In this article we now present the most effective exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles . The lateral abdominal muscles are the largest abdominal muscles and efficient training is not only useful for aesthetic reasons. The lateral abdominal muscles stabilize the torso and back and are necessary for lateral movement of the upper body. The oblique abdominal muscle is divided into the outer and inner oblique muscles. We consider them as a unit because a completely isolated training of the two muscle groups is not possible.
The lateral abdominal muscles
Lateral torso lift on the back extensor
Uncomplicated but intense. These attributes describe the lateral upper body lift on the back extensor. The feet are fixed to the corresponding bracket and the body support should be adjusted so that it ends at the level of the lower hip. In the starting position, the upper body is on the side on the body support and is aligned parallel to the legs. The arms are in front of the chest and are crossed. Now the upper body is slowly lowered to the floor and raised again. The main load lies on the part of the oblique abdominal muscles that does not point towards the floor. Switch sides after 20 repetitions. In this exercise, the training intensity can be varied with additional weights (weight plates or dumbbells) by letting the arm point towards the floor hang down and taking on additional weight. Please do not overdo the weights! Risk of muscle strain! (Beginners and advanced)
Lateral torso bend with dumbbell
The starting position is an upright, shoulder-width stance. The upper body is straight but relaxed, the arms point to the floor, while a dumbbell is in the left hand. During the exercise, the upper body is slowly bent to the right, whereby the movement is kept rather short. A flexion of about 30-40 ° to the starting position is optimal. After 15-20 repetitions, the side is switched. Two sets per side are sufficient for intensive stimulation of the lateral abdominal muscles. Alternatively, this exercise can also be performed with the lower cable pull instead of a dumbbell. (Beginners and advanced)
Side crunches
An effective and popular exercise for the obliques is the side crunches. The starting position is the supine position on a soft surface. If you start exercising on the right side, lift your right leg and place it over your left without leaving the supine position. As a result of the slight rotation, your right lateral abdominal muscles are now pointing upwards, but your shoulder blades are still touching the floor. You place your right hand on the back of your head while your head and spine run in the same direction. Now tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your upper body slightly until your shoulder blades are no longer touching the floor. Similar to the classic six-pack crunch, the forward movement is not very far and the controlled downward movement begins after a few centimeters. Before the shoulder blades touch the ground again, start another rep. Approx. 15 repetitions per side (advanced and professional)
Side turning with dumbbell
While standing, hold a dumbbell between your chest and stomach with both arms slightly extended. The first turn 90 ° to the left, then turn 180 ° to the right. The exercise should be done relatively quickly and with tense abdominal muscles. After reaching the starting position, the start page is changed. About 8-10 repetitions per side are sufficient. (Advanced)
Windshield wipers (windshield wipers) on the pull-up bar
This exercise requires perfect body control, body tension and a lot of strength and is therefore not suitable for the lateral abdominal muscles of bloody fitness beginners. Of course, the pull-up bar should be securely attached, otherwise this exercise ends in the hospital even for a professional. In the starting position, hang freely on the pull-up bar and align your upper body approximately parallel to the floor. The legs are bent and also run parallel to the floor so that the thigh is about 90 ° to the body. By turning your hips, you can now turn your knees around 40-50 ° to the side. As your training progresses, you can increase the angle of rotation further and train with your legs outstretched, which increases the training intensity to a maximum. An exercise for steel-hard lateral abs and definitely not for beginners! (Pro!)
It’s made in the kitchen!
There is a lot to this “fitness wisdom”. You will also notice this pretty quickly if you do not implement a disciplined and optimal nutritional strategy in your everyday life. Conventional muscle building training that takes into account all the important basic exercises such as squats and deadlifts also stimulates your abdominal muscles intensively, but does not lead to a defined six pack. For that you have to train your cooking skills a little more in the kitchen. Our nutrition plans will be happy to help you with 😉
Oh, one more little hint. Every day we receive countless emails from many athletes and people looking for help, which we are of course happy to answer. If you have interesting and important questions burning on your tongue, don’t be afraid to formulate them under Ask-your-question
If we cannot answer your question personally, we will certainly answer it for you in our free training newsletter. All of our athletes benefit from this service and your question. See you then!
