That’s why it is important to keep your side abs strong and flexible. For that, you must include oblique exercises in your workout routine. This article lists 12 oblique exercises that strengthen and train the sides. Scroll down!
What Is Oblique Exercise?
Oblique exercises address the oblique muscles or the side abs to train them for all their potential functionalities. When your obliques are not utilized enough, the body begins to compensate by overusing other body muscles like the muscles in your lower back, leading to pain and discomfort (2). Oblique exercises can strengthen the core and relieve chronic low back pain affecting more than 50% of the American population (3) (4). AFA Certified Personal Trainer, Hannah Shine, adds, “Oblique exercises are easy to do and don’t require any fancy equipment. You can include them in your strength training session or your regular cardio session. Remember, consistency is key when it comes to achieving a strong and toned core.” Keep scrolling to check out the most effective oblique exercises you can include in tour exercise routine to strengthen your core muscles.
12 Best Oblique Exercises For A Strong Core
1. Side Planks
The side plank exercise works on your obliques, core, shoulders, and hips. How To Do Variation: Beginners can keep their knees on the ground for extra support, while advanced fitness enthusiasts can add weight on their hips to increase intensity. You can use a knee brace or cushion for added support and stability.
2. Side Plank Dips
Side plank dips challenge your obliques further. This exercise also utilizes your shoulder, hip, and core muscles. How To Do Variation: Beginners can reduce the range of motion. And advanced fitness enthusiasts can hold the dip at the bottom for a few seconds.
3. Side Plank Leg Raises
The side plank leg raises work on the outer thighs, obliques, and shoulders. How To Do Variation: Beginners can skip the leg lift and focus on holding the side plank position, while advanced fitness enthusiasts can add ankle weights.
4. Russian Twists
Russian twists work on the complete core focusing more on the obliques. How To Do Variation: Beginners can keep their feet on the ground, while more experienced individuals can lift their feet or use a heavier weight.
5. Side Bends
This exercise might seem easy, but the key here is to control the movements to engage the obliques. How To Do Variation: Beginners can use a lighter weight, while advanced individuals can increase weight or add a pause at the bottom.
6. V- Ups
This oblique workout engages all the core muscles. V-ups are quite intense. How To Do Variation: Beginners can bend their knees during the lift for some support, while advanced individuals can hold the top position for a few seconds for added intensity.
7. Single-Arm Overhead Press
This exercise works out your entire body and shoulders. How To Do Variation: Beginners can start off with lighter weights. For a challenge, perform the exercise while standing on one leg to engage the core more.
8. T- Rotation
This classic oblique exercise improves core stability and flexibility and allows greater spine mobility. How To Do Variation: Beginners can lower their knees to the ground for added support and stability, while advanced users can add a dumbbell lift for extra resistance.
9. Bird Dog
Bird-dog works on your obliques on both sides alternatively and can be scaled up with variation as well. How To Do Variation: Beginners can keep the toes and fingers close to the ground for support. Advanced fitness enthusiasts can elevate their knees and hold the position a few inches off the floor.
10. Heel Taps
Heel taps are like side crunches on the ground that work on your abdominal muscles. How To Do Variation: Beginners can reduce the range of motion, while advanced users can hold the crunch position between taps to increase difficulty.
11. Bicycle Crunch
The key in this exercise is to keep your back flush to the ground while you perform the bicycle movement routine. How To Do Variation: Beginners can slow down the movement and focus on form, while advanced users can speed it up or use ankle weights for extra challenge.
12. Cross-Body Mountain Climber
This variation of the regular mountain climber focuses on your abs, hips, and chest muscles. How To Do Variation: Beginners can perform the movement at a slower pace until they get used to the exercises. Advanced individuals can add a push-up between each climber for extra intensity. In addition, oblique exercises like wood choppers, oblique crunches, twisting sit-ups, and torso rotations, specifically engage the oblique muscles. Let’s have a look at the benefits of oblique exercises.
Benefits Of Oblique Exercises
Engaging in oblique exercises offers a range of benefits beyond just aesthetic improvements:
Strengthening your obliques enhances overall core stability, which is essential for maintaining proper posture and preventing lower back pain, and shoulder injuries. Strong obliques help in functional movements and support everyday activities that involve twisting, turning, and bending, such as driving. Well-developed and strong obliques help enhance your sports performance, as certain activities like golf, tennis, and swimming require rotational movements. A strong core helps distribute the load properly across the body during various movements, reducing the risk of injuries. Strong oblique muscles contribute to better balance and stability, making it easier to maintain your equilibrium, like standing on one leg.
A fitness enthusiast and blogger describes her motivation behind regularly doing oblique twists since she was in high school: “I loved these from high school when I did gymnastics and trust me, I could do more of these than any other exercise I was told to do back then. I do these [oblique twists] when I am trying to get my waistline trimmed in a short span of time (i).”
Illustration: Best Oblique Exercises To Strengthen Your Side-Abs
How do you lose oblique fat?
Caution
While these exercises are great, it is also essential to note the risks involved. If one does not perform them correctly, they may strain their back. Start slowly and gradually increase the repetitions (especially if you are a beginner). Do oblique and abs exercises to lose the oblique fat or love handles. What exercises make your obliques smaller? All the exercises mentioned in the article can sculpt and tone your obliques. Do oblique workouts slim your waist? Oblique exercises can help build muscle mass, making your waist look broad and wide. Performing them regularly can help reduce excessive fat. Do squats work obliques? Yes, squats help target your core muscles, including your obliques. How long does it take to tone your obliques? With changes to your diet and lifestyle, along with a moderate cardio and resistance workout routine, you can see visible changes in 4-8 weeks. Explore the various oblique exercises that can help you tone and strengthen your core! Learn how to target your obliques and get the results you want by clicking on this video.
