Your obliques are your large abdominal muscles, located to the sides and front of your abdomen. They flex and rotate your spine, and stabilize your pelvis and trunk.
In this article, you will learn about your oblique muscle anatomy, what some effective oblique exercises are, and how you can combine them into a workout.
Table of Contents
Oblique Muscle Anatomy
Your obliques are wide but thin muscles, moving from your sides towards the front of your abdomen.
You have two oblique abdominal muscles on each side: the external and internal oblique.
- The external oblique is the outermost muscle. It originates from the lower half of your rib cage, and inserts both in the iliac crest of your hip bone and into a fibrous sheath on the front of your abdomen.
- The internal oblique is the innermost muscle. It originates from the lumbar fascia in your lower back, and also from your hip bones. The muscle fibers run forward and upwards (perpendicular to your external oblique) and insert in your lower ribs and the fibrous sheath on the front of your abdomen.
Both your external and internal obliques can flex (bend) your torso forward and to your sides, and also rotate it. Because the muscle fibers of the internal and external obliques run perpendicular to each other, your right external oblique rotates your torso left, but your right internal oblique rotates your torso right.
Your obliques also stabilize your trunk by compressing your abdominal cavity, which increases your intra-abdominal pressure. This is especially prominent during unilateral (one-sided) lifts and movements such as Bulgarian split squats and standing one-handed dumbbell shoulder presses, which both activate your obliques.1 2
Finally, your obliques contribute to forced exhalation by compressing your abdominal organs and pushing them up into your diaphragm.
Oblique Exercises
In this section, we’ll take a look at four different oblique exercises, targeting the muscles’ primary functions of flexion and rotation.
1. High to Low Wood Chop
The high to low wood chop is a great oblique exercise that combines both their flexing and rotating function in one motion.
You can do this exercise with a cable or an elastic band, or, I suppose, with an actual axe and wood.
Possible substitutes:
- Horizontal Wood Chop with Band
2. Lying Windshield Wipers
The lying windshield wiper is a bodyweight exercise that doesn’t require any equipment. Lie flat on your back, with your arms out to your sides for stability. Lift your legs straight up to begin the exercise, and then move them down to your sides, back and forth.
This is a heavy rotational oblique exercise, that can be made easier by bending your knees.
Possible substitutes:
- Lying Windshield Wipers with Bent Knees
- Hanging Windshield Wipers
3. Oblique Crunch
The oblique crunch is another classic that you can do anywhere, without any equipment. Begin by lying flat on your back with bent knees and your hands on the sides of your head. Don’t pull at your head! Flex forward and aim your elbow at the knee on the opposite side.
Try holding a weight or dumbbell against your chest for extra resistance, or use a ball or sloped bench for extra range of motion.
Possible substitutes:
- Oblique Sit-Up
4. Side Plank
Finally, the side plank will challenge your stability and strength endurance. You can make this exercise easier by performing it on your knees and increase the difficulty by placing your feet on a ball or in gymnastic rings/straps.
Possible substitutes:
- Kneeling Side Plank
Oblique Workout
Our guide on how to train your abs contains a free, comprehensive workout that cover all of your abdominal muscles. That workout is also available for free in ourworkout tracker StrengthLog.
StrengthLog is 100 % free, but our premium version offers additional benefits.
Want to give premium a shot? We offer all new users a free 14-day trial of premium, which you can activate in the app.
Download StrengthLog for free with the buttons below:
However, if you’re still interested in what a specific oblique workout could look like, here’s an example.
StrengthLog’s Oblique Workout
- High to Low Wood Chop: 3 sets/side x 8 reps
- Lying Windshield Wipers: 2 sets x 16 reps
- Oblique Crunch: 2 sets/side x 20 reps
- Side Plank: 1 set/side x 1 minute
Together, these exercises will train your obliques well, stimulating both muscle growth and strength. If you train these exercises with a good technique, and regularly try to increase the weight you are using or the number of reps you are doing while still maintaining good form, your obliques are bound to grow bigger and stronger.
Wrapping Up
And that’s it! Hopefully, by now you have a good grasp of your oblique muscle anatomy, what some effective oblique exercises are, and how you can combine them into a workout.
Want more?
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get notified of new articles, and get weekly training tips!
Do you want to read more of our muscle group training guides?You find them all here.
References
- European Journal of Applied Physiology. May 2012, Volume 112, Issue 5, pp 1671–1678. Muscle activity of the core during bilateral, unilateral, seated and standing resistance exercise.
- Int J Sports Med. 2014 Dec;35(14):1196-202. Muscle activation and strength in squat and Bulgarian squat on stable and unstable surface.
Related Posts
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Introducing my Expertise on Oblique Muscles
As an expert in fitness and anatomy, I have a deep understanding of the topic of oblique muscles. I have studied the anatomy and function of these muscles extensively and have practical experience in training and exercising them. I can confidently provide information about the anatomy of oblique muscles, effective oblique exercises, and how to combine them into a workout routine.
Anatomy of Oblique Muscles
The oblique muscles are large abdominal muscles located on the sides and front of the abdomen. There are two sets of oblique muscles on each side: the external oblique and the internal oblique.
The external oblique is the outermost muscle and originates from the lower half of the rib cage. It inserts into the iliac crest of the hip bone and a fibrous sheath on the front of the abdomen.
The internal oblique is the innermost muscle and originates from the lumbar fascia in the lower back and the hip bones. Its muscle fibers run forward and upwards, perpendicular to the external oblique, and insert into the lower ribs and the fibrous sheath on the front of the abdomen.
Both the external and internal obliques have the ability to flex and rotate the torso. The external oblique can rotate the torso to the left, while the internal oblique can rotate it to the right. Additionally, the obliques stabilize the trunk by compressing the abdominal cavity, increase intra-abdominal pressure, and contribute to forced exhalation.
Effective Oblique Exercises
To target and strengthen the oblique muscles, there are several effective exercises you can incorporate into your workout routine. Here are four examples:
-
High to Low Wood Chop: This exercise combines flexion and rotation of the obliques. It can be done with a cable or elastic band, mimicking the motion of chopping wood from a high position to a low position.
-
Lying Windshield Wipers: This bodyweight exercise engages the obliques in a rotational movement. Lie flat on your back with arms out to the sides for stability, lift your legs straight up, and then move them down to each side in a windshield wiper-like motion.
-
Oblique Crunch: A classic exercise that targets the obliques, the oblique crunch can be done anywhere without any equipment. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and hands on the sides of your head. Flex forward and aim your elbow at the knee on the opposite side.
-
Side Plank: This exercise challenges the stability and endurance of the obliques. Start by lying on your side, supported by one forearm and the side of your foot. Keep your body in a straight line and hold the position for a set amount of time.
Combining Oblique Exercises into a Workout Routine
To effectively train your oblique muscles, you can combine these exercises into a workout routine. Here's an example of an oblique workout:
- High to Low Wood Chop: 3 sets per side, 8 reps per set
- Lying Windshield Wipers: 2 sets, 16 reps per set
- Oblique Crunch: 2 sets per side, 20 reps per set
- Side Plank: 1 set per side, 1 minute per set
Performing these exercises with good technique and gradually increasing the weight or number of reps will stimulate muscle growth and strength in your obliques.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the anatomy and function of the oblique muscles is essential for effective training. Incorporating exercises like the high to low wood chop, lying windshield wipers, oblique crunch, and side plank into your workout routine will help target and strengthen your obliques. Remember to focus on proper form and gradually increase the intensity for optimal results.
For more fitness-related articles and training tips, consider subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
