The Power Wheel is a great advanced core training tool. It creates instability and really forces your core to engage and work during compound movements. It can take plank, crawls and glute bridges to the next level.
However, you must make sure that your core activates and engages correctly before using the Power Wheel or you could end up engaging your low back instead of your abs and glutes.
But once you are ready, or using some of the beginner movements below to build up, you can use the Power Wheel to test your core strength and learn how to engage properly during more challenging, unstable and compound movements. (Plus the Power Wheel can be a great home gym tool if you are looking to focus on core strength and stability!)
Learning To Use The Power Wheel
The Power Wheel creates instability to make basic exercises even more challenging. By simply using the Power Wheel, you can force your core to work harder to balance and stabilize to prevent your low back from taking over.
A great place for beginners to start with the Power Wheel is with a Power Wheel Plank Hold or Glute Bridge Hold.
By performing these Isometric Moves on the Power Wheel, you add a level of difficulty because the Power Wheel not only can want to roll away from you, but also teeter to each side.
Basic Power Wheel Exercises
Power Wheel Plank Hold – This is a great exercise to build your core strength and stability. It is also a great way to progress the basic plank and learn how to brace your abs when there is instability. This will help you begin to develop the mind-body connection to make sure your abs are braced when you perform other compound movements.
To do the Power Wheel Plank Hold, hold a handle of the power wheel in each hand. Place the power wheel under your shoulders with your arms straight and push up into a high plank position on the wheel from either your knees (beginner) or toes (advanced). Make sure that you aren’t shrugging your shoulders and that your arms are straight with the wheel right under your chest and shoulders and not way out in front of you.
Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels with your abs engaged and your belly button drawn in toward your spine. Flex your quads as well and squeeze your glutes to brace your entire core as you hold. Feel your upper back working as well to support your shoulders. Do not shrug!
Place your feet closer together to make the move harder or wider apart to provide more stability. Hold in that nice straight plank position. Advanced exercisers may want to do small rolls forward with the power wheel as they hold. Slightly rolling the power wheel above your shoulders and then bringing it back under your shoulders will force your core to really work. Don’t do this move though if your hips sag and your low back engages. Your body should stay in a nice straight line as you slightly extend overhead and then pull the wheel back under.
Glute Bridge Hold – The Glute Bridge Hold is a great way to progress the basic Glute Bridge and really challenge your backside as well as your abs. It will force you to really engage your glutes and bridge straight up so that the wheel doesn’t roll out and away from you!
Do not add in the Power Wheel if you struggle to extend your hips and engage your glutes with the basic Glute Bridge Hold. You do not want your low back to take over during this movement.
To do the Power Wheel Glute Bridge Hold, place your feet on the foot pedals and tighten the foot wraps. Lie on your back and bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that you can push through your elbows, upper arms and back when you bridge up. Bring the power wheel in toward your butt. Make sure it is in close enough that you can drive the wheel straight down into the ground when you bridge up so that the wheel doesn’t roll away.
Then, driving through your upper back, arms and your feet on the wheel, raise your hips up as high as you can. Squeeze your glutes as you drive straight down into the wheel so that it doesn’t roll away. Make sure to keep your abs braced as you bridge up and hold. Do not hyperextend your low back just to bridge up higher. Hold at the top and squeeze your glutes and brace your core. Do not let your heels roll away from you as you hold.
If you struggle to bridge up or feel your low back engaging and taking over, regress the movement to a bridge without the wheel. You can even start with a Glute Bridge Off Box.
Once you’ve built some core stability with the Power Wheel Isometric moves, you should move on to some compound core exercises with movement. These moves and the instability of the Power Wheel will really force your core to engage and work as you work some other large muscle groups.
Intermediate Power Wheel Core Exercises
The Power Wheel Roll Out, Glute Bridge and Curl, Power Wheel Knee Tucks and Standing Roll to Plank are a great way to advance from the isometric holds and really challenge your core.
Power Wheel Roll Out – If you’ve ever seen someone using an Ab Wheel, this is most likely the move they were doing. The movement is much more challenging than you even realize, especially if you do it correctly. It will work your legs, glutes, abs and lats as well as your arms. It really is a complete core movement. (And not a bad move if you want to build core strength for Pull Ups!)
The most important point to remember with the Power Wheel Roll Out is to not sit your butt back first and take all the strain off your core just so you can roll out further. Sitting your butt back first is cheating and defeats the purpose of the move!
To do the Power Wheel Roll Out, set up on your knees with your hands on the power wheel handles. With your arms straight pull the power wheel under your shoulders so you are in a modified push up position on your knees. Make sure you aren’t shrugging your shoulders and also make sure to brace your abs before you begin the roll out.
With your abs braced, roll the power wheel out while keeping your arms straight. As you roll out, your whole body should lengthen out and lower toward the ground. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up toward the ceiling as you roll out. Keep your abs engaged and squeeze your glutes to protect your low back.
Then begin to pull the power wheel back in while keeping your arms straight. Feel your lats pulling the power wheel back in and under your body. Your back and triceps should work to pull the wheel back in as your abs and legs keep your body in a straight line. Do not let your butt go back first as you come back to the plank position.
Once you pull back to the push up position, go right back out. Again your butt should not lead the pull back in. Everything should move back in together. Your abs and glutes should be engaged the entire time.
Glute Bridge and Curl – The Power Wheel Glute Bridge and Curl is a very challenging hamstring and glute exercise that also requires a lot of core strength to protect your low back during the movement. Beginners will need to start with either a single leg variation off of sliders or using a suspension trainer. They will then want to progress to a two leg variation and finally add in the power wheel.
While you may want to cheat and attempt the Power Wheel variation because it is fun and simply let your hips sag as you do the movement, you won’t get as much out of the Glute Bridge and Curl if you don’t perform the proper variation. Only progress as you build strength!
To do the Power Wheel Glute Bridge and Curl, place your feet on the pedals and tighten the straps. Lie on your back and bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that you can drive up off your elbows and upper arms when you bridge up. Bend your knees and bring the power wheel in toward your butt.
Then drive through your upper back, arms, elbows and your feet in the wheel to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight while at the top of the glute bridge.
Keeping your abs braced, slowly roll the power wheel out and straighten your legs out until they are basically completely straight. As you extend your legs, your butt will lower toward the ground; however, you don’t want your hips to sag. Keep your core and glutes engaged so your body extends as one unit.
Once your legs are out straight, pull your heels back in toward your butt, rolling the power wheel back in as you lift your hips back up into the bridge. Do not hyperextend your back. Keep your abs braced and squeeze your glutes at the top. Feel your hamstrings work to pull the wheel back in. Don’t bounce or use momentum. Pull the wheel in with your hamstrings.
Once you bring the wheel back in toward your butt, again straighten your legs back out and repeat.
Click here for other variations of the Glute Bridge and Curl.
Power Wheel Knee Tucks – Planks are a great challenging core exercise and you simply have to hold still. By adding in a Power Wheel and a Knee Tuck, you can add an extra challenge to the basic High Plank Hold. The Power Wheel creates more instability and the Knee Tuck forces your entire core to work harder to stay balanced and engaged as you pull your knees in and extend back out.
Beginners will want to start with a Mountain Climber variation using sliders or a suspension trainer first. You must also have master the High Plank Hold before attempting this move or you won’t engage your core correctly and will instead end up engaging your low back.
To do the Power Wheel Knee Tucks, place the power wheel on your feet with your feet on the pedals secured by the strap. Start on your knees with the wheel behind you and place your hands on the ground. Then lift up into a high plank position from your hands and your feet in the wheel. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line down to the wheel. Do not shrug your shoulders or let your hips sag or butt go up in the air. Brace your abs.
Then, holding this plank position, tuck your knees in toward your chest. Draw them in using your abs. Do not let your butt go way up in the air as you tuck. Roll the wheel in and don’t let it tip over or go way off to one side. Tuck in as far as you can and then extend back out.
Keep control over the wheel and don’t move too quickly. Extend back out into the plank position and make sure to not roll too far back. Then repeat the tuck. Feel your core working to tuck your knees in each time.
Standing Roll to Plank – The Standing Roll to Plank is a great way to work on core strength and build up to the full Inchworm. It seems simple, but takes more core strength than you realize to stop yourself from just continuing to roll out when you move into the High Plank position.
To do the Standing Roll to Plank, hold the power wheel in both hands and bend over to place it on the ground right in front of your feet. Keep your legs and arms straight as you place the wheel down right in front of your feet. Try not to simply round over as you place the wheel on the ground.
Keeping your legs straight, begin to roll the wheel out and lower down into a plank. Engage your abs and squeeze your glutes as you roll out into the High Plank position off the wheel. Roll the wheel out so it is about under your shoulders. Try not to roll way out in front of your shoulders. Do not shrug or let your hips sag. Roll fully out into the plank and squeeze your abs and glutes.
Then roll back in, keeping your legs straight as you roll the wheel all the way back to your feet.
Advanced Power Wheel Exercises
From these Power Wheel Moves, you can progress to the Pike, Crawls, Inchworm and Posterior Plank to L Sit.
Power Wheel Pike – The Power Wheel Pike is a great way to progress the Knee Tucks, but requires a good deal of mobility as well as upper body and core strength. If you struggle to keep your butt from going up or your low back from engaging during the Knee Tucks, don’t progress to the Pike.
To do the Pike, place your feet in the power wheel and tighten the straps and then turn over onto your knees and hands. Lift up into the high plank position with your feet in the power wheel and your hands under your shoulders. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your feet in the wheel.
Brace your abs and then begin to pike up, pushing your butt up toward the ceiling as you use your abs to draw the wheel in toward your head. Keep your legs straight as you pull the wheel in as close as you can to your head. As you pull the wheel in, you will want to press your chest back toward your legs and shift your weight over your hands a bit almost as if moving to do a handstand.
Then roll the wheel back out and drop your butt back down as you move back into the plank position. Repeat the move, tucking in and piking up as much as you can.
Power Wheel Crawl – If you want to a cardio move that will also blast your core, you need to include the Power Wheel Crawl. However, this is a very challenging move, requiring a lot of upper body and core strength. Beginners will want to start with a Basic Table Top Crawl instead.
To do the Power Wheel Crawl, place your feet in the Power Wheel and then turn over onto your hands and lift up into the high plank position with your body in a nice straight line from your head to your feet on the wheel. Brace your abs and start with your hands under your shoulders.
Then step forward with one hand to begin to walk forward. Step forward with one hand and then the other, keeping your arms basically straight and your body in a nice straight line. Really brace your abs to minimize the wiggle of your hips from side to side. Try not to rock a lot on the wheel and do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air as you crawl forward. Move slowly so you can keep your core engaged.
Once you’ve crawled forward, you can also reverse the Power Wheel Crawl and make it even more challenging!
Click here for more Crawling Variations.
Power Wheel Push – Instead of dragging the power wheel behind you like you do for the Power Wheel Crawl, with the Power Wheel Push, you will push the wheel in your hands and take small steps forward. While it will be tempting to try to take bigger steps and let your core break down, you won’t get as much out of this move if you don’t slowly inch forward while holding the plank position from the wheel.
To do the Power Wheel Push, place your hands on the power wheel handles and set up in a High Plank Position from your hands and feet with your feet a few inches apart and the wheel about under your chest.
Bracing your abs and making sure not to shrug your shoulders, begin to take small steps forward with your feet. The steps will be really small, especially if you are focused on keeping your body in a nice straight line. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag. Also, do not bend your arms or let the wheel get way out in front of you as you begin to push it forward.
Continue to take small steps forward until you’re done.
Inchworm – Work your core and stretch your hamstrings with this Inchworm variation. While not as intense a mobility exercise as the basic Inchworm, it is even more core intensive.
To do the Inchworm, hold the power wheel in both hands and bend over to place it on the ground right in front of your feet. Keep your legs and arms straight as you place the wheel down right in front of your feet. Try not to simply round over as you place the wheel on the ground.
Keeping your legs straight, begin to roll the wheel out and lower down into a plank. Engage your abs and squeeze your glutes as you roll out into the High Plank position off the wheel. Roll the wheel out so it is about under your shoulders. Try not to roll way out in front of your shoulders. Do not shrug or let your hips sag. Roll fully out into the plank and squeeze your abs and glutes.
Then, keeping the power wheel still, walk your feet back in toward your hands. Do not bend your legs as you walk back in. Keep your legs straight to stretch your hamstrings. Once you walk your feet back into the wheel, roll back out into the plank position and repeat.
Posterior Plank to L-Sit – The Posterior Plank to L-Sit will work your entire core and is one of the most challenging moves listed here. It requires not only a lot of core strength but also a lot of upper body strength and mobility. Do not attempt this move if you can’t perform a proper Posterior Plank from the ground.
To do the Posterior Plank to L-Sit, strap your feet into the power wheel and start seated on your butt on the ground with your legs out straight in front of you. Place your hands on the ground behind your butt.
Driving through your feet on the wheel and your hands, lift your butt up off the ground. Then roll the wheel out and away from you as you drive your hips up and press your chest out. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs as you press your chest out and lean your head back to come into the Posterior Plank. Keep your legs straight as you roll out into the Posterior Plank.
Then lower your hips back down as you roll the wheel back toward you and pull your butt back in between your hands. Keep your legs straight as you pull your butt back into a seated, L-Sit position. Keep your butt about an inch or two off the ground as you pull it back between your arms.
Roll the wheel back out and press your hips back up into the Posterior Plank before repeating the L-Sit. Keep your arms straight throughout the entire movement.
Use these Power Wheel moves to get in a great core-intensive workout wherever you go! It is a great tool to have at home and a great way to really build your core strength and stability.
