Oblique Workout: Best Exercises for Side Abs

Understand what your obliques do

If you want a stronger core and more defined side abs, building an effective oblique workout is essential. Your oblique muscles sit along the sides of your torso and work every time you twist, bend, or stabilize your spine.

You have two main oblique muscle groups:

• External obliques sit on the surface of your sides. They help with trunk rotation, side bending, and compressing your abdominal cavity, which you use any time you reach, twist, or brace your core.
• Internal obliques sit deeper in your lateral abdomen. They help flex your trunk, rotate your torso, and stabilize your spine and ribcage.

According to Dynamic Chiropractic (July 2022), focusing only on the visible six-pack muscle, the rectus abdominis, is not enough for a healthy core. Neglecting your obliques can weaken spinal stability and increase the risk of lower back and shoulder injuries.

A good oblique workout trains both internal and external obliques, and it teaches your core to:

• Rotate with control
• Resist unwanted movement
• Support better posture
• Protect your lower back

Benefits of an oblique workout

Strengthening your side abs does more than just sculpt your waistline. Targeted oblique training supports how you move throughout the day.

Improve posture and spinal stability

Your obliques help keep your spine aligned and resist unwanted twisting. Physical therapist Candace Harding and Peloton Instructor Olivia Amato explain that strong obliques improve spinal stability by resisting extra motion and supporting posture and balance, which can lower your risk of lower back pain by promoting better alignment and reducing strain.

Consistent oblique work can help you:

• Stand taller with less slouching
• Reduce strain in your neck and shoulders
• Maintain better alignment during lifts like squats and deadlifts

Reduce lower back pain risk

When your obliques are weak, your lower back often takes on more work than it should. Strengthening the muscles that support rotation and side bending helps spread the load across your whole torso.

Oblique exercises that emphasize control, such as side planks and anti-rotation presses, can help:

• Support your lumbar spine
• Reduce excessive side bending or twisting
• Balance strength between the right and left sides of your body

Enhance balance, athleticism, and daily movement

Your obliques play a central role in movements like:

• Throwing or swinging
• Changing direction quickly
• Standing on one leg
• Carrying bags on one side

Peloton’s 2025 blog notes that oblique workouts can enhance rotational power, posture, and alignment, and they can be added to cardio, strength, or balance training for all fitness levels.

Stronger obliques can help you:

• Feel more stable on uneven ground
• Generate power in sports that involve rotation
• Move confidently during everyday tasks like lifting, twisting, and reaching

Support a more defined waistline

While no exercise can spot-reduce fat, consistent oblique training can tone and define the muscles along your sides. Combined with a balanced diet and regular cardio, oblique exercises help:

• Tighten and firm the area around your waist
• Create more shape and definition through your midsection
• Reduce the appearance of love handles over time

Oblique workouts do not automatically make your waist look wider or “boxy.” Instead, they tone the underlying muscles and contribute to a more sculpted core when paired with overall fat loss.

Key types of oblique exercises

An effective oblique workout does more than repeat basic side bends. Your obliques respond well to a mix of movements.

Here are the main categories to include:

• Rotation: turning your torso, like Russian twists and woodchops
• Lateral flexion: bending to the side in a controlled range, like carefully performed side bends
• Anti-rotation: resisting twisting, like a Pallof press or suitcase carry
• Anti-lateral flexion: resisting side bending while carrying weight on one side

Training both movement and resistance builds a more functional, resilient core.

Bodyweight oblique workout exercises

You can build an effective oblique workout at home with no equipment. Start with these bodyweight movements and focus on slow, controlled reps.

Side plank

Side planks challenge your external and internal obliques to keep your spine neutral while you hold your body in a straight line. Variations like the Copenhagen side plank or star plank can increase difficulty.

How to do it

1. Lie on your side with your legs extended and stacked.
2. Place your forearm under your shoulder, elbow bent at 90 degrees.
3. Press your forearm into the floor and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
4. Keep your hips stacked, your core braced, and your neck in line with your spine.
5. Hold for 20 to 40 seconds, then switch sides.

Form tips

• Avoid letting your hips sag toward the floor.
• Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
• Breathe steadily instead of holding your breath.

Russian twist

Russian twists target both internal and external obliques through controlled torso rotation. When done correctly, they strengthen rotation and stability, and they can be progressed with added load.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Lean your torso back slightly, keeping your spine long and chest lifted.
3. Bring your hands together in front of your chest.
4. Brace your core and slowly rotate your torso to one side, bringing your hands toward the floor beside your hip.
5. Rotate through center and to the other side. That is one rep.

Form tips

• Move from your midsection, not just your arms.
• Keep your lower back neutral, not rounded.
• Start with your heels on the floor. If you feel stable, you can hover your feet a few inches off the ground.

Bicycle crunch

Bicycle crunches combine flexion and rotation, which helps recruit the rectus abdominis and both sets of obliques.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your hands lightly behind your head and your knees bent at 90 degrees above your hips.
2. Brace your core and keep your lower back gently pressed into the floor.
3. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground.
4. Extend your right leg as you rotate your torso and bring your right shoulder toward your left knee.
5. Switch sides in a pedaling motion, moving with control rather than speed.

Form tips

• Think of leading with your shoulder, not your elbow.
• Keep your lower back from arching off the floor.
• Pause briefly on each side for better muscle activation.

Mountain climber

Mountain climbers are often thought of as a cardio move, but they can also challenge your obliques, especially when you bring your knee diagonally toward the opposite elbow.

How to do it

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
2. Brace your core and keep your hips level.
3. Drive your right knee toward your left elbow.
4. Quickly switch legs, driving your left knee toward your right elbow.

Form tips

• Maintain a strong plank position to avoid sagging hips.
• Move at a steady pace you can control.
• Focus on driving from your core, not just your legs.

Heel tap

Heel taps mainly target your lower abdominals, but when you move side to side, they also recruit your obliques.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your shoulder blades slightly off the floor and reach your arms down alongside your body.
3. Brace your core and gently rotate your torso to tap your right hand toward your right heel.
4. Move back through center and tap your left hand toward your left heel.

Form tips

• Keep your chin away from your chest to avoid neck strain.
• Move slowly and keep tension in your core throughout.

Oblique exercises with weights or cables

Once you feel confident with bodyweight movements, you can add resistance to make your oblique workout more challenging.

Woodchop (cable or medicine ball)

Woodchops mimic a powerful rotational movement and engage your obliques, hips, and shoulders. Peloton’s 2025 blog lists woodchops as one of the most effective oblique exercises for rotation and trunk control.

How to do it with a cable

1. Set a cable handle at a high anchor point above one shoulder.
2. Stand sideways to the machine with your feet shoulder width apart.
3. Grab the handle with both hands, arms extended but not locked.
4. Brace your core and rotate your torso, pulling the handle diagonally down across your body toward your opposite hip.
5. Control the motion as you rotate back to the starting position.

Repeat for both sides.

Pallof press (anti rotation press)

The Pallof press is a classic anti rotation exercise that teaches your obliques to resist twisting, which is vital for spinal stability.

How to do it

1. Attach a handle to a cable machine at chest height or use a resistance band anchored at the same height.
2. Stand sideways to the anchor point and hold the handle with both hands at your chest.
3. Step out until you feel tension pulling you toward the anchor.
4. Brace your core and slowly press your hands straight out in front of your chest.
5. Hold briefly, then bring your hands back to your chest.

Keep your hips and shoulders square, and do not let the cable or band pull you into rotation.

Suitcase carry

The suitcase carry is a single arm loaded carry that challenges your obliques to resist side bending and keep your torso upright.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand at your side.
2. Stand tall with your shoulders level and your core braced.
3. Walk slowly for a set distance or time, avoiding leaning toward or away from the weight.
4. Switch sides and repeat.

This simple move trains anti lateral flexion, which improves core control during everyday tasks like carrying groceries or luggage.

Cable side bend

Traditional dumbbell side bends can put your spine at risk if you move too quickly or use an excessive range of motion, and using a dumbbell in each hand can cancel out the load. Cable side bends let you control the movement more precisely and keep the tension where you want it.

According to training guidance in the research, cables help you:

• Stay in a safer, active range of motion
• Load the obliques more effectively
• Engage hip stabilizers to prevent unwanted hip movement

How to do it

1. Attach a handle to a low cable. Stand sideways to the machine with your feet hip width apart.
2. Hold the handle in the hand farthest from the machine and stand tall with your core braced.
3. Slowly bend your torso away from the cable, keeping the movement small and controlled.
4. Return to the starting position by engaging your obliques, not by swinging.

Avoid combining flexion and rotation in this exercise. Keeping the movement in pure lateral flexion reduces injury risk and improves training benefits.

Kettlebell windmill (advanced)

The kettlebell windmill is an advanced move that challenges shoulder stability, hip mobility, and oblique strength. Men’s Health highlights it as a powerful oblique exercise when performed with proper technique.

If you are newer to strength training or have any shoulder or back issues, you may want to skip this exercise or practice the pattern without weight first.

How to structure your oblique workout

You do not need a long session to see benefits. Peloton’s 2025 article suggests that 5 to 10 minutes of oblique focused core work, 3 to 4 times per week, can improve rotational power, posture, spinal alignment, and reduce lower back strain for all fitness levels.

Here is a simple way to structure your routine.

Beginner oblique circuit

Try this circuit 2 to 3 times per week on non consecutive days.

1. Side plank, 20 to 30 seconds per side
2. Heel taps, 10 to 15 reps per side
3. Russian twists (bodyweight), 10 to 12 reps per side
4. Mountain climbers, 20 to 30 total reps

Rest 30 to 45 seconds between exercises. Complete 2 rounds to start, then build to 3 rounds as you get stronger.

Intermediate oblique circuit

Once the basics feel comfortable, progress to this routine 3 times per week.

1. Side plank with leg lift, 20 seconds per side
2. Russian twists with light weight, 12 to 15 reps per side
3. Pallof press, 8 to 12 reps per side
4. Woodchop (cable or medicine ball), 8 to 10 reps per side
5. Suitcase carry, 20 to 30 seconds per side

Rest 30 to 60 seconds between exercises. Complete 2 or 3 rounds depending on your schedule and energy level.

Advanced training ideas

If you are more experienced, you can:

• Add advanced variations like Copenhagen side planks, star planks, and hanging oblique knee raises
• Integrate loaded moves such as kettlebell windmills or half bench single arm presses for more rotational control
• Use heavier resistance in woodchops, Pallof presses, and suitcase carries while keeping form tight

Always prioritize quality of movement over heavier weight or faster speed.

Technique and safety tips for oblique training

Good form keeps your oblique workout effective and reduces your risk of discomfort or injury.

Brace your core correctly

Before each rep, think of gently tightening your midsection as if you are preparing for a light poke in the stomach. This encourages your obliques and deep core muscles to work together and support your spine.

Tips from the Peloton blog include:

• Match your breathing with effort, exhaling during the hardest part of the movement
• Tuck your pelvis slightly to avoid arching your lower back
• Keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid strain

Move with control

Fast, jerky movements often rely on momentum instead of muscle. To get more from each rep:

• Use a slow, deliberate range of motion
• Pause briefly at the point of maximum tension
• Stop before your form breaks down

This is especially important for rotational exercises like Russian twists and loaded moves like woodchops.

Protect your lower back and neck

For floor exercises like crunch variations:

• Keep your lower back in contact with the floor or only a natural, slight curve
• Avoid pulling your head forward with your hands
• Initiate rotation from your midsection, not from yanking your shoulder or elbow

Common mistakes to avoid during oblique crunches include going too fast, arching your lower back, and pulling on your neck. Instead, perform slow, controlled reps and keep your fingertips lightly behind your head.

Choose safer variations over risky ones

Some movements, such as heavy dumbbell side bends with a large range of motion, can stress your spine without delivering better results. Using a single dumbbell instead of two, or switching to a cable side bend, helps you:

• Maintain a safer range of motion
• Better target the obliques
• Reduce unwanted spinal flexion and rotation

When in doubt, pick the variation that lets you feel your core working without discomfort in your back or neck.

Putting it all together

A smart oblique workout does not need to be complicated or long. If you:

• Train both internal and external obliques
• Mix rotation, lateral flexion, and anti rotation exercises
• Focus on slow, controlled movement and good posture
• Add 5 to 10 minutes of oblique work to your routine a few times per week

you will support your spine, improve your posture and balance, and build stronger, more defined side abs over time.

Start with one or two of the exercises above in your next workout, notice how your midsection feels more engaged, and build from there as your strength grows.

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