Obliques are the muscles which run along the side of the abdomen and play a major role in stabilizing the spine, help you bend from the side or twist your upper body, support the lower back, enhance the appearance of having a slim waist, and improve posture.
The oblique crunch has been identified as being one of the most effective ways to develop this muscle and we’re going to show you how to do it effectively:
First, some essentials:
- It is important to include an aerobic warm up as well as stretching after you finish working out; as with any other exercise.
- Breathing properly is one of the most difficult parts of any oblique move, so you might have to pay extra attention to making sure you get this part right. Be sure to exhale as you lift your upper body off the floor and inhale as you return.
- When doing side oblique exercise, don’t lift from your neck. This could very easily lead to injuries and does nothing to develop your obliques. Make sure your obliques do the work.
How to do the Oblique Crunch:
The oblique crunch concentrates on both your internal and external obliques. To perform this move, lie on your back, with your hands behind your head so that your fingers are resting behind your ears. Open your elbows and stretch them to the sides with your hands still behind your head; keep your shoulder blades on the floor, lift your knees up and keep them together as you bring them to one side. Keep your legs stacked up on each other.
Lift your upper body in a slow and guarded movement from the floor and contract your rib cage towards your pelvis and return to starting position slowly. As you progress, do five to ten repetitions and ten to twenty progressively, on each side.
If the oblique crunch is difficult, you can do it with your arm crossed over your chest; but be careful to keep your chin up as if you are holding an orange under your chin, while performing the oblique crunch. This is important because it helps prevent neck injury. You should also, always exhale as you lift your upper body up towards your pelvis and inhale as you return to starting position.
Conclusion
The side oblique is a wonderfully effective move for getting these powerful muscles into shape and functioning more effectively. Be sure to use these steps we have shown you here to train your obliques consistently.
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