Best Oblique Abdominal Workout
Get Toned Oblique Abdominals Fast:
This abdominals workout is designed to give you the leanest, most toned, oblique abdominals, while at the same time giving you those upper abdominals.
Why You Even Want To Work Obliques:
First of all we need to know exactly what the obliques are, because it isn’t common information to know the different abdominals groups. So, the obliques are known as two different common names, and they are “waist muscles” or your “love handles.”
Whichever way you describe your obliques doesn’t matter, because what matters are the exercises you do, and how hard you work at slimming down those love handles. The reason many people really desire to work their oblique abdominals, is because they despise the love handles that they gained over a period of time, or just born with. But, by performing this workout about 4 times a week, those love handles will be gone extremely fast, and you’ll be left with a strong core and strong, toned obliques.
Combined Exercises For Maximum Power:
With this workout, you should get the maximum workout out of your obliques, because just individually, these exercises are designed to give you the best results, but altogether they make up the most powerful workout your oblique muscles could possible get.
The way this workout is designed, is so that you don’t get too little results, while at the same time you don’t get too sore from these workouts, but just sore enough that you know you worked those obliques to the maximum.
More Toning Of Obliques Than Upper Abs:
So I mentioned earlier that this workout really tones those obliques, but I also mentioned that your upper abdominals get some blasting as well. However, throughout the workout you’ll mostly be blasting those oblique abdominals for maximum strengthening and toning, while your upper abdominals only get about half of the workout your obliques get. So, now that you know exactly what you’re working out and why you’re working out these obliques, let’s get to this powerful workout.
Side Jackknife:
This an exercise that pounds your obliques, and you definitely feel the workout in your abdominals “waist” muscles. What you want to do is to lie on your right side, with every thing on your right side being sure to touch the ground. Then, as you are in that position, lean on your right elbow (the elbow of whatever side you’re leaning on) and place your left leg over your right one.
Be whichever elbow/forearm you’re leaning on is in a comfortable position, and then with your opposite hand, which in this case is your left one since you’re laying on your right side, place that hand on the back of your head. Now you want to squeeze your body towards each other in a sense, by squeezing your torso and left leg toward each other. The way you pull your leg to your torso is by using the power of your oblique abdominals.
Then you want to hold that position by squeezing for about a second, and then return to the position that you began the exercise in. If you really want to blast those obliques, you can even add some weights to your ankle, or add some weight to your upper body, so the opposing force is greatly increased.
Directions:
1. Lie on your right side of your body, make sure your pivot point is your hips
2. Place your left leg on top of your right one
3. Place your left hand behind your head, while your right one is comfortable on the ground
4. Be sure your weight is on your right elbow/forearm and your right side hips
5. Squeeze your torso toward your left leg using your oblique muscles
6. Hold the squeeze for about a second then return to starting position
7. Repeat this process on your left side after you finish the right side
8. Do about 3-4 reps of 5 for best results
Oblique Crunches:
Oblique abdominal crunches are probably one of the most well known exercises to target your obliques, but that doesn’t mean you should think of this exercise’s power any less. The oblique crunches are extremely great at blasting your oblique abdominals. The obliques are known by many people as either “waist muscles” or the most well-known term “love handles.” The reason that oblique crunches are powerful toward toning your obliques is because you are performing what is known as spinal flexion and rotation. This rotation gives you the best results in both your obliques and even your upper abdominals, which are the six pack abdominals area.
Directions:
1. Lie on your back and cross your left foot over your right knee.
2. As you do this place your hands behind your head.
3. Keep your lower back pressed into the floor and begin to lift your shoulder blades off the floor.
4. Once off the floor, curl your upper body (torso) diagonally across your body towards your left knee.
5. Try to touch your right elbow to your left knee while keeping it place behind your head.
6. Diagonally reach your elbow to your knee by using the power of your obliques and upper abs.
7. Go back down and repeat the process
8. Do the same thing to your opposite knee and elbow.
9. Do about 3-4 sets of 4 or 12-16 reps. on each side
Swiss Ball Side Crunches:
This exercise is performed exactly the way it sounds, but its a little more complex than what you’re probably thinking. The swiss ball side crunch exercise is performed with an exercise ball, but its more than just a variation of a side crunch. First of all, you need to be sure you have an exercise ball to perform this exercise with. This variation of the Side Crunch will definitely work your oblique abdominals in a powerful way.
This exercise really blasts your obliques mainly because you are maximizing the side crunch by using an exercise ball. Another reason this is a phenomenal exercise for your obliques, is because the variation of the side crunch adds in a twist for extra toning of your abdominals. Because this exercise adds to much more pressure into your oblique muscles, it gives you much more opportunity to strengthen and form those abs.
Directions:
1. Lay on your back either on a mat or on the flat ground
2. Place your hands behind your head and place your feet on top of the exercise ball.
3. Bend both knees at a 45 degree angle and use your legs, the ball, and the floor to form somewhat of a square.
4. Tighten your torso on one side, and use that tightening to get one of your elbows to touch your knees.
5. Pause for a second at the top of each movement and then slowly bring your head back down.
6. Be sure your movements stay controlled and slow; don’t go fast.
7. Make sure to put all the pressure on your oblique muscles, because that’s what the workouts designed for.
8. Do 4-5 sets of 5, or do 20 reps each side
Reverse Twists:
This exercise is really going to help you finish tone those obliques, because after this exercise, there’s no doubt you’ll feel soreness in that area. The main idea of this exercise is to target those oblique abdominals, in order to give you the fastest, best results. However, this exercise does take some work and patience because if you want maximum results, you can’t just speed through this.
What you want to do with this exercise is to use slow, controlled movements and watch every part of your body, in order to really get the best oblique abdominals. The great thing about this exercise is that it even works out your upper abdominals, six pack abs area, so you’re working out two abdominal groups at the same time. So let’s get started with this exercise.
Directions:
1. Find any kind of heavy object (bench or heavy chair) that has a leg that can be grasped.
2. Be sure this object will provide resistance during the exercise because it doesn’t work if the object moves.
3. Lie down on your back, either on a mat or on the hard floor.
4. Turn your lower body towards the left side of the mat and put your right leg on top of your left.
5. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle with heels and knees together.
6. Put your arms above your head and grip that heavy object firmly.
7. Now lift your legs, while they’re still bent and held together at the knees, and point your feet at an angle away from your body.
8. Be sure you keep your shoulders on the floor.
9. Turn your hips and legs to point to the opposite bottom corner of the floor or mat by bringing your legs back to the original position, resting on the floor.
10. Continue the process until you’ve done 3-4 sets of 5, or 20 reps on each side.
Variation:
Now there is a variation to this exercise, which makes it a bit harder. Actually its quite harder. This variation involves you not using a chair this time, but using your own strength to keep yourself up. This variation gives your obliques a much harder workout, and really blasts them with powerful force.
Directions:
1. Lie flat on your back again.
2. Now extend your arms so that they’re in a straight line from your body.
3. Anchor yourself to the floor better, by turning your hands away from your arms in a 90-degree angle.
4. Do the same thing as in the original exercise and bring your legs together above the floor and form a 90-degree angle to your body with them.
5. Lower your legs, without spreading them apart, and bring them to the right at the halfway point between your original position and the floor.
6. Bring your legs back
