Ab roller recovery time#1631

Usually I can rest a day or two before reworking a muscle group. I picked up an ab roller and did them up against a weight to limit the range at first so I could make sure my form and posture was correct before going too hard. I did about 100 reps across 5 sets. Abs on fire for about a week. Tried it again this time with a little more range of motion, same thing. It’s been about three days and my abs still hurt when I engage. Should I just push through or let it fully recover? Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to alleviate the recovery?

Hey. This is Chrys, one of the trainers at Hybrid.
That soreness is normal—especially with the ab roller, since it hits deep stabilizers most people don’t train directly. Doing 100 reps, even scaled, is a big spike in volume, so it makes sense you’re feeling it for days after. Don’t push through when the soreness is sharp or limits basic movement; train again once it’s mostly faded. For recovery, light movement helps more than total rest—easy walking, gentle stretching, or even a few planks at low intensity will get blood flowing and speed healing. Staying hydrated and making sure your protein is solid will also help your muscles rebuild.

Id say probably next time, cut the total volume way down—maybe 3 sets of 8–12 clean reps with control—so your core adapts without the week-long burnout. Over time you’ll be able to handle more, but right now the goal is consistent training, not crushing yourself in one session.