Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Roller Body Saw: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The roller body saw is a challenging core exercise that involves using a roller to extend and retract your body while maintaining a plank position. This movement targets the abs and also engages the shoulders, triceps, and overall core stability.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Obliques , Shoulders , Triceps
Equipment
Roller
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the roller body saw
Front view: muscles worked by the roller body saw. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques, shoulders and triceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the roller body saw. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques, shoulders and triceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the roller body saw

  1. Step 1: Start in a plank position with your forearms on the roller and your body in a straight line.
  2. Step 2: Engage your core and slowly roll the roller forward, extending your body as far as you can while maintaining control.
  3. Step 3: Pause for a moment at the furthest point, then slowly roll the roller back towards your starting position.
  4. Step 4: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the roller body saw by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Roller Body Saw alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

More abs exercises

See the best ab exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.