Core and abs
The ab wheel and your lower back: the mistakes that load it
The ab wheel should tire your abs, not your back. When what you feel is your lower back, it is usually a technique or range mistake, and it can be fixed. These are the ones that come up most, and what to do about each.
By Iván López4 min read
Why it can load your back
As you roll forward, your bodyweight pulls your lower back downwards. If your abs cannot hold it at that point in the range, your back arches and the load moves from your abs to your lower back. It is not that the wheel is bad for your back: it is that you are rolling further than you can control.
The six most common mistakes
1. Rolling further than you can control
It is mistake number one. The full range from your knees takes a lot of strength, and getting there too early is the quickest way to arch your back.
Fix: roll towards a wall that sets your limit, and lengthen it little by little, week by week.
2. Not setting your pelvis
If your pelvis is tipped forward —bottom sticking out— your lower back starts off arched and can only get worse.
Fix: before you roll, squeeze your glutes and tuck your hips slightly. Hold that position throughout.
3. Coming back hips first
On the way back, many people push their hips back and pull with their legs, folding like a hinge. Your abs stop doing the work.
Fix: come back with your trunk as one block, like a plank of wood. Your hips move at the same time as your shoulders, not before.
4. Holding your breath without bracing
Holding your breath without tightening your midsection protects nothing.
Fix: brace your abs before you roll, as if someone were about to punch you in the stomach, and breathe out on the way back.
5. Carrying on after your technique has broken down
The last reps of a long set are the ones that load your back most: your abs are tired and your lower back takes over.
Fix: short sets, 5 to 8 reps. As soon as a rep comes out with your back arched, the set is over.
6. Looking ahead
Lifting your head to look forward tends to arch your whole spine.
Fix: look at the floor slightly ahead of the wheel, with your neck in line with your back.
How to check you are doing it right
- Film yourself from the side with your phone. It is the easiest way to see whether your lower back sags at the end of the range.
- Where you feel it: afterwards you should feel your abs, not your lower back.
- A benchmark: if you can stop halfway, hold for two seconds and come back without losing position, you are in control.
If the wheel is still too much
There is no harm in leaving it for a few weeks and building a base with exercises that ask for the same thing with less leverage:
- Front plank: 20 to 40 seconds, glutes squeezed and lower back flat.
- Dead bug: lying on your back, you lower opposite arm and leg without your lower back lifting off the floor.
- Plank with your forearms on a gym ball or a bench, which shortens the lever.
When a 40-second plank feels comfortable, go back to the wheel with a short range. A mat with a rubber base that does not slide across the floor works for all of this and protects your knees when you go back to the wheel.
The full step-by-step technique is in how to use an ab wheel.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it normal to feel your back with the ab wheel?
- It should not be. What should tire is your abs. If you feel your lower back, the usual cause is rolling further than you can control or not setting your pelvis: shorten the range and squeeze your glutes.
- Can I use the ab wheel if I have lower back pain?
- If you have diagnosed or persistent lower back pain, or pain that travels down your leg, see a professional first. This guide is about technique and does not replace that assessment.
- What should I do if I cannot control the wheel yet?
- Build a base with front planks and dead bugs for a few weeks. When you can hold a 40-second plank with a flat lower back, go back to the wheel with a short range against a wall.
This guide is general training information, not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, speak to a professional before you start, and stop if anything hurts sharply.
About the author
Iván López. I have been training for years and I choose every item in this shop one by one. I post workouts and product tests on my social media.
