
While targeting the obliques, you’ll also strengthen the rectus abdominis, glutes, deltoids, traps, and lats. Like the single-arm farmer’s carry, this is a unilateral, anti-rotational exercise. Single-Arm Reverse Lunge and Overhead Press skynesher Switch sides and complete 12 reps per side.
#Oblique tuck ups full#
Hold this position for a full breath and then return to the push-up position.Shift your weight onto your right hand and lift your left hand off the ground, rotating your spine and pivoting your feet enough so that your whole torso is facing the left wall and your left arm is pointing toward the ceiling.Start in a push-up position with your core tight and glutes engaged.It’s also a mobility exercise for your spine and helps build balance. This exercise targets your obliques, but it’s also great for the whole core and your shoulders. Hold the extended position for a full breath, and then return your arms to your chest.Bracing your core and squeezing your glutes, straighten your arms by pushing them out away from your chest against the tension of the band.Hold the handle of the band in towards your chest.Your starting position should be far enough away from the anchor point that there’s decent tension on the band.You can perform the exercise kneeling or standing, but the band should be at chest height. Attach a resistance band with a handle to a pole or stationary object.You can fine-tune the intensity of the move by the width and thickness of the resistance band you choose - for an easier level, choose a thinner band, and for a more advanced modification, choose a wider and thicker band. Remember to keep your core tight and engage your glutes for stability. This is another anti-rotational exercise, and it will get your obliques, shoulders, and abs working. Pallof Press Axistence Athletics (YouTube) Keeping your core tight, your chest up, and your shoulders even, walk forward for about 15 paces or 30 meters.Stand upright with good posture while holding a heavy dumbbell, kettlebell, or weighted implement in one hand.The key is to select the heaviest weight you can handle with good form. Such moves closely mimic a lot of the real-life demands on your core, and the single-arm farmer’s carry does a decent job of checking both of these boxes.

Oftentimes, the most functional core exercises are those that are unilateral and anti-rotational, which means they are performed on one side of the body and require your core to stabilize and resist the tendency to twist or bend. Single-Arm Farmer’s Carry Luke Andrus (YouTube) Moreover, because the obliques participate in several distinct functions, an effective training program should take a well-rounded approach to strengthen them by including multiple exercises that hit all the different functions and demands of the obliques.Īhead, we share our best oblique exercises to strengthen and tone your “side abs.” Try incorporating a handful of the moves into your workouts each week, switching up the ones you perform each workout. Since these are clearly all important functions for everyday life and athletic performance, incorporating exercises that target your obliques into your workouts is critical. There are actually two layers (the internal and external obliques), and both layers also play a pivotal role in stabilizing and protecting your spine by resisting excessive rotation of the spine. The obliques are the muscles on the sides of your torso that enable side-to-side bending, torso rotation, and spinal flexion. One of the unsung heroes but key players in the orchestra of ab muscles are the obliques.

Focusing solely on just one or two muscle groups will create imbalances that cannot only detract from your movement efficiency and power but also increase your risk of injury. Having a functionally strong core that effectively provides your body with the support and balance you need to perform both athletic and daily life activities optimally requires all the muscles that comprise your core to be equally strong. While we want this muscle to be strong, all the core muscles as a group need attention, which means adding some of the best oblique exercises to your ab workout routine! Nearly everyone wants a six-pack, and many people stick to only working the rectus abdominis - the abdominal muscle that runs up the center of your torso.
