For your abs
For your abs, cable crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Ab wheel rollout gives more stretch.
Both are good choices, and they train the abs differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Ab Wheel Rollout. Hard work for the abs in a stretched position, but difficult to progress and tough on the lower back if form slips.
Cable Crunch. Loadable spinal flexion: the abs finally get progressive overload like any other muscle.
For your abs, cable crunch rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Ab wheel rollout gives more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the abs differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
Cable crunch is easier: it’s easy to learn, while ab wheel rollout takes some practice.
Ab wheel rollout needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Cable crunch needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Cable crunch: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for ab wheel rollout.