🔥My Top Oblique Exercises!💯 - Wait, What Are the Obliques?
The obliques sit on both sides of your rectus abdominis muscle, also known as the six-pack muscles. Together with the transversus abdominis muscle, they make up the four main abdominal muscles.
Two sets of oblique muscles are situated along the sides of your upper body: the external obliques and the internal obliques.
Your external obliques run diagonally from your lower ribs to your pelvis. They aid in bending your torso toward the same side and rotating your trunk toward the opposite side.
Your internal obliques are between your external obliques and transversus abdominis muscle. They flex your torso and rotate your trunk toward the same side.
Toned obliques look good, but there are also functional benefits to strengthening these muscles:
- Ease low back pain!
- Better Posture!
- Better Core Strength!
👍Training the anterior sling obviously has its benefits, from rotational speed and power to lateral strength and stability to protect us from injury.
👀Not to mention it’s badass to see a sweet set of ripped obliques and serratus, so try some of these out.
2. Lateral Sliding Plank(regular or elevated): This guy doesn’t take much to feel! Try resisting the drop of your hips and start with only a small range of motion. Increase as you get stronger.
3. Suitcase Carry: what isn’t there to live here! Grip, Anti lateral flexion and gives your trunk some serious stability and strength work! 💯
4. Windshield Wipers(bar and rings): I find the bar tougher on the shoulder, yet the rings are tougher to stabilize the hips...making them MUCH harder. Both options is great, and all you need are a few clean crisp reps to really feel this guy. To take the grip out as a limiting factor, use straps, or use it as a grip builder also!
5. Side Oblique Press Out(regular and with overhead reach): This 🔥guy is always tough! Moving the weight away from the center of mass makes your obliques work OT, and adding the overhead reach takes it up another notch!
6. V Sit Single Arm Press: Much harder than it looks, working the hips(Psoas) while pressing with one arm makes stability come into play while one side getting lotsoooo work!🤙🏻🙌🏻
7. Low to High KB Chop/Swing: Although this guy serves nicely as a chop, I like using the KB and making it a combo from a chop/swing to make it feel a bit more natural. It won’t take long to feel this working as work to bring it back up!
8. Plank Pass Through(transfer): A old-time staple. Probably one of the longest-used exercises I do for myself and clients! The effectiveness of its use to provide anti-extension and lateral flexion make this awesome...the key 🔑 is taking it slow as I see many people rush this too quickly to even have your core know what’s going on!😜
9. High to Low Half Kneeling Cable Chop: A staple, long-used exercise for anterior sling work! Exhale as you come down and allow the ribs to pull down for peak engagement.. We all need more pulling in our lives, so this cross-body action fits the bill 💵 and gives your obliques some solid work! Pull toward the leg that is not up at 90 degrees.
10. Circle Plank: 😜Looks simple, yet one of my favorites for firing up the obliques!!🔥 The bigger the circle, the more your core works. While making them, focus on squeezing your abs as hard as possible! Add a weighted vest as you progress!
11. Side Plank Band Pull w/ Leg Raise: similar to the side plank leg raise, but the added pull adds to make this more of a core exercise rather than glute. You can start by adding a slight dip to each rep to cue your obliques each repetition.
💯There you have it...my top 11 Oblique exercises to add to your workouts!
Give them a try and remember, only targeting the front portion of your core is like training quads and no hamstrings! Most of you don’t ONLY squat...so don’t miss a key 🔑 component to build your lateral speed, strength and power!
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