Work Your Oblique Muscles With the Best Oblique Exercises

The oblique muscles are the muscles located on the sides of your waist. There are 2 sets of oblique muscles the internal oblique and the external oblique. The external oblique lies on top of the internal and when someone is in really good shape, you can see the fibers of the external oblique.

The external obliques run from the back of the lower ribs down to the pelvis, and the internal obliques run from the pelvis up to the lower ribs. Both muscles will work to pull your spine forwards like in crunches, but if you really want to emphasize the obliques, you must add in rotational movements or side-bending movements. Below are 4 of the best oblique exercises that use the side bending motion.

Because the obliques are located primarily on the sides of your body, they really work hard when you do side-bending movements. Some of the best side-bending movements are standing dumbbell side bends, side bends on a 45 degree back extension machine, side crunches on a stability ball, and moving side planks.

Standing side bends are pretty simple to perform, and you can do them with one dumbbell or 2 dumbbells. If you use 1 dumbbell, place the opposite hand behind your head and lean towards the side with the weight until you feel a good stretch in your obliques. With 2 dumbbells, you will simply alternate sides.

If you belong to a gym or fitness center, you will likely be able to find a 45 degree back extension board. This exercise is usually much harder than dumbbell side bends because your body weight is usually heavier than the dumbbells you might use during standing side bends. In order to do this exercise, you simple secure your feet on the bottom platform and then lean down towards the floor until you feel a good stretch in your obliques. If this exercise becomes easy you can add a weight to your hand to increase the resistance.

Side crunches on a stability ball can be a tricky exercise to master, but your obliques will definitely get a ton of work. The challenge for most people is staying on the ball. Bring a stability ball next to a wall and place your feet at the base of the wall to help secure your body. Then, with your hands behind your head, you should crunch up to the side over the contour of the ball. The contour of the ball will give you more range of motion for your obliques to work, and the instability of the ball will make your core muscles work harder.

Moving side planks are also a great oblique exercise. Simply, balance on your side with your elbow and your feet. Once you feel stable, lower your hip towards the floor until you feel a stretch in your obliques and then use your muscles to lift back up towards the ceiling.

These are some of the best oblique exercises, but there are many great exercises for your obliques. Just remember that the obliques are emphasized with side-bending movements and rotational movements.