Ben Creicos
March 19, 2021 • 7 min read
A lot of focus is placed on training abdominals with crunches and planks, but many people forget the neighboring oblique muscles. Move beyond the same old side planks and bicycle crunches! These tips from Bodyspace members show you how to train your whole core.
Best Oblique Exercises for Strength, Power, and Function
Dumbbell or Barbell Side Bend
Stand up straight holding a weight in one hand or a barbell behind your shoulders. Bend only at the waist to the side as far as possible. Hold for a second and come back up to the starting position.
Medicine Ball Rotational Throw
Stand a few feet away from a wall with your shoulder facing the wall. Holding a medicine ball, twist your torso powerfully in order to throw it against the wall. Catch it when it comes back to you and repeat.
Decline Oblique Crunches
Lay back on a decline bench. Raise your upper body and put one hand beside your head and the other on your thigh. Continue to raise your upper body while turning your torso to the side. Lower back down. Do all the reps for one side, then switch sides.
Plate Twist
Sit with your legs slightly bent, crossed near the ankles and lifted off the ground. Hold a plate in front of your abdominals with your arms bent. Move the plate to the side and touch the floor with it. Come back up and repeat on the other side.
Best Oblique Exercises For Strengthening Your Core & Maintaining A Small Waist
Push-Up to Side Plank
Do a push-up. At the top, twist into a side plank, raising the top arm. Lower your arm and do another push-up, then twist up to a side plank on the other side.
Seated Barbell Twist
Sit at the end of a flat bench. Rest a barbell behind your head along the base of your neck. While keeping your feet and head stationary, twist your waist from side to side.
Side Jackknife
Lying on your side, clasp your upper hand behind your head. Bring your torso and upper leg toward each other, pulling with your obliques. Squeeze for a moment at the top and return to the starting position. Do all the reps for one side, then switch sides.
Training Tips from the Winners
1st place dart12gr
When people think of abs, they think of the rectus abdominus, the muscle that, in combination with dieting and resistance training, creates the six-pack. The oblique muscles, which run up and down our sides, are usually overlooked. These muscles serve as stabilizers, and are engaged in almost every compound lifting movement, and almost every physical activity. It is extremely important that they are strong.
Many bodybuilders on the other hand have small waists tapered down from their lats. This achieves the appearance of a "V" shape and it is sought after in the bodybuilding world. While bodybuilders have strong obliques, focusing on strengthening exercises will not cause you to add muscle to the point point where you ruin your V-taper. In fact, building stronger obliques can be immensely beneficial to your training and overall health.
Many people who lift seriously might assume that they hit their obliques hard enough when they do heavy deadlifts or squats. Additional training, could, however, work to improve the form of your lift, and even help to increase the amount of weight you can lift.
Rules for oblique training:
- Do not do abs or obliques before heavy lifting, because it could compromise your form on the big lifts.
- Oblique exercises that require more weight should be done for fewer reps, while movements like crunches do not require weight are suitable for higher reps.
Beginner
1
Push Up to Side Plank
2 sets, 1 Mins (each side)
+ 2 more exercises
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (4) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (4)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/circle-lock.png)
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (6) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (6)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-a-3x.png)
- Instructional Videos
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (7) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (7)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-b-3x.png)
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (8) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (8)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-c-2x.png)
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Intermediate
1
Backward Medicine Ball Throw
2 sets, 10 Reps
+ 3 more exercises
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (11) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (11)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/circle-lock.png)
BodyFit
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (13) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (13)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-a-3x.png)
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (14) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (14)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-b-3x.png)
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (15) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (15)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-c-2x.png)
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Very Advanced
1
Seated bar twist
2 sets, 25 Reps
+ 4 more exercises
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (18) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (18)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/circle-lock.png)
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
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What comes with BodyFit?
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (20) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (20)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-a-3x.png)
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (21) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (21)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-b-3x.png)
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (22) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (22)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-c-2x.png)
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2nd Place soundcheck129
Other than perhaps "Arnold," the two syllables most frequently associated with being in excellent shape are "six-pack."
Often, beginners are lured into the gym with dreams of arms and abs, and some can be so obsessed with maintaining a visible set of abdominal muscles that they fail to make progress anywhere else. But even with this ab obsession, many still fail to train their obliques effectively, which not only holds back their quest for attractive abs, but their overall strength and physique.
Probably the biggest misconception about ab training in general, is that the key to success is volume. Sadly, people fail to understand that abs are muscles just like all the others you train in the gym, and the same rules apply. You wouldn't do 300 sets of bench press and try to train your chest every day, so why should you do that many crunches?
Well here's the secret: You shouldn’t. For this reason, I do direct ab training at most twice per week. If you're performing compound lifts such as deadlifts and squats, your abdominals and obliques are already getting plenty of stimulation from those as well. You'll find greater success relying on weighted ab work performed just a few times per week rather than unweighted ab work performed daily.
Here is a routine I've used that has resulted in significant oblique development.
Circuit
1
Ab bicycle
1 set, 25 Reps
+ 8 more exercises
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (25) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (25)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/circle-lock.png)
BodyFit
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (27) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (27)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-a-3x.png)
- Instructional Videos
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (28) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (28)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-b-3x.png)
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![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (29) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (29)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-c-2x.png)
- Step-by-Step Instructions
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This circuit can be repeated as many times as you want, but my personal feeling is that anything more than four times through is probably excessive. This is a solid routine because it does not require cable equipment or other machinery that most probably don't have.
Any weighted object can be used for the V-Ups, Russian Twists and Side Bends, and it is easy to progress in this routine by bumping up the weight or number of rounds you perform.
Additionally, you can squeeze each circuit in between a few laps on the track or before and after your cardio to maximize efficiency.
However, high volume and high frequency isn't the way to go. A couple of weighted sessions per week is all you really need. Trust me: Once you begin training your abs like your other muscles, they will begin developing like them.
3rd Place: mrkdrt
We all keep hearing how important core strength is, so why do so many people skip their obliques? Are they really that important to train? Yes, they are, but you have to do it right.
I suggest training your obliques no more than once a week, and there's no need to use heavy weight. Higher reps is the way to go. Your put these muscles to use all the time to stabilize your frame, and surely you don't want your daily activities or other training to suffer because you trained too hard. In this case, less is more.
Workout
1
Lying oblique crunch
3 sets, 15-20 Reps
+ 5 more exercises
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (32) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (32)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/circle-lock.png)
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
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- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (34) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (34)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-a-3x.png)
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (35) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (35)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-b-3x.png)
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
![The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (36) The Best Exercises To Strengthen Oblique Muscles (36)](https://i0.wp.com/www.bodybuilding.com/images/bfp-cta/lowerhalf-img-c-2x.png)
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Toss these exercises into your normal abs or core workout. Or, you can do them after exercising another muscle group. If you work your obliques at the end of a workout, they won't be exhausted for other exercises where they are crucial for good form.
Just a warning: Strengthening often comes with gains in size as well. With the obliques being on the outer ranges of your waist, this can mean a thicker waist. For the bodybuilder concerned mainly about an aesthetically pleasing physique, this is not always a goal one would strive for. So train them within reason!
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As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or opinions, but I can provide you with information on the concepts mentioned in this article. Here's what I found:
Oblique Muscles:
The oblique muscles are a group of abdominal muscles located on the sides of the torso. They consist of the external obliques, which run diagonally downward from the ribs to the pelvis, and the internal obliques, which run diagonally upward from the pelvis to the lower ribs. The oblique muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing the core and are engaged in various movements, including twisting, bending, and rotating the torso.
Importance of Training Obliques:
While many people focus on training the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle), the oblique muscles are often overlooked. However, strengthening the obliques is important for overall core strength, stability, and functional movement. Strong obliques can also contribute to a more aesthetically pleasing physique, such as achieving a "V" shape in bodybuilding.
Oblique Exercises:
The article mentions several oblique exercises that can help strengthen and tone the oblique muscles. Here are some of the exercises mentioned:
-
Dumbbell or Barbell Side Bend: Stand up straight while holding a weight in one hand or a barbell behind your shoulders. Bend only at the waist to the side as far as possible, then return to the starting position.
-
Medicine Ball Rotational Throw: Stand a few feet away from a wall with your shoulder facing the wall. Hold a medicine ball and twist your torso powerfully to throw it against the wall. Catch the ball when it comes back to you and repeat.
-
Decline Oblique Crunches: Lie back on a decline bench. Raise your upper body and put one hand beside your head and the other on your thigh. Continue to raise your upper body while turning your torso to the side, then lower back down. Repeat on the other side.
-
Plate Twist: Sit with your legs slightly bent, crossed near the ankles, and lifted off the ground. Hold a plate in front of your abdominals with your arms bent. Move the plate to the side and touch the floor with it, then come back up and repeat on the other side.
-
Push-Up to Side Plank: Perform a push-up, then twist into a side plank at the top, raising the top arm. Lower your arm and do another push-up, then twist up to a side plank on the other side.
-
Seated Barbell Twist: Sit at the end of a flat bench and rest a barbell behind your head along the base of your neck. While keeping your feet and head stationary, twist your waist from side to side.
-
Side Jackknife: Lie on your side and clasp your upper hand behind your head. Bring your torso and upper leg toward each other, pulling with your obliques. Squeeze for a moment at the top and return to the starting position.
Please note that it's important to perform exercises with proper form and technique to avoid injury. It's also recommended to consult with a fitness professional or trainer for personalized guidance and to determine the appropriate exercises for your fitness level and goals.
I hope this information helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.