It’s common sense by now that no muscle should be ignored while exercising, especially the oblique muscles. Yes, a strong core means strong abs and lower back, but the obliques play a great part in how strong your core actually is.
Adding exercises specifically tailored to developing the obliques into your workout will take your physique and core strength to a whole other level.
When the subject of core muscles arises, most people’s first thought is of either the abs area or the lower back muscles. Both are extremely important — not only for aesthetics like an amazing six pack, but for health benefits like a healthy posture and spine protection.
A surprising number of people often forget — or just flat out don’t know — that there is a third part of the core muscle group: the oblique muscles.
What Are the Obliques?
This group of muscles is often considered part of your abdominal muscles, since they are located on the front side of your torso. Two types of oblique muscles exist: the large, thin external obliques, and the triangle-shaped internal obliques.
External obliques — the larger, more visible muscles on the surface of the sides of your torso. They run diagonally downward from the lower ribs to the pelvis and are responsible for rotating the torso and bending sideways.
Internal obliques — the deeper muscles underneath the external obliques. They run diagonally upward and work in coordination with the external obliques during rotation and lateral flexion.
Why You Need to Train Your Obliques
The oblique muscles play a crucial role in your movement as a whole — without them you would not be able to twist, turn, or even bend. They require as much strengthening as your abs and lower back, and focusing on targeting them during training is important for developing a strong, injury-resistant core.
Beyond function, there’s the aesthetic argument. By building strong obliques you tighten up the sides of your stomach — reducing the “muffin top” effect that so many people despise — and create the defined waistline that frames a six-pack and contributes to a V-cut in the lower abs.
Strong obliques also protect the spine during rotational movements, improve athletic performance in any sport that involves twisting or lateral movement, and reduce lower back pain by providing better lateral support.
The 10 Best Oblique Exercises
1. Bicycle Crunch
Let’s start off with bicycle crunches. Although it’s an easy exercise, it’s one of the best oblique exercises out there. These crunches hit the abdominal muscles, however thanks to the twisting unilateral movement — on one side only — you give extra special attention to your oblique muscles.
While it’s an incredibly simple exercise that almost anyone can do, it is hard enough that you’ll feel the burning sensation in your muscles almost immediately.
How to do it: Lie on your back on the floor or a mat. Interlace your fingers behind your head to support your neck — be careful not to pull your head forward with force. Using your core muscles, lift your torso and legs off the mat until only your butt and lower back are touching it.
Twist to the right and pull your right knee inward until you can touch it with your opposite elbow. Then twist to the left and pull your left knee inward until you can touch it with your right elbow.
Do 15-20 reps on each side.
2. Cross-Body Mountain Climbers
This exercise has a famous — or rather infamous — love-hate relationship with people in the fitness community. It takes the already present challenge of the standard mountain climber and practically doubles it by adding a twisting motion that activates your oblique muscles like it’s nobody’s business.
It is both an incredible exercise for strength-building and amazing for cardio. Implementing a few sets of these in your workout will leave you drenched in sweat, but satisfied.
How to do it: Begin in the high plank position — legs extended, feet together, hands flat on the floor directly beneath your shoulders. Instead of bringing your left knee up to your left elbow like a classic mountain climber, twist your torso and bring your left knee up to your right elbow, then return to plank. Repeat on the opposite side — right knee to left elbow. Focus on smooth, consistent movements rather than speed.
Do 10-20 reps on each side.
3. Heel Taps
At first glance this exercise seems simple — and in truth it really is. However the unilateral movement doubles its effectiveness by shredding your core along with your abs. It’s basically a classic side crunch with far less strain on your neck and in a much more comfortable position.
How to do it: Lie flat on your back with both arms flat at your sides. Bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor. Using your core muscles, lift your head and shoulders off the ground — your lower back should still make contact with the ground.
Without fully twisting, reach out to touch your right heel with your right hand by swiveling your upper body around your core. Then swivel to the left, touching your left hand to your left heel. Continue alternating left and right.
Do 15-30 reps on each side.
4. Woodchoppers
This is a great weighted exercise that you can do with a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a cable machine, or virtually any heavy object you have handy. The movement mimics the actual real-life motion of chopping wood — the twisting up and down motion — and with that, it strengthens you for the actual activities you’d be doing on a daily basis.
How to do it: Start in a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart, gripping a weight or cable handle firmly in both hands. Rotate to the right and squat slightly, lowering the weight until it’s between knee and calf height.
While straightening up from the squat, bring the weight upward and across your body until it is above your left shoulder — like the backswing of a woodcutter’s axe. Swivel from your right toe slightly so you feel the twist in your core. Finish the rep and repeat on the opposite side.
Let’s be honest, this will be no easy feat — but it will make you feel the burn in your core while also developing your shoulders, arms, and legs. This type of full-body movement will develop a rock-hard but fully mobile core.
Do 10-15 reps on each side.
5. Side Plank
Having concerns about your lower back, or feeling extra stiffness in your hips after a long day sitting down? This is the perfect exercise — a static hold that gives your obliques an amazing workout with no movement and minimal spinal stress.
Being a static exercise, it poses less risk of lower back strain or sprain, but because you engage your muscles to hold a fixed position, you get a genuinely effective workout in the same amount of time as dynamic exercises.
How to do it: Start in the high plank position — legs extended, feet together, hands flat on the floor shoulder-width apart. Shift all your weight onto your right hand and twist your body to raise your left hand straight up into the air above your head. Most of your weight should be on your right leg. Hold for 10-20 seconds, rest, and repeat on the other side.
To increase difficulty, raise one leg off the ground. To make it easier for beginners, place your upper foot on the ground for extra support.
In whatever way you decide to do it, the side plank is amazingly effective for the core — mostly the obliques, but also the hips, glutes, lower back, and abs.
6. Russian Twist
One of the most classic oblique exercises in existence and for good reason. The Russian twist forces your obliques to control rotation under load — particularly effective when performed with added weight.
How to do it: Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet either on the floor or elevated for more difficulty. Lean back until your torso is at roughly 45 degrees. Hold a weight — dumbbell, medicine ball, or weight plate — at your chest. Rotate your torso as far as possible to the right, then to the left. That’s one rep. Keep the movement controlled — don’t just swing your arms, twist from the torso.
Do 15-20 reps per side. Add weight progressively as this becomes easier.
7. Hanging Oblique Raise
Hanging oblique raises are one of the best oblique exercises for those already experienced in resistance training who are looking for a serious challenge. It hits multiple areas at once — shoulders and arms working to hang, obliques and abs controlling the leg movement, and the rest of the core stabilizing against the swing.
How to do it: Hang from a pull-up bar using an overhand grip. Bend your knees and bring them toward your chest, pivoting at the top of the motion to twist toward your left side. Lower your legs in a controlled manner — don’t swing — then bring them up again with a twist to the right.
Do 10-15 reps on each side.
You’ll feel this not only in your obliques, hips, and abs, but also in your hands and forearms — hanging for extended periods requires serious grip strength. The rewards are worth it.
8. Side Bend
Unlike various other exercises that are complex, side bends are generally simple and virtually anyone can do them. If you’re new to training, using just your bodyweight is enough to start. If you’re experienced, adding weight increases the challenge significantly. Either way, it’s effective.
How to do it: Stand with your feet spread more than shoulder-width apart — a wider hip stance helps target the obliques and increases flexibility. Let your hands hang at your sides. If using weights, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in a neutral grip.
Without moving your lower body at all, bend to the right as far as you can, then engage your oblique muscles to return to the starting position.
For weighted side bends, hold the weight in one hand only — this forces your obliques to work extra hard to lift the added weight, using the absence of weight on the other side as a counterbalance.
Do 15 reps on each side.
9. Cable Oblique Crunch
The cable machine version of the oblique crunch maintains constant tension throughout the movement — unlike bodyweight crunches where tension decreases at the top. This makes it particularly effective for building oblique strength and definition.
How to do it: Set a cable machine to the highest position and attach a rope or single handle. Stand sideways to the machine, feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the handle with one or both hands and hold it at the side of your head. Without rotating your hips, crunch sideways — pulling your ribcage toward your hip on the cable side. Control the return to the starting position.
Do 12-15 reps on each side. Keep the movement isolated to the obliques — don’t let the hips or lower body move.
10. Pallof Press
The Pallof press is an anti-rotation exercise — meaning instead of creating rotation, you resist it. This makes it one of the most functional oblique exercises you can do, training the obliques to do their actual job: stabilizing the spine against rotational forces.
How to do it: Set a cable machine or resistance band at chest height. Stand perpendicular to the cable with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the handle at your chest with both hands. Press the handle directly out in front of you, fully extending your arms while resisting the pull of the cable trying to rotate your torso. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then bring it back to your chest. The key is keeping your torso completely square — no rotation at all.
Do 10-12 reps on each side. This exercise looks deceptively easy until you try it with meaningful weight.
Sample Oblique Workout
Here’s how to combine these exercises into a complete oblique session, either as a standalone workout or added to the end of an ab or core session:
Beginner:
- Bicycle Crunch — 3 sets x 15 reps each side
- Heel Taps — 3 sets x 20 reps each side
- Side Plank — 3 sets x 20 seconds each side
- Side Bend (bodyweight) — 3 sets x 15 reps each side
Intermediate:
- Cross-Body Mountain Climbers — 3 sets x 15 reps each side
- Russian Twist (weighted) — 3 sets x 15 reps each side
- Woodchoppers — 3 sets x 12 reps each side
- Side Plank with leg raise — 3 sets x 30 seconds each side
Advanced:
- Hanging Oblique Raise — 3 sets x 12 reps each side
- Cable Oblique Crunch — 3 sets x 12 reps each side
- Pallof Press — 3 sets x 10 reps each side
- Woodchoppers (heavy) — 3 sets x 10 reps each side
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I train obliques? 2-3 times per week is optimal for most people. The obliques recover relatively quickly — similar to other core muscles — so more frequent training is possible. However they also get indirect work during compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and rows, so you don’t need to overdo direct oblique work.
Will oblique exercises make my waist wider? This is a common concern, particularly among women. The answer is: it depends on the exercises and the volume. High-rep, light-weight oblique work tones and tightens without adding significant width. Very heavy loaded exercises like heavy side bends or weighted Russian twists, done at high volume over time, can add muscle bulk to the obliques. For a tighter waistline without adding width, stick to bodyweight and light-resistance oblique exercises at higher reps.
What’s the difference between internal and external obliques? External obliques are the larger, more visible muscles on the surface of your sides — they run diagonally downward and are primarily responsible for rotation in the opposite direction (right external oblique rotates torso to the left). Internal obliques are deeper, run diagonally upward, and rotate in the same direction. Most oblique exercises work both simultaneously.
Can I get a six-pack by just training obliques? No. Visible abs — including oblique definition — require low body fat percentage. Training the obliques builds the underlying muscle, but if there’s a layer of fat covering them, no amount of direct training will make them visible. Diet and overall calorie balance determine what becomes visible. The training builds what’s underneath.
How long before I see results from oblique training? With consistent training 2-3 times per week combined with appropriate nutrition, most people notice improved core stability and strength within 4-6 weeks. Visible oblique definition depends heavily on body fat percentage and can take several months to become apparent.
