Targeting your obliques is crucial to achieving good core balance. These muscles, located on both sides of the abdomen, not only help form the waistline but also play an essential role in stabilising the body and supporting various movements. To develop a strong and toned core, you must perform exercises focusing on the obliques of the muscles along the sides of the abdomen.
Targeted exercises for your oblique muscles can improve your strength and overall fitness. The obliques are essential for maintaining posture, stabilising the body, and enabling the trunk to rotate. Increasing the strength of these muscles results in better overall athletic performance, a more defined waistline, and improved core stability.
Exercises that target the obliques, like side bends, twists, and rotations, can help people build resilience and functional strength. This will improve their movement mechanics and lower their chance of injury when engaging in daily activities or sports. Whether your goal is to increase your level of fitness or to build a more toned body, focused oblique workouts are essential to developing a strong, well-rounded core. Read ahead to learn about the 5 exercises for obliques, how to target obliques and the best exercise for them.
Table Of Contents
1. Top 5 Exercises For Obliques
2. How To Target Oblique Fat?
3. What Is The Best Exercise For Your Obliques?
4. Expert Advice
5. The Final Say
6. FAQs
7. References
Top 5 Exercises For Obliques
The top 5 exercises for obliques are-
1. Copenhagen Side Plank
Copenhagen side plank targets oblique muscles and improves stability and balance. Strengthening these muscles improves overall athletic performance and minimises the risk of injuries associated with lateral and twisting motions.
How to Do It-
- Lie on your side on the floor and place one elbow directly under your shoulder. Stretch your legs, shift your weight onto your top foot and lift your torso off the ground up to your elbows and feet.
- Lower your knees to the ground as if you were running.
- Stay in this position, maintain tension, keep your spine straight and your body not moving forward, and return to the floor.
2. Woodchopper
The woodchopper exercise supports work strength and coordination. It targets the oblique and core muscles, increasing rotational strength and aiding in daily activities such as lifting and twisting.
How to do it-
- Hold a weight or medicine ball in your hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Twist your body to the right and lift the weight over your right shoulder.
- As you twist to the left, curl the weight across your body toward your left hip.
- Control the strength back to the start.
- Repeat for the desired amount of time, then switch sides.
3. Oblique Crunches
Oblique crunches focus on shaping and defining your hips. Targeting the oblique muscles, these exercises help create better posture while improving core strength and stability to support better core and spine muscles.
How to do it-
- Bend your knees, lie on your back, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hands in front of your chest or behind your head.
- Your core must be engaged. Then, lift your shoulders off the floor.
- Turn your body so that your elbow is close to your left knee. Lower your back and repeat on the other side.
- Ensure your lower back is still pressed into the floor throughout the movement.
4. Goblet Squat
While the goblet squat primarily targets the lower body, it works the core muscles, including the obliques, for stability and balance. It supports the general development of strength and functional patterns necessary for daily life and sports activities.
How to Do It-
- Take a comfortable position and keep your weight on your chest with your hands.
- Tighten your shoulder blades to create tension in your mid-back to support the load.
- Before squatting, take a deep breath and engage your core. This will help you avoid leaning forward too much.
- Bend your knees and squat as low as possible while keeping good posture by pushing your hips back.
- Bring your knees out and keep your knees engaged.
- Do not rest your elbows on your knees. To stand up, lift your feet off the floor, squeeze your glutes, and exhale at the top.
5. Bird Dog
Bird Dog exercise improves stability and coordination by working your obliques, lower back, and hip muscles. It helps improve muscle tone and the spine while improving neuromuscular control, which is important for maintaining balance and preventing injuries.
How to Do It-
- While seated on a chair, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- At the same time, lift your left arm and right leg.
- Press and hold for 10 to 15 seconds before lowering.
- Repeat on the other side.
Also Read- 6 Must-Try Oblique Exercises For Women With Benefits To Transform Your Abs
How To Target Oblique Fat?
Obliques refer to a group of abdominal muscles located on the sides of the torso, extending from the lower ribs to the pelvis. These muscles include the external obliques, situated superficially, and the internal obliques, positioned underneath. Their primary function involves rotating and bending the torso and providing stability and support during various movements.
Strengthening the obliques through targeted exercises contributes to core stability, improves posture, and helps create a defined waistline, which is essential for overall strength and functional fitness. Targeting oblique fat, such as fat in a specific body area, requires dietary changes and exercise.
A calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you burn) is important to reduce body fat, including oblique fat. Combine it with aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, to burn calories and promote overall fat loss, including oblique fat loss. In addition, strengthening exercises such as planks, side bends, and Russian twists can help tone and strengthen your oblique muscles, improving fat loss.
Also Read- Unlock The Best Exercises For Losing Weight Quickly And A 7-Day Workout Plan!
What Is The Best Exercise For Your Obliques?
The best exercise for your oblique muscles is the side plank. This exercise works the oblique muscles on both sides of the abdomen while engaging the entire core for stability.
How to do-
- Lie with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your feet together or staggered for balance.
- Lift your hips off the floor, draw a straight line from head to toe, and hold it there for as long as possible.
- This exercise strengthens your oblique muscles and improves overall core strength and posture.
Expert Advice
Your oblique muscles are responsible for movements such as bending from side to side and turning the body from left to right. They are essential muscles for balance and are attacked when you twist and turn. It is vital to follow oblique exercises for a strong torso.
Health Expert
Akshata Gandevikar
The Final Say
Add these exercises to your routine 2-3 times weekly to strengthen your oblique muscles effectively. Keep the form and alignment to avoid stress and get a good result. Combine these exercises with proper nutrition and overall health for greater strength and meaning.
FAQs
1. What are the exercises for obliques with weights?
Oblique exercises that use weights include Russian twists and side bends. The Russian twist will hold a weight or medicine ball and work obliquely while twisting the body from side to side. Side bends are performed by holding a dumbbell in one hand, bending the hips to the side, and targeting the abdominal muscles.
2. Can a beginner perform oblique workouts to strengthen the torso?
Yes, beginners can perform oblique exercises to strengthen their torso. Start with basic exercises like side planks, Russian twists with body weight, or side bends with light weights. Focus on proper form and gradually increase intensity as strength improves to avoid injury and maximise benefits.
3. Mention 5 Oblique exercises for beginners.
The 5 Oblique exercises for beginners are-
- Russian twists
- Bicycle crunch
- Bird dog
- Side plank leg lift
- Side bend
References
- https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g19545807/best-oblique-exercises/
- https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/oblique-exercises
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