How to do the Barbell Standing Ab Rollout
For this exercise you will need to get into a pushup position, but instead of having your hands of the floor, you will be grabbing on to an Olympic barbell (loaded with 5-10 lbs on each side) instead. This will be your starting position.
While keeping a slight arch on your back, lift your hips and roll the barbell towards your feet as you exhale. Tip: As you perform the movement, your glutes should be coming up, you should be keeping the abs tight and should maintain your back posture at all times. Also your arms should be staying perpendicular to the floor throughout the movement. If you don't, you will work out your shoulders and back more than the abs.
After a second contraction at the top, start to roll the barbell back forward to the starting position slowly as you inhale.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1.5 min |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 1 min |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a rep or a harder variation next session.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Primary
Secondary
The abs flex your spine and stop it from arching. Mix crunching moves (crunches, leg raises) with anti-extension work (planks, rollouts).
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