Killer abs à la Brad Pitt in Fight Club is what we all dream about, but if your understanding of this part of the abs is oblique, continue reading. Obliques may not grab headlines – or Instagram likes – in the same way as pumped-up arms or legs, but your obliques (located to the sides of the abdomen) are still a vital muscle group.
Yes, lots of exercises happen to work your abs, but if you don’t dedicate a portion of your workout session specifically to your stomach, it may be time to change that. Whether you’re working out at home or in the gym, five to ten minutes of ab work is a worthy finisher and one guaranteed to wring every last drop of effort out of you.
Stretching from just below your pecs all the way down to your waist, your obliques are vital stabiliser muscles, helping you stay straight and strong in daily life, as well as providing accessory support for the big (and dangerous) lifts like the deadlift and the squat. Bolster your obliques and you’ll shore up your trunk, building a solid base to grow from.
We know what you want to ask… do oblique exercises slim your waist? When it comes to abs, it’s a bit chicken and the egg. Speaking from an aesthetic standpoint, you’ll need incredibly low body fat to show off your abs (everyone’s different, but we’re talking at least 10 to 15 per cent, minimum). But, if you don’t workout your abs, they’re unlikely to show up – even on the most ripped of dudes.
While the science on spot training is sketchy, the science on oblique training providing massive benefits is solid. Our advice? Focus on strengthening your core by showing your obliques some love, and worry about fat loss later. And, if you do want to lose weight, make sure you do it in a healthy and considered way, possibly with expert help.
(Feel pretty set with your weight and abdominal workout routine but want to maybe find another niche muscle group to work on? Well allow us to direct your attention to our guides to lats, traps and hamstrings. Looking to pull out the big guns? Our guides to the chest, back, biceps, triceps and shoulders are full of beefy advice).
So, then, there’s only one question left to ponder: what is the best exercise for obliques? Expert PT Katie Anderson answers exactly that below with her oblique crushing, five move workout. The focus here is TRX equipment, but with some easy swaps you can tweak the following as oblique exercises without equipment or dumbbell oblique exercises.
Use this as a starting point to build more dedicated abs and oblique training into your weekly plan. Once you’ve got to grips with the below, feel free to incorporate them into other sequences, or adapt as you see fit.
Katie Anderson, head of training at FLY LDN
- Lower the TRX so that the bottom straps are at mid/high shin height. From here, come to the floor and place the feet into the TRX with the shoelaces facing down, and walk your hands out to a plank position. Make sure the shoulders are over the wrists and the hips are in line with the torso.
- Tuck both knees to the side of the body (towards the armpit) and control as you extend the legs back into plank. Repeat on the other side.
- If you need a modified version, try single legs one knee at a time. If you don’t have access to a TRX, an alternative would be to use either sliding discs or a towel under the feet on a wooden floor – perfect for a holiday hotel room core burner. Repeat 8/20 reps alternating depending on your fitness level and aim for four rounds.
- Lower the TRX so that the bottom straps are at mid/high shin height. From here come to the floor and place the feet into the TRX with the shoelaces facing down. Make sure you have a mat or some padding and place the forearm on top of it.
- From here extend the legs out, swivelling the feet to the blade of the foot inside the straps so that the toes, hips and chest are facing one side of the room. The hips, shoulders and knees should be stacked on top of each other and the hips should be off the floor.
- For a more advanced option, slowly bend the top leg into the chest and then extend it back to add extra balance to the working oblique closest to the floor. The top arm can be on the hip for more stability or in extension to the ceiling for an advanced option. If you don’t have a TRX, then do this on the floor holding a weight up to the ceiling to make it harder. Repeat for 30 seconds then change sides, progressing the length you hold it by 15-second segments each time. Aim for four rounds.
- Place the forearms on the ground and take the feet back into a plank, making sure the shoulders are over the elbows. I would usually suggest feet closer together as it’s easier to manoeuvre the hips. From here take one hip down to the floor and hover a few inches off the floor.
- Tracing the shape of a rainbow, engage the core and take your hip up and over to the other side. Repeat 8/20 reps alternating depending on your fitness level and aim for four rounds.
- Standing wider than shoulder-distance apart, take a kettlebell into one hand and press it overhead with the weight of the bell hanging to the back of the hand.
- From here, pivot both toes so they face the opposite direction from the arm holding the weight. Initiate the movement from the hip under the weight by sending it diagonally behind you to create a hip hinge.
- Depending on your flexibly, aim to keep all arms, legs and the torso straight. If the front leg is a little tight, you can bend it slightly. As you hinge from the hip, keep the kettlebell stacked overhead and look up to it, keeping eye contact on it at all times during the hinging of the hip action. The opposite hand should trace down the inside of the front leg towards the floor.
- Control the speed as you lower, taking a one-second pause at the bottom, then exhale as you come up to standing, reversing the action and keeping the kettlebell overhead at all times. Practice with no weight a few times before adding a heavier load. Repeat 4-8 times consecutively on each side for four rounds.
- Sitting on the floor, hold the kettlebell with both hands into your chest. As you exhale, slowly roll back into a small C-curve (20 per cent to the floor from seated).
- Twist and take the weight to one side of the body and hover it off the floor. Exhale and repeat on the other side.
- For regression, use no weight at all. For progression, keep the feet off the floor to tabletop knees. Repeat 8-20 reps alternating for up to four rounds.
