As you go about forming together an abdominal workout program, one group of muscles that you must make sure you don’t leave out are the oblique’s. This muscle is going to run along the side of the body and is responsible for many of the side to side and twisting movement patterns that you perform.
The oblique muscles will give you that razor sharp abdominal look that really finishes off the total stomach appearance. This said, let’s take a look at five exercises that you can use for developing the oblique muscles.
5 Exercises For Developing The Oblique’s
1: Decline Twisting Sit-Up
The decline twisting sit-up is the first exercise to consider and potentially one of the most effective that you could do. This movement is excellent since not only will you be fighting the resistance of your own body as you go about the movement pattern, but you’ll also be fighting the resistance of gravity as well.
If really want to up the intensity on the oblique’s, consider holding a weighted plate across your chest for added effect.
2: The Bicycle Crunch
Moving along, the bicycle crunch is the next of the exercises to add into the mix. The bicycle movement is going to not only hit the oblique’s, but also target the lower abs as well as they’ll have to stay contracted the entire time to keep the feet elevated off the ground.
Make sure that you do use as slow and controlled of a movement pattern as possible while performing this exercise in order to see full results.
3: The Side Plank
The side plank is yet another exercise that must be considered as you move throughout your workout program. The front plank is commonly used to target the rectus abdominis muscle, but the side plank will hit the oblique’s harder.
Hold the position for at least 30 seconds at a time, making sure to keep the body in a straight position.
4: Side Crunch On A Ball
Bringing the exercise ball into the mix is another smart thing to do if you want to see optimal results. An exercise ball is going to reduce your base of support, ensuring that the muscle fibers deep within the abdominal core are contracting as hard as they possibly can.
Crunch to both sides equally while doing this muscle to ensure even stimulation across the oblique’s. The Exercise Ball Crunch
5: Lying Leg Raise With Rotations
Finally, the last of the exercises to perform to target the oblique’s is the lying leg raise with rotations. This exercise is going to be extra challenging since not only will it hit the oblique’s, but the rectus abdominis as well.
When performing it, get into a standard lying leg raise position and then proceed to move the legs in a circular movement pattern. Never let them touch the ground as you do so as that will instantly take much of the stress off the lower ab muscles.
So there you have the primary exercises to keep in mind when trying to target the obliques. Add these into your workout program at least three times per week and you’ll see a noticeable difference shortly.
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