5 Oblique Exercises That Will Give You Major Side Abs (2024)

It’s a safe bet that you’ve been incorporating crunches, planks, and mountain climbers into your Tough Mudder training, obstacles such as Funky Monkey and The Gauntlet require some serious core strength, after all. But if there’s one part of your core that could probably use a little more attention, it’s your obliques (aka your side abs). The obliques aid in breathing, rotating/bending your torso and creating intra-abdominal pressure while you hold your breath. While exercises that target your abs usually involve lots of crunch-type movements, exercises that hit your obliques involve a lot of twisting and side-bending. These are 5 top oblique exercises for major side abs that can be done at home with minimal equipment.

Add these 5 exercises into your home workouts to develop major side abs and overall core strength.

(Twisting) Crunch

1. Lie on your back on the floor.
2. Keep your legs bent in the air at a 90 degree angle.
3. Place your hands at the sides of your head so that your elbows are flaring out to the side. This is the starting position.
4. Twist (rotate) your torso to move the right shoulder toward the left thigh until the upper back is off of the floor.
5. After completing the crunch, allow your torso to untwist back down to the starting position.
6. Alternate the direction of the twist with each repetition.
7. That’s one rep each side.
8. Aim for 3 sets of 10 reps each side.

Trainer Tip: To decrease the intensity, rest feet on box or bench instead of keeping in air.

Stability Ball Elbow Bridge

See Also

5 Signs You May Have a Weak Core—And What To Do About It5 Oblique Exercises to Make Your Next Core Workout More Challenging (and Interesting)The Best Exercises for Stronger Obliques3 Ways to Tighten Your Stomach - wikiHow

1. Kneel in front of a stability ball and place your elbows and forearms on the ball to create about a 90° angle at the elbows, shoulders, and knees. This is the starting position.
2. Keeping your toes on the floor and your elbows on the ball, begin the exercise by extending your knees to roll the ball forward until your elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees are nearly in a straight line and the back of the upper arms are on the ball.
3. Roll the ball back towards you to return to the starting position.
4. That’s one rep.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Bird Dog

1. Start on all fours so that your hands and knees are on the ground.
2. Make sure that your core is engaged and there is minimal flexion in the back.
3. Keeping your back flat, reach your right arm forward while simultaneously reaching your left foot back.
4. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
5. Return your arm and leg to starting position.
6. Alternate sides. Keeping your back flat, reach your left arm forward while simultaneously reaching your right foot back.
7. That’s one rep.
8. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Weighted Side Bend

1. Stand holding a dumbbell, kettlebell or even a heavy book at your side with one hand, palm facing in.
2. Bend your torso on the side that you are holding the weight. Allow the weight to pull you down. Do not let your body twist. Don’t bend forward.
3. Return the weight to your side, standing straight up. Don’t bend to the opposite side.
4. That’s one rep.
5. Do 10-15 reps bending on one side, then place the weight in the other hand and do 10-15 reps towards the opposite side.
6. Aim for 3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.

Russian Twist

1. Sit on ground with legs raised straight out in front of you. Bend your knees to form a 90-degree angle and plant your heels on the floor.
2. Hold a weight-plate, medicine ball, kettlebell or heavy book between your hands.
3. Keep a flat back and twist your torso to the left. The weight should twist with you.
4. Stop twisting when you feel a stretch in your obliques and tap the weight to the ground.
5. Then rotate torso and tap weight to the ground on the left side of body.
6. That’s one rep each side.
7. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each side.

Trainer Tip: Your head should follow the path of the weight throughout the movement.

Take Your Training Further

So you’ve nailed the oblique exercise but what about…everything else? No matter your fitness level or goals we have the training advice to support you. Keep it casual with one of our free downloadable training guides, available for three levels of fitness or commit to coming to the start line as the fittest version of you with paid online trainer-led programmes. The choice is yours.