Exercises to pump up the lateral abdominal muscles. How to pump up your oblique abdominal muscles as effectively as possible? Bends with weight

They are not involved in training other groups, therefore, in order to form a harmoniously developed body, it is necessary to work on them separately. It is impossible to pump up the so-called oblique muscles without special exercises.

What are the oblique abdominal muscles?

The photo presented in the article makes it possible to see their location. They consist of external and internal. The large outer group is three flat muscles that are clearly visible. The internal ones are not visible because they are located under the external ones, perpendicular to them.

Why pump up the lateral abdominal muscles?

They don't give the same visual effect as, for example, biceps, wings or deltoids, but they give the appearance of a clearly defined waist and elastic abs. In addition to the aesthetic component, well-developed oblique muscles protect internal organs, stabilize the spine during sudden movements and bends, and are also necessary when working with heavy weights. Therefore, every athlete should know how to pump up the oblique abdominal muscles.

Exercises

There are many exercises for this group, which are not equally effective. It is advisable to know them all in order to develop an individual training program. Let's move on to how to pump up the oblique abdominal muscles with and without dumbbells.

Lateral bends

Stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Slowly tilt to the right so that your arms slide along your torso, which will stretch the left side of your torso. Then tilt to the left. Perform 10-15 repetitions in each direction.

Using side bends, but with a dumbbell? Stand straight, with your feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in your right hand, and your left hand behind your head. Slowly lean to the right so that the weight of the projectile is carried along with you, while the pelvis remains motionless. At the bottom point of the movement, pause a little and return to the starting position just as smoothly. Repeat 10 times, making three approaches. Select the weight in such a way that the last repetition in the set is performed to the limit of your capabilities.

Side turns

Stand up straight, bend your elbows and hold them in front of you. Turn the body to the right, while the pelvis and legs do not move. Do 10-15 repetitions in each direction.

Seated dumbbell twists

Sit on a bench with your legs together and your feet flat on the floor. Dumbbells in bent arms near the chest. Tighten the oblique muscles, turn the body as far as possible to the right, the pelvis remains motionless. Repeat 10 times in each direction for three sets.

in a lying position

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place them to the right so that the left is on the right. Raise your body as high as possible, trying to stay for two seconds at the top point. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 10-15 times in each direction.

Hip rotations

Lie on your back, bend your knees, trying to pull your heels as close to your butt as possible. Hands are on the back of the head. Lower your bent legs to the right, trying to touch the floor with your knees. Do it 10-15 times in each direction.

Touching heels with hands

Take a lying position, bend your knees, keep your shins parallel to the floor, raise your head slightly, arms to the sides. Try to reach the heels of the corresponding legs with your hands. You can move your legs slightly towards your hands, and tilt your shoulders back a little. Performed in three sets of 8 repetitions.

Scapula lift 1

Lying on the floor on your back, bend your knees. Raise your arms up so that they are shoulder-width apart. Tightening your abdominal muscles, lift your right shoulder blade and the corresponding arm, while not lifting your pelvis from the floor. Perform 8 times in three sets.

Blade lift 2

Lie on your back, bend your right leg at the knee, resting on the floor, and place the other leg on it. The right hand is under the head, the left hand, palm up, lies on the floor perpendicular to the body. Try to lift your chest towards your left knee, while straining your oblique muscles and applying pressure with the back of your head to your right hand. Perform until the shoulder blade lifts off the floor. After returning to the starting position, change the position of your legs and arms and do it in the other direction. Repeat 8 times in three approaches.

Now you know how to pump up your oblique abdominal muscles. It is important to monitor the execution technique, otherwise the training may be wasted.

(10 votes, average: 4,10 out of 5)

A beautiful, proportional figure for girls or a toned torso for men is possible only with long-term systematic physical education and sports. If you ask the question: “What is the first thing that catches your eye when assessing the condition of a person’s muscles?”, many will say that the central element will be well-trained abdominal muscles. Moreover, “press” will mean that not only the straight ones are well developed, but also obliques.

We offer you the best complexes with which you can make your body as beautiful as possible. More information can be found in the section.


A model to strive for

And if for pumping the rectus abdominis muscle, such as lifting the body or legs in a lying position, on the horizontal bar, parallel bars, wall bars, using abdominal exercise machines, etc. are even more or less known and intuitive for most people, the lateral press is much more difficult to train.

  • The administration is trying to bring sports to everyone’s hearts! We are waiting for you to take a step to meet us!

for oblique abdominal muscles often have more complex execution techniques, are not always suitable for untrained people, or require additional equipment that not everyone has at home. It is also worth noting that for the lateral muscles they give a visual effect much later than, for example, for the legs or back. Nevertheless, the result obtained in such a difficult way will give you incomparable pleasure from the work done.

Structure of the oblique abdominal muscles

The group of lateral muscles includes two symmetrical relative to the vertical axis of the body, the external and internal muscles. External visible oblique muscles, which start from the lower part of the chest and obliquely to the bottom belly, partially intertwined with the rectus abdominis muscles on one side, and the pectoral muscles on the other. They are responsible for turning the body, and contraction of the left half of the muscle rotates the body to the right and vice versa. The inner muscle, which is not visible, is located perpendicular to the outer one underneath, and its contraction together with the outer muscle causes your body to lean forward.


Knowing the structure, you can train better

Exercises for the external abdominal muscles

In everyday life, a person rarely exposes this muscle group to serious loads that give the slightest growth effect. Therefore, their fastest and most correct development is carried out during training, often with the help of additional equipment: dumbbells, gymnastic balls and other exercise equipment.

The list of exercises for the abs tenses up when performed external oblique muscle, as well as other muscles belly will train optimally looks like this:

  1. Bent-overs with dumbbells in the opposite hand. (It is worth noting that excessive enthusiasm for this exercise and the use of large weights can pump up your oblique abdominal muscles, which will cause “waist loss”, as in the photo. Therefore, this exercise is not recommended for women and those men for whom an aesthetic appearance is more important than increasing volume or muscle strength.Therefore, you can perform this exercise without weights or with minimal weight.

Bent-overs with dumbbells - video

To follow the execution technique, first of all, you need to take the correct stance:

  • Stand up straight and take a dumbbell in your left hand, with your fingers facing you.
  • It is better to leave the opposite hand on the belt.
  • Your feet should be placed approximately shoulder width apart.

The exercise is performed as follows:

- Exhaling, slowly tilt your body to the right side as low as possible. After pausing at the bottom point, you can return to the starting position.

- Repeat the above while bending in the opposite direction.

- Having completed the planned number of repetitions, transfer the dumbbell to the other hand and do the same number of repetitions. Do not forget that the movement should only occur in the lower back.

  1. Twists or reverse twists of the body. These exercises are performed on the floor and will have a limited range of motion. Beginners should focus their attention on them, because they do not require the purchase of any shells.

The key to quick results is only technique!

An example would be the lateral leg raise exercise, which consists of the following steps:

  • Starting position: lying on your back, arms spread to the sides at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the body.
  • Raise your legs vertically, up, then lower your legs until they touch the floor. Now you can raise them to their original position and begin lowering them in the opposite direction. Thus, observing the technique, it is worth progressing to increase the number of repetitions to 20.

After this, you should think about using weights. What they will be is up to you to decide. An alternative to using weights is that you need to perform similar exercises for the oblique muscles immediately after approaches to training the rectus abdominis muscles or between them. So, by combining the partial work on your side abs with traditional crunches, using the ab exercise above will give your obliques a great workout.

  1. Crunches and other exercises on a gymnastic ball. Due to the increased amplitude, such exercises are perfect for everyone, except perhaps complete beginners.
  2. Adaptation of exercises on the horizontal bar and uneven bars. For those who like to pump their abs on the horizontal bar, it is necessary to slightly modify traditional leg raises and get excellent results.
  3. Lumberjack exercises on a block. This option gives good results, although its use by beginners is very controversial. However, in 90% of cases, equipment for performing it can only be found in the gym.
Exercises, not only dynamic, but also static

Many trainees do not include exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles in their programs, and they lose quite a lot.

  • Among all the variety, it is worth choosing one or two that are most suitable for your current physical condition.

The correct exercise technique for the oblique abdominal muscles, which is ideal for home workouts, can be viewed in numerous videos from experienced athletes. The easiest way to find such manuals is on YouTube.

All of the above exercises should be performed after a thorough warm-up, using 2-3 sets of 15-25 repetitions, depending on the characteristics of the body and its condition. The frequency of training can be up to a maximum of three times a week. The most common mistake in technique among beginners when performing exercises for both the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles is “cheating” - that is, the work of the main muscles is supplemented by the “help” of other groups. In our case, this is the participation of the muscles that are responsible for flexion of the pelvis. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to this problem when developing the correct technique.

Is it possible to pump up your abs at home so that cubes appear on them? Determination is one of the traits of a real man; nothing is impossible for him. Even if you have to work hard to achieve your goal.

In the article you will find a description of effective exercises for losing weight and strengthening abdominal muscles, which are suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes.

About the training program

for perfect abs you need to train all abdominal muscle groups

The abdominal muscles are divided into three groups - upper, lower abs, and oblique muscles. Each group has its own exercises:

  • upper press - twisting;
  • lower abs - exercises with raising legs;
  • oblique muscles - twisting with torso rotation, lateral twisting.

How to quickly pump up your abs at home (video training):

How to do crunches?


There are many abdominal exercises, but the most effective are crunches.

Direct

I.P.: lying on the floor, legs bent at the knees (90°), palms under the back of the head.
Smoothly, without making jerks, using force, the shoulders are raised and moved forward to the pelvis, returning to I.P.

With a twist

The same, with the body turning to the sides at the top point.

Reverse

I.P. - Same.
As you inhale, lift your hips off the floor and try to pull your legs toward your chest without changing the bend angle. To make the exercise more difficult, place a ball between your knees.

Side crunches

Exercise narrows your waist.

I.P.: lying on your side, resting on your elbow.

The pelvis is raised and lowered, bending at the waist.

Complex for beginners


if there is no horizontal bar, then you can raise your legs on the floor
  1. Press crunches.
  2. Vertical and horizontal “scissors”. Lying on the floor, perform horizontal and vertical movements with legs raised 30 cm from the floor.
  3. "Bike". Lying on the floor and raising your shoulders, as in straight crunches, try to reach the knee on the opposite side with your elbow, while simultaneously pulling your leg bent at the knee towards the elbow.
  4. Climber exercise. Starting position - as with. As you inhale, pull your knee toward your chest, and as you exhale, straighten your leg. Then repeat the same with the other leg. Perform at a fast pace for 30 seconds or longer.
  5. Leg raises on the bar, (if there is no stadium or wall bars nearby at home, then you can lie on the floor).

How to remove belly fat?


The plank exercise will help you get rid of your belly fat

Is it possible to lose belly fat by pumping up your abs? To answer this question, you need to know one nuance. It is in the internal abdominal muscles, which are practically not worked out during training, are relaxed and bulge. Therefore, even thin people can have a belly. There are other exercises for this part of the muscular skeleton.

    I.P.: as when performing horizontal push-ups, the abdominal muscles are tense. Stay in this position for 10 seconds. Then they lower themselves to the floor, inhale deeply, return to the starting position and perform the exercise again. Over time, the duration increases. Despite its apparent ease, this exercise is not easy for a beginner to perform.

    They do the same, but rest on the right arm, bent at the elbow, and the right leg. The plane of the body is perpendicular to the floor, the left arm is raised to the top. Repeat the same for the other side.

Burning belly fat and sides


Exercises must be performed slowly, without rushing

To burn fat on the stomach and sides, do crunches, but without weights, “to the last strength.”

You won't be able to lose weight in one part of your body. Additionally, aerobic exercise is needed or. These include active games - basketball, tennis, etc. They not only help burn fat, but also increase endurance, strengthen the heart and blood vessels.

Ab pumping table for 14 days

Day Replays Approaches
1 20 4–5
3 15
5 25
7 20
9 15
11 30
13 20

Start with 1-2 sets, their number is gradually increased. On even days - rest.

Intensive video training for advanced:

Errors

Here are the mistakes that beginners most often make when trying to improve their abdominal shape.

  1. Ignoring complex exercises. Complex training helps to work all the muscles of the body. Therefore, the program includes traction, etc.
  2. Working out the abdominal muscles requires a lot of effort and energy, so they are performed last.
  3. To get a six-pack, you pump your abs every day and do them several times. This is true, but the same effect is achieved if you train 3-4 times a week, performing 3-4 sets. There is no point in wasting extra energy.
  4. Incorrect execution. Often, beginners perform movements in a way that is easier for them to do. Such connivance does not bring results and often ends in injury.
  5. You can’t neglect them - they create beautiful posture. This is what the exercise does.
  6. When doing crunches, do not extend much, otherwise the muscles will stretch and the tone of the abdominal wall will decrease.
  7. Long-term classes according to the old program, without complications and new exercises. Muscles get used to the load, and at some point the training stops bringing results. As soon as the exercise has become easy to perform, it is complicated, the number of repetitions is increased or replaced with a new one.
  8. Relying on devices from TV stores. The products are created for lazy people who still train anyway.

Extras - food, water


replace fast food with vegetables

To prevent a layer of fat from hiding spectacular cubes, Proper nutrition is a prerequisite. People forget about fatty, fried, fast food, cream pies, smoked foods, and sweet carbonated drinks. Simple carbohydrates, which are found in chips, most desserts, potatoes, and baked goods, only complicate the task.

A beautiful figure is the dream of every girl. But fat folds on the stomach and sides often spoil the picture and make you lose self-confidence. However, with the right approach to training, you can achieve the desired relief in a short time. We offer you to learn how to pump up your lateral abs at home, find out which exercises will be most effective, and also get recommendations on proper nutrition.

The so-called lateral press is formed by the oblique abdominal muscles, which are divided into two types - internal and external, each of them has its own functions. The internal ones are aimed at protecting the abdominal organs, and the external ones visually form the sides. In general, the muscles help to flex and extend, rotate the body, and support the back. Their development and strengthening is necessary not only for a beautiful, fit body, but also for health.

Please note: the lateral abdominal muscles have a direct impact on how your body contours will look, so if you train them incorrectly, you can achieve a wide, unattractive waist and an H-shaped silhouette, which does not look feminine at all.

That's why it's important to consider the following:

  1. You should start exercising approximately 2 hours after your meal. Also, before and during training, you do not need to drink a lot of water; a couple of sips are enough to quench your thirst. After completing the complex, it is recommended to eat no earlier than an hour later.
  2. A mandatory start to each session is a warm-up; it will prepare the muscles for the load and help avoid sprains and injuries. This can be jumps, a series of turns and tilts.
  3. The content of each workout should be varied, so you can add strength and cardio exercises to your complex.
  4. Classes at home should be conducted at least 3 times a week. Only in this case, after 3-3.5 weeks will it be possible to notice the first improvements.
  5. The load should increase gradually. In the first days there is no need to chase a large number of repetitions. It is much more important to try to bring “muscle joy” and enjoy the fact that your body is becoming slimmer.

While doing the exercises, it is very important to pull in and tighten your stomach; this will help fight fat folds even more effectively, as well as prevent stress on the back, which is often observed in beginners.

The most powerful exercises

Exercises for working the oblique muscles are varied. Get to know the most effective of them, allowing you to achieve impressive results in a short time.

From a lying position

The best way to pump up your lateral abs is with simple-to-perform exercises that only require a gymnastic mat. We offer three of the most effective.

Side plank

Helps to work out the lateral press; due to the high load, it allows you to quickly achieve a noticeable effect.

The order of execution is as follows:

  1. Lie on the floor, focusing on the outer side of the foot and the palm placed directly under the shoulder.
  2. The waist and hips form one straight line that goes into the legs.

It is necessary to hold this position for as long as possible, at first – 20-30 seconds, gradually increasing the time to 1.5-2 minutes on each side. Performed in 3 approaches.

Bike

Another useful exercise for the lateral abdominal muscles, which can be performed at home.

It's done like this:

  1. Lie on your back, pressing your lower back firmly to the floor. Hands bent at the elbows are placed behind the head.
  2. Raise your legs.
  3. Alternately bend your legs while simultaneously moving your body. The right elbow tends to the left leg and vice versa.

Performed in 3 approaches, with a 10-second break between them. In each approach you need to make 10-15 contacts of the elbow and knee.

Swing your legs

It is necessary to take the starting position - lie on your right side, slightly bending your right leg at the knee. Support is on this leg and on the arm bent at the elbow, located under the head. Place your left hand at the level of your stomach - it will also become an additional support point.

The exercise is done like this:

  1. Raise your left leg straight as high as your hip joint allows.
  2. The leg must be straight, abduction to the sides is unacceptable.

Perform 3 sets of 15-20 times with each leg. These lifts also help train your butt muscles.

With dumbbells

Side press training with weights will help you quickly achieve beautiful relief, but girls are not recommended to use heavy weights (1-1.5 kg dumbbells are quite enough).

Woodcutter

It's done like this:

  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in your arms.
  2. Turn your body to the left, lift the dumbbell over your left shoulder with outstretched arms.
  3. After this, turn your body to the right, move the dumbbell to your right knee, moving diagonally, and take a squat position.

For a beginner, it is enough to perform 8-10 times in each direction, gradually increasing the number of repetitions.

Tilts

This is the simplest exercise that allows you to pump up your lateral abdominal muscles at home.

It's done like this:

  1. Stand with your back straight, feet shoulder-width apart, and dumbbells in your arms.
  2. Bend from side to side, trying to operate with maximum amplitude.
  3. At the maximum point below, fix the body for 2 counts, then straighten up and repeat in the other direction.

Girls just need to do 3 sets of 10-15 bends in each direction.

The best standing exercise is leg swings

To work the lateral abdominal muscles, it is most suitable to perform swings from a standing position.

It's done like this:

  1. Stand against a support, back straight, legs together.
  2. Perform a side swing with your left leg with the greatest amplitude, holding the support with your right hand.

Do 3 sets of 10-15 swings in each direction.

On the horizontal bar

Get acquainted with another very effective exercise that allows you to pump up your lateral muscles - twisting on the horizontal bar.

It's done like this:

  1. Hang on the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
  2. Raise your legs bent at the knees to chest level.
  3. Move your legs right and left.

Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Ready-made effective complexes

Get acquainted with a set of exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles that will help you achieve a beautiful waist.

For newbies

For those who have just started working on an ideal body, you can perform the following exercises:

  • bends;
  • swing with straight legs from a lying position;
  • twisting on the horizontal bar.

Average level

The following exercises will help improve your results:

  • side bar;
  • slopes with dumbbells;
  • bike;
  • on the horizontal bar, you can additionally perform lateral leg raises: from a hanging position, raise your legs bent at the knees, but not straight, but to the left, fix for 2-3 seconds, lower, repeat to the right.

Advanced level

A powerful complex for those who have been training for more than 2 months:

  • slopes with dumbbells;
  • bends with turns of the body (legs wider than shoulders, arms extended to the sides): the body moves in the direction forward - down, after which it turns to the right, then the movement is repeated to the left;
  • woodcutter;
  • swing your legs.

Ideally, each exercise is performed in 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, but you can start with 10 repetitions.

Contraindications

It is strictly prohibited to pump the lateral abdominal muscles in the following cases:

  • hernia (vertebral, umbilical, inguinal);
  • pyelonephritis;
  • pneumonia;
  • asthma;
  • nephrosis;
  • prolapse of the internal pelvic organs.

In case of pregnancy, intensive abdominal training is also prohibited. However, adapted exercises that need to be selected together with your doctor will help keep your muscles toned.

Training mistakes

In order for the training to take place with maximum productivity, and for the stomach and sides to quickly take on the desired shape, you need to know the main mistakes and avoid them.

Unacceptable:

  1. No warm-up.
  2. Using the same type of exercises.
  3. Incorrect breathing. When muscles are stressed, they need oxygen, so when you tense, you inhale, and when you relax, you exhale.

Therefore, each workout should begin with warm-up exercises, and the main part should include a variety of movements.

  1. You need to eat in small portions 4-5 times a day.
  2. Completely exclude flour products, sweets, carbonated drinks and smoked foods from the diet. Ketchup and mayonnaise are also prohibited.
  3. The basis of a healthy diet should be eggs, lean meat and fish, cottage cheese, buckwheat, cereals, and rice.
  4. It is unacceptable to go on strict diets during active training, since the body must receive all the necessary elements.
  5. Drink at least 2 liters of water, but do not overuse the liquid before and during training.

These tips will help you achieve an attractive and slim body faster.

Video

In the next video you will see some more very effective exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles.

Another video contains a whole set of exercises for the oblique muscles.

This surprisingly simple question - how to pump up the oblique abdominal muscles - baffles many beginners in fitness. Why, experienced ones too!

But the oblique muscles are very aesthetic when properly developed and are very important in most active sports - martial arts, wrestling, games, running, etc. A fighter will not be able to deliver strong blows and avoid attacks if he does not have developed oblique muscles. It is difficult to imagine a strong wrestler with undeveloped abs and oblique muscles. What is there! It is difficult to imagine a simply healthy person with weak abdominal muscles. The health of the spine, overall strength, and general health of a person largely depend on the condition of the oblique muscles, on their uniform development (left and right).

Let's try to figure out how to pump up the oblique muscles. But first, a little anatomical excursion.

How do the oblique abdominal muscles work?

The obliques are two pairs of flat muscles that lie on the sides of the abdominal cavity. On each side of the body there is an internal oblique muscle and an external oblique muscle. And they are located in a very interesting way, sort of criss-cross. And this makes great anatomical sense. See picture.

External oblique muscle - m. obliquus externus abdominis

The external oblique muscle with its upper part is attached to the so-called aponeurosis (linea alba). This is a connective tissue seal that runs through the middle of the abdomen and performs a mechanical function. The aponeurosis creates a vertical groove in the middle of the abdomen, visible with good relief. At its lower end, the external oblique muscle is attached to various fascia of other muscles and the iliac bone of the pelvis. Yes, yes, this is the same bone that sticks out strongly on the sides of the pelvis in people with poorly developed oblique muscles and those suffering from excessive thinness. The direction of muscle fibers is forward-up and back-down.

The external oblique muscle, with unilateral tension, rotates the torso in the direction opposite to itself. For example, if the left external oblique muscle tightens, the torso rotates to the right.

When the external oblique muscle contracts bilaterally (i.e., both external oblique muscles contract), the torso leans forward.

Internal oblique muscle - m. obliquus internus abdominis

It lies under the external oblique muscle and serves to rotate the torso in its direction. The direction of muscle fibers is forward-down, back-up. With its anterior end, the external oblique muscle is attached to the thoracolumbar fascia, the iliac crest and the inguinal ligament. The posterior end of the muscle is attached to the lower ribs, the connective tissue membrane of the rectus abdominis muscle. The lower posterior bundles enter the muscle that lifts the testicle (lat. - m. cremaster). Now do you understand how important it is to pump up your oblique muscles?

Oblique muscles and body movements

Now let’s figure out what body movements are performed when the oblique muscles work. Thus, we will figure out what exercises need to be done to develop the oblique muscles.

Torso rotations right and left

If your body turns to the right, the right internal oblique muscle and the left external oblique muscle contract. Conversely, if the body turns to the left, the left internal oblique muscle and the right external oblique muscle contract. Got it?

Lateral torso bends

If you lean to the left, the right oblique muscles (both internal and external) are stretched. At the same time, both left oblique muscles contract.

Similarly, when bending to the right, the left oblique muscles stretch and the right ones contract.

Holding and lifting weights with one hand

If you take a dumbbell in your left hand and stand straight, your right oblique muscles will tighten.

When you press the dumbbell upward with your left hand, the right oblique muscles tense.

And when you contract the rectus abdominis muscle, pumping your abs, you also tense both external oblique muscles.

Of course, the work of the oblique muscles is not limited to bending and turning the torso. They can participate in complex complex movements of the body, working in conjunction with other muscles, or acting as stabilizers of body position. But to understand their functions, I believe the movements described are quite sufficient.

How to pump up oblique muscles?

Oblique muscles, of course, should be trained from the very beginning of training so that they are noticeably visible. They themselves will not grow, since in ordinary life and in ordinary training programs, as a rule, they are not given enough attention. Crunches alone won't do it. In addition, these muscles are of great practical importance when lifting weights, developing correct posture, sexual health, etc.

The oblique abdominal muscles develop easily in people who have a wide pelvis and other predisposition factors. This is a general rule of fitness - the stronger the bones, the larger the muscles in that place. If you have a narrow pelvis, this is the main reason for poorly noticeable growth of the oblique muscles. But there is an advantage to this - the waist is much thinner. Plus, the oblique muscles are still pretty easy to build.

If the obliques are not growing well, I admit that you are using the wrong exercises. Or you do them wrong. Or in insufficient volume. Or you don't do it at all. When specializing in oblique muscles, you need to train them with two or three exercises, 3 sets each, three times a week. It is also worth paying attention to exercises with weights. Repeated repetitions (more than 15) do not necessarily lead to growth of the oblique muscles.

Another factor that interferes with pumping up your obliques may be insufficient flexibility at the waist, which makes it difficult to do exercises with sufficient amplitude. The problem is solved by developing flexibility.

In general, the oblique muscles are easy to build. The main thing is to know what and how to do.

Now let's move on to the exercises. Of course the best and most effective.

Exercises for obliques

Here I will just briefly talk about the most useful exercises for the oblique muscles. And you, having read my explanations above, already understand why these exercises. So?

Bend to the side with a dumbbell in hand

These are the usual standard side bends with a dumbbell in your hand. They took a dumbbell in one hand and put the other behind their head. Bend clearly to the side while inhaling. Return to the starting position while exhaling. You need to perform 10-15 bends in each direction, respectively, transferring the dumbbell to the other hand.

You should not use a dumbbell weighing more than 20 kg. The oblique muscles already grow beautifully from this exercise. Especially if you perform the exercise clearly, with maximum amplitude.

Axial rotations of the torso

This is an inertial exercise. That is, when it is performed, the waist muscles receive a load due to the resistance of the inertia of rotation of the body. It increases noticeably if you spread your arms to the sides.

The exercise is simple. Stand up straight, spread your arms to the sides, start rotating left and right with full amplitude (guide by the comfort of the sensations). Be sure to make sure that when rotating the torso, the pelvis does not make too noticeable turns, otherwise there will be no benefit from such rotations. You can breathe freely. Usually 50-100 such rotations are performed per approach.

A great exercise, but not everyone can do it. It requires noticeable flexibility at the waist. However, the more often you try to do it, the better it will turn out.

Lie on your back, pull your legs towards your stomach. Feet on the floor. The knees are closed. Lower your knees to the left to the floor. In this twisted position, try to lift your body, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor. Exhale as you rise. After completing 10-20 lifts, change the position of your legs to symmetrical, and perform the same number of repetitions.

Side plank exercise

This is a static exercise. You must take the position shown in the first photo. Then you need to raise your pelvis so that your body and legs form one line. And then you just need to hold your body in this position for 20-60 seconds. You can breathe freely. Don't forget to do the exercise for the other half of the body, turning around on the other side.

Cone rotations

One of the most useful exercises for the entire waist. Tension rolls through all the muscles of the abdomen and lower back without exception. Obliques work great. The exercise is performed carefully, in a slow manner. Hands can be held at the waist, on the chest, behind the head or above the head, depending on the level of training. You should perform at least 10 rotations in each direction per approach. The amplitude should be wide. It is especially important to lean forward strongly. In the last photo I did not fulfill this requirement, but I recommend doing so.



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