That's Fit

With there being so many exercises that target the abdominal muscles, it's really tough to pinpoint which are the best. Everyone's body is different, so that doesn't exactly help make it any easier. Still, there are some exercises that seem to stand out from the rest, either for their effectiveness in firming your midsection or simply because they are less commonly practiced. And sometimes, it's a combination of both of these reasons.

This is certainly the case with the barbell roll-out. The move itself may seem slightly familiar; the roll-out movement itself became quite popular about 10 years ago after TV fitness salespeople hawked various brands of exercise wheels. Then, because some gyms didn't have these wheels, some people actually brought their own. But why spend money on something when you don't have to?

The barbell roll-out is a great exercise for your transverse abdominis, which are primary muscles in the functional core of the human body. And, it can be done with the equipment found in just about any fitness center or home gym. Start by loading a barbell with a small weight on either side (five-pound plates are perfect). Next, kneel down on a towel and grasp the bar with a grip that's around shoulder-width apart. Then, roll out in front of you to lower your upper body just above the floor. When you have reached almost full extension of your arms, hold for a second and then pull yourself back to the starting position.

This is not an easy exercise to do, so don't be discouraged if you can't do all that many (or any at all). With some patience and determination, you'll eventually build up enough strength to do multiple sets of several reps of this cool-looking and very effective ab movement.