The obliques are major muscles in the abdominal area. There are two types — internal and external obliques — that extend diagonally from the ribs to the pelvis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The obliques plus the rectus and transverse abdominals make up the abdominal wall, according to The American Council on Exercise (ACE). These muscles work together to control movement in the spine, rib cage, and pelvis.
Obliques, like the rest of the muscles of the core, are important for everyday movements.
“If you look at the anatomy of the obliques, as far as where they attach on the pelvis and rib cage, they’re involved in the stabilization of the pelvis, so it’s important to make sure they’re strong and they’re working as they should,” says Rondel King, CSCS, a corrective exercise specialist and personal trainer in New York City. “They make for a strong core, which provides stability throughout the entire movement system.”
According to ACE, your oblique muscles allow you to bend over and twist your body from side to side.
Sculpting a strong core isn’t just about making your midsection look trimmer — strengthening these muscles helps promote better posture, balance, and coordination; reduce the risk of injuries; and improves fitness and athletic performance, according to a 2023 study. To strengthen your obliques, you’ll likely be strengthening other muscles in the process (like the rest of the core muscles), helping with mobility and overall functioning.
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Developing a strong core (obliques included) also seems to be crucial for low-back health.A 2021 study review found that resistance training reduced back lower back pain in older adults. A strong core also protects your spine, according to ACE.
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How to Do Oblique-Strengthening Exercises
Even though the usual recommendation is to strength-train two to three times per week, King says: “You can actually do oblique-strengthening exercises every single day and not overtrain.” It’s rare that you’ll tire out the abdominal muscles so much that you need a recovery day, he notes.
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Brooke McManus, a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher based in Denver, outlined the eight top exercises for oblique muscles below. Do these moves for 30 to 45 seconds each with no more than 30 seconds of rest in between. Repeat for a total of two or three rounds, she says.
McManus recommends doing the following set of exercises three to five times per week by adding them onto another workout to get noticeably stronger muscles.
