fat deposits, it is necessary to expose the body to properly selected physical activity. For the sake of this, some go to a gym or a fitness center, where, under the supervision of professional trainers, they work out, others prefer to perform various exercises at home on their own. However, it will be very useful for both of them to use a gymnastic roller - this simplest, but incredibly effective simulator will help both create muscle relief and remove excess body fat.
Description of the simulator
This projectile in its simplest version consists of only two components - a wheel that is worn on the axis of the handle, but at the same time, it can be used to influence almost all muscle groups. In modern sports stores you can find many variations of the gymnastic roller - with two, three and even four wheels, with a trimmer cable, with a reverse mechanism. However, even without all these “gadgets”, the gymnastic roller for the press is very effective, able to compete in this respect even with a full-fledged home multi-station for fitness. Not to mention that any exercise without any equipment will not come close to the results that can be achieved with this video.
So, a person decided to buy such a projectile for himself and for this he came to a sports store. If it is a good and large outlet, it will have many options for such shells, and this can make it difficult to choose. As a rule, all varieties of a gymnastic roller are built according to the same scheme, only minor details differ:
- One or more wheels. Naturally, additional wheels increase the stability of the projectile and are therefore easier to use, especially for beginners who should not be distracted by maintaining balance and overexerting their muscles. But at the same time, one wheel on the roller allows you to train, in addition to muscles, the vestibular apparatus and coordination of movements. But this is reasonable if a person is in good physical shape or already with a certain experience in training on such a video.
- The presence or absence of a rubber edging on the wheel. When exercising at home, it is highly desirable to have a gymnastic wheel with a soft rubber rim. This will improve traction on the floor and prevent slips and falls, as well as provide less noise when exercising.
- return mechanism. Some types of roller have a mechanical or even electronic return mechanism that allows the wheel to move backwards during the exercise. This significantly reduces the load on the muscles, so it is perfect for beginner athletes.
- Roller with a displaced center of gravity. In this version of the projectile, the center of gravity of the wheel is displaced, as a result of which more effort is needed to rotate it. It is also intended for advanced users.
The reviews of those using this or that type of gymnastic roller differ, if one is enough with a simple projectile without problems, then others believe that the results of its use are rather meager. According to the latter, a gymnastic roller without additional load, or, moreover, with a return mechanism, is only a temporary stage for a person to get used to such exercises.
However, this is not entirely true - if one wants to pump up muscles and improve their relief with the help of a roller, then others (especially girls) just need to remove fat deposits and make the figure fit. Therefore, the choice of the type of roller depends on the initial physical preparation of the person and the goals that he wants to achieve using it.
An important and frequently asked question about the use of this video is the following - what muscles and their groups are involved in exercises with it? In fact, with the right approach, almost all major muscles work, especially in problem areas:
- First of all, these are almost all abdominal muscle groups, it is not for nothing that this projectile is called a press roller or a press wheel.
- Muscles of the belt and free upper limb (arms).
- Muscles of the back and waist.
- The main muscle groups of the thighs, gluteal muscles.
- Leg muscles (when positioned on the toes during exercise).
Of course, for a professional athlete, this video still will not replace full-fledged simulators, since the maximum load when using it is limited by the person's own weight. However, the reviews confirm the opinion that this projectile will help the athlete “keep in shape” who was forced to interrupt his training, or can serve as an excellent warm-up option.
For beginner bodybuilders or people who want to keep their body in good physical shape, the gymnastic wheel is the best fit. Especially given the fact that it takes up little space even in the cramped apartment when stored, and for classes on it you need only a couple of square meters of flat floor space.
How to deal with roller
After the video is selected and purchased, it is necessary to develop an exercise plan for it. Usually all schemes are divided into classes for beginners, for more experienced and for people with a very good physical shape. However, practice and reviews show that it is not always correct, for example, for experienced users to do exercises only from their scheme.
It is better to start with simpler and less tiring exercises in order to warm up the ligaments and muscles, otherwise there is a risk of serious strain.
Of course, this advice can not be followed in the case when the lesson on the gymnastic roller is preceded by other warm-up options (running, jumping in place, stretching).
Beginners, as well as experienced athletes, need to use a gymnastic roller as a warm-up, performing the exercise as follows. Starting position - kneeling on the floor. You need to take hold of the handles of the gymnastic roller and, keeping your arms straight, slowly roll it forward until the torso is parallel to the floor (but do not lie down on the floor!). After the same slow movement and with straight arms, you need to pull the wheel towards you, returning to its original position.
In the event that exercises with a gymnastic roller according to the previous description have already become commonplace, you can complicate the exercises. To do this, the roller is taken by the handles, the person bends down from a standing position and slowly rolls the wheel away from him until his arms, torso and legs line up in a straight line parallel to the floor. In this case, the emphasis should be only on the roller wheel and toes. Then also slowly return to the starting position.
If a person has a very good athletic shape, then you can complicate the exercise even more. To do this, you need to lie on the floor, stretching your arms with the wheel forward, and from this position begin to gradually rise until the lower back reaches the highest point, and then slowly lower to the starting position.
In addition to a specific exercise scheme, you need to know a few more basic rules for practicing with a gymnastic roller:
- Beginners, as part of their exercise, can do 6-9 repetitions in one approach, that is, rise and fall 6-9 times. According to the second scheme of the lesson, you need to do no more than 6 repetitions, and according to the third - no more than 3-4, then take a break for 5-10 minutes, during which you can jump on a rope or on the spot. In total, you can do up to 6-8 approaches, but in this matter it is important to listen to your body and not drive it to complete exhaustion.
- An important factor in the effectiveness of exercising with a roller, both for the purpose of losing weight and for training muscles, is proper breathing. The best option is to inhale through the nose when lowering the body down and exhale through the mouth when lifting up. With irregular breathing, the supply of oxygen to working tissues is disrupted, due to this, the breakdown of fats is inhibited, and a lot of lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, which causes krepatura and slows down the growth of new muscle fibers.
- It is also important to perform all the exercises described above slowly and evenly. Slow execution guarantees greater muscle tension in duration, which increases the effectiveness of the exercise. And vice versa, fast and, especially jerky, “skating” on a gymnastic roller leads to the fact that almost 70% of the time the muscles are relaxed and do not experience any useful load.
Such daily exercises for 15-25 minutes will help maintain excellent physical shape for both men and women, and contribute to the effective burning of excess body fat. If a man wants to use this projectile to make himself a beautiful and uniform muscle relief, then he should alternate such exercises with pull-ups on the horizontal bar. This will further stimulate muscle growth in the back and shoulder girdle.
Everyone wants to be the owner of a toned torso and surprise everyone with the relief of their developed muscles. After the winter, the excess weight that has appeared requires active action: it is necessary to deal with the shortcomings of the figure, and this can be done at home - for this there are special exercises on the roller for the press.
Gymnastic roller for the press
The Torneo press roller has a simple mechanism, it consists of a rotating wheel and a handle. This is an ideal simulator to tighten the stomach, pump up the body. The advantages of the roller is that you can not go to the gym, but work on yourself at home. Press exercises with a roller will help you quickly achieve the desired result. You need to choose a roller simulator taking into account physical fitness:
- If you are just starting to practice, buy a circle with a limiter, where there is a return mechanism, it will help you return from the prone position to the starting position.
- The more wheels, the easier it is to maintain balance. Beginners should pay attention to the fitness video of this modification.
- The wide wheel increases the efficiency of the load on the abdominal muscles. For professionals, the heavier the disc, the better.
How to deal with the press roller
Exercises on the press wheel are not recommended for those who have had a back injury, have osteochondrosis or an umbilical hernia. Classes with a roller give a lot of physical activity, if used improperly, they may not be beneficial, but cause irreparable harm to health. Before using this sports equipment, it is better to consult a doctor for contraindications. Exercises with a roller for the press from the knees:
- Starting position: kneel, hold the disk in outstretched arms under your shoulders, fix the roller on the floor.
- While inhaling, begin to roll the wheel forward until you reach the maximum distance. When moving, try not to bend your elbows. Try to stay in this position.
- While exhaling and straining as much as possible, begin to pull yourself back. Try to straighten up to the original position.
- You need to roll the wheel several times per approach.
Ab Roller Exercises for Women
When starting a workout, remember that even simple exercises with a press wheel for women can cause severe soreness. Be sure to stretch after class. Exercises with a roller for weight loss and the press:
- Get on your knees, placing them at a short distance. Hold on to the handle, rest on the floor. Move forward and backward in half amplitude.
- Repeat the previous exercise with full amplitude. Try not to bend your arms. Return to a straight stance.
- The “squatting” option differs only in the initial position: lie on the mat at arm’s length, put the roller, grab the handle, stretch to your knees as you exhale.
Abs roller exercise for men
The simulator can be varied and effectively pumped up not only the press: the muscles of the back, legs, arms, buttocks take an active part during training. It is very difficult to pump the press with this device, but it is effective. Men first need to work only from their knees at a slow pace. Let it be 10-12 reps for two sets. It is better to watch the video before class in order to perform the exercises as correctly as possible. Gradually add tempo. The next stage of the training will be work from a standing position.
- Stand up to your full height with your legs slightly apart.
- Take the disk in your hands and rest it on the floor near your feet.
- Start rolling, always with even arms, try to stretch as far as possible, but do not lie down completely. Do the action by inhaling.
- When you manage to reach the maximum stretch on the floor, start lingering in the crease, the results from training will be more noticeable.
More complex exercises with a press wheel for men, when you move the roller obliquely or to the sides, this helps to strengthen the lateral muscles of the press:
- It is performed while sitting with legs stretched out.
- Push the roller away from you to the right and left 7 times.
- The same task can be performed from a full-length stand.
This exercise requires a lot of energy. Do it regularly and the effect will be amazing. And a more difficult task is to pump the press on the wheel on one hand: for this you need to use two rollers - one in each hand. More clearly, you can see all these exercises in the video, but for now:
- Take an emphasis lying down.
- One hand is motionless, and with the help of the second you stretch the body according to the same principle, but rising as much as possible in the prone position. Sportswear is guaranteed.
Exercise with a gymnastic roller for beginners
For beginners, each exercise on the press roller will not be easy, but the result is worth the effort. Approaches you can distribute evenly throughout the day. Keep in mind that these loads cause strong muscle tension, you need to do them, gradually increasing the load. It is better for beginners to use the video with caution. Before class, do a little warm-up: warming up is a good help to muscles and injury prevention.
This simple ab wheel exercise for beginners can be mastered by anyone:
- Approach the wall a short distance and roll the wheel from your knees so that it rests against the wall at a convenient distance for you. At the same time, make sure that your arms are straightened.
- Repeat this exercise up to 20 times. Gradually, you will be able to move further away from the wall.
- When you can do the task with ease, rise from your knees and do everything in the same order, but from a standing position.
- After twenty rolls, move back until you can fully stretch.
Video: exercises with a gymnastic roller
Perhaps, each of us at least once in his life held a gymnastic roller in his hands, which is a wheel with two handles: on the left and on the right. This projectile does not take up much space, its price is quite affordable, and therefore quite often it is found at home with a variety of people. True, not every owner of the simulator regularly uses it. Meanwhile, such a simple device allows almost all muscles to work, although the main load falls on the abdominal press.
The gymnastic roller is an excellent projectile for home strength training. It will suit more "advanced" fitness enthusiasts than beginners, as it allows you to perform a complex compound exercise that develops the upper body and abs.
Strength training or aerobics?
Contrary to popular belief among non-professionals, strength training in burning fat is a much more effective measure than the cardio exercises favored by weight loss. After all, aerobics works only during the session, and strength exercises have a prolonged effect, lasting several hours, or even days, after you have finished the session. The point is that the more muscle mass a person has, the faster metabolism occurs in his body. Even during rest and sleep, an accelerated metabolism destroys unnecessary
Experts call the gymnastic roller the most effective home equipment for drawing the relief of the abdomen. The flexors and extensors are under tremendous stress. At the top, the arms and shoulders work, but even more - the pectoral and spinal muscles. Below, the buttocks, femoral biceps and quadriceps are actively improved (one of the most problematic areas). The only thing that the gymnastic video is not perfect in: the exercises with it are too difficult for beginners. Therefore, coaches advise starting with simplified forms, and as physical fitness improves, move on to full-fledged loads.
Advantages and disadvantages
Most people who use the gymnastic roller praise it. The main advantage of the projectile is that the load from it is complex and affects a very large number of muscles. They also note its practicality: the size is small, the device is simple and strong, nothing but the floor is required to work with it. Working with such a simulator is a pleasure.
For objectivity, it is worth noting a couple of minuses. The first is injury risk. Problems are most likely with the lumbar region. To avoid them - follow the correct technique. The second is the lack of efficiency in the opinion of some users. To believe them or not is a personal matter, however, the facts remain facts: with proper and regular training, there is still an effect, and a considerable one.
Exercises
So, how to use a gymnastic roller correctly? Below are the options for exercises with this projectile.
- Kneeling, hold the roller with outstretched arms on the floor near the chest. Start slowly rolling the projectile away from you until you touch your knees with your chest, then just as smoothly roll it towards you, returning to the starting position.
- Variation of exercise 1. In the farthest position of the roller, linger for 2-4 seconds, and only then do the movement back.
- Sitting on the floor with a straight back and bent knees, place the roller under your feet and roll it away from you, bending your upper body in the direction of movement. When the slope reaches its maximum, you can move back. Do not try to do this exercise perfectly the first time - it requires a certain skill that comes with time.
To increase the effectiveness of classes, take a deep breath before tilting, and exhaling during lifts.
