Home Ab Workouts & Obliques Exercises
Stop Wasting Time on Side Bends, Torso Twists & Other Oblique Exercises... Try These Killer Oblique Ab Workouts!
by Craig Ballantyne, Men's Health Magazine Fitness Expert, Author of the Best Home Abdominal Workouts Program
Most ab training programs neglect one of the most important muscles in your “core”. Sure, you can do tons of crunches and sit-ups, but if you aren’t properly working your oblique muscles, then you won’t have the complete 6-pack package.
And while your first thoughts of oblique exercises are dumbbell side bends or bicycle crunches, I’ve got 3 killer ab & core exercises for you today that are just as effective and safer for your low back.
If you do all 3 of these abs exercises once per week along with one other ab workout later in the week, you’ll double the effectiveness of your ab workouts.
Plus, you can do this ab workout anytime, anywhere. You don’t have to do it just at the end of a regular workout. You can do it in the morning before work, in your office (if you have privacy), in the park at lunch, or while watching your kids or TV at home. It’s so simple and effective, yet doesn’t require any equipment. It’s the perfect three-exercise ab routine for building a sharp set of oblique muscles to compliment your 6-pack abs.
Do each exercise back to back with no rest between exercises. At the end of the circuit, take a 1 minute rest before repeating the circuit 2 more times. If you are a beginner, make the beginner modifications to each exercise and do the circuit only 1 time for the first week. In the second week, you can bump it up to 2 circuits, and finally to 3 circuits in week 3.
Follow this program for 4 weeks, and then add in some new exercises, remove some of the old exercises, and change the order and repetition scheme of the exercises. You need to change every aspect of your workout every 4-6 weeks so that you don’t get bored and so that your program stays as effective as possible. Don't forget that your main focus should still be full body workouts and not just ab workouts if you really want to have lean six pack abs.
Here’s the 3-exercise abs oblique obliteration circuit:
1) Cross-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side
2) Side Plank – 30 second hold per side
3) Spiderman Pushup – 8 reps per side
Here are detailed descriptions of how to do each exercise:
Cross-Body Mountain Climber
- Start in the top of the push-up position.
- Keep your abs braced, pick one foot up off the floor, and slowly bring your knee up to your opposite elbow.
- Do not let your hips sag or hike up in the air. Keep your body in a straight line.
- Keep your abs braced and slowly return your leg to the start position.
- Alternate sides until you complete all of the required repetitions.
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Beginner Modification: Do the standard Mountain Climber bringing your knee straight ahead and do not try to cross your body with it.
Side Plank
- Lie on a mat on your side.
- Support your bodyweight with your feet and on your elbow.
- Raise your body in a straight line so that your body hovers over the mat.
- Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs and entire core tight. Contract them as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach, but breath normally.
- Hold this position for the recommended amount of time then SWITCH sides.
- Increase the duration of the hold each workout.
- Beginner Modification: Do the exercise from your knees. Hold for 10 seconds.
Spiderman Push-up
- Keep your abs braced and body in a straight line from toes to shoulders.
- Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly lower yourself down until you are an inch off the ground.
- As you lower yourself, slowly bring your knee up to your elbow, but keep your foot off the ground as you do so.
- Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position, and return your leg to the start position. Alternate sides until you complete all repetitions.
- Keep your body in a straight line at all times and try not to twist your hips.
- Intermediate Modification: If you can’t do all 8 Spiderman Pushups per side, do as many as you can and then finish the set with regular pushups.
- Beginner Modification: Do the Spiderman Pushup from a kneeling position, or just do regular Kneeling Pushups.
Try adding these abs and obliques exercise circuits into your regular workouts or on alternate days. Give it some time and dedication and you'll have razor sharp obliques and rock hard abs in just a couple cycles.
Make sure to check out Craig's new Home Abdominal Workouts Program below:
Additional Reading:
Get Flat Six Pack Abs without Crunches or Situps - Diet and Training Tips
Audio interview - the best tips for flat 6-pack abs
The 3 best abdominal exercises disguised