Barbell Rollout Exercise Guide: How to, Benefits, and Variations

June 15, 2023

The barbell rollout activates the back and shoulders to work your core.

Want to improve your posture and overall fitness? It all starts with a strong core! Unfortunately, as we age, many of us experience poor posture caused by excessive sitting, which is especially common among those with desk jobs. Whether sitting for work or leisure, chances are high that you’re not doing favors for your posture. But don’t fret! You can combat sitting-related posture problems by strengthening your core and keeping yourself strong and healthy. In this article, we will share how the barbell rollout is an effective ab routine for strengthening your core.

As a bodybuilder, weightlifter, or athlete, your core is even more important because it stabilizes your entire body. A weakness in this area could lead to lower back pain. Plus, you could get an extending waistline which won’t do wonders for your overall physique.

Ab exercises are a great way to maintain good posture and avoid declining fitness. Here is all that you need to know about the barbell rollout, how to do it, its benefits, and some useful variations that you can use in your training.

How to do the Barbell Rollout

The barbell rollout and variations of it, like the ab wheel rollout, is considered a high-performing ab routine (1). It targets your rectus abdominis and iliopsoas while recruiting your pecs and delts. Doing this exercise with the right form ensures you’re activating your abs. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do the barbell rollout:

Load a barbell with a weight plate on both sides.
Kneel on a mat or the floor, ensuring your knees are steady.
Grasp the barbell firmly at shoulder width with your hands in the overhand position (palms facing downwards). Make sure your shoulders are positioned directly above the barbell.
Brace your core, and then keeping your back straight, roll out the barbell until you’re in the superman position with your arms fully extended.
Keeping your core tight, use it to pull the barbell back towards your knees to complete the rep.

Tips

When doing the barbell rollout, ensure that your arms and back remain straight. Don’t arch your back, as doing so will limit the work on your abs. Don’t allow your butt or hips to drop during the movement to keep the tension on your core, too.

Do this routine slowly, using your core to roll the barbell out and back to your knees. Using your arms instead will defeat the purpose of this exercise since we want our core to do the bulk of the work. If you can’t get to the point where your arms are fully extended when rolling out, try for as far as you can. The more you do this exercise, the better you’ll get at completing the full range of motion.

Benefits of the Barbell Rollout

Barbell rollouts are great for your abs and help to improve your posture. Here are some benefits when you add this exercise to your workouts.

Improved Stability and Core Strength

Barbell rollouts help to improve your stability and increase your core strength. You can go from not being able to do a full rep to doing multiple reps easily.

Better Coordination and Balance

Your core muscles are important in your overall coordination and balance. Improving their strength with barbell rollouts leads to better balance and coordination. This exercise effectively engages every muscle in your core.

Better Posture

Your lumbar positioning affects your posture, and barbell rollouts improve your lumbar positioning. This leads to better posture overall.

Increased Athletic Performance

You use your core for exercises like deadlifts and squats. Building your core muscles with the barbell rollout makes you stronger on them. You’ll also do them in better form to prevent injury. Moreover, this movement will have a carryover to sports since a strong core is needed for athletic performance.

Reduced Injury Risks

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide (2). Strengthening your core muscles can help reduce your risk of lower back injury and alleviate lumbar spine pain.

Variations of the Barbell Rollout

Barbell rollouts, like all other exercises, have variations you can include in your training to provide an alternative in case you can’t do them. The ones below majorly work on the same muscles but may require other equipment. But we’ve included a popular bodyweight core builder too.

Standing Ab Rollout

Standing ab rollouts vary from the barbell rollout, but you start in a standing position with this routine. This recruits your leg muscles to an extent and has a larger range of motion. You are also more pushed to maintain proper form with this movement when returning to the start position, which greatly activates your core.

Ab Wheel Rollout

The ab wheel rollout is the most popular variation of this exercise and works the same muscles as the barbell rollout. This exercise takes up less space because the ab wheels are smaller. However, barbell rollouts are more comfortable because you can alter your grip width.

Stability Ball Rollout

Doing a rollout with a stability ball is easier. However, it takes a lot more balance and stability to do them with proper form.

Planks

Planks are a popular bodyweight exercise that works similar muscles to the barbell rollout when fully stretched. If you don’t have a barbell, ab wheel, or stability ball handy, this is the routine to go for.

Anatomy of The Core

The human core comprises muscles that stabilize, support, and move your spine. Based on their functions, we can divide these muscles into two major groups, the movers and the stabilizers (3). Understanding how those muscles work can help you see the importance of adding ab exercises like the barbell rollout to your regimen.

Stabilizers

The stabilizer muscles help to keep you strong and stable. They also play the role of maintaining your intra-abdominal pressure. It comprises your transversus abdominis, pelvic floor muscles, multifidi, and, some experts say, your diaphragm.

Movers

The movers are the abdominal muscles that help you bend over, backward, to the side, and twist. They also help you sit up. The movers are your rectus abdominus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, and obliques.

FAQs

What muscles do barbell rollouts work?

Barbell rollouts target core muscles like rectus abdominus, obliques, and deep stabilizer muscles. They also activate your delts and pecs.

Are barbell rollouts effective?

Yes, barbell rollouts are an effective way to build your core muscles and improve your stability. They also work on your posture and balance.

What is a barbell rollout?

The barbell rollout is an ab exercise done with a barbell that requires immense stability and core strength. It’s a great way to sculpt your abs and core muscles.

How do I make my barbell rollouts harder?

Barbell rollouts are routines with a high difficulty level. However, you can make things harder by putting on a weighted vest.

References

Escamilla, R. F., Babb, E., DeWitt, R., Jew, P., Kelleher, P., Burnham, T., Busch, J., D’Anna, K., Mowbray, R., & Imamura, R. T. (2006). Electromyographic analysis of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training. Physical therapy, 86(5), 656–671.
Hartvigsen, J., Hancock, M. J., Kongsted, A., Louw, Q., Ferreira, M. L., Genevay, S., Hoy, D., Karppinen, J., Pransky, G., Sieper, J., Smeets, R. J., Underwood, M., & Lancet Low Back Pain Series Working Group (2018). What low back pain is and why we need to pay attention. Lancet (London, England), 391(10137), 2356–2367. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30480-X
Oliva-Lozano, J. M., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Core Muscle Activity During Physical Fitness Exercises: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(12), 4306. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124306