5 Best Exercises for Men to Build Oblique Muscles

Oblique muscles are one of the most underutilized and challenging muscle groups to develop. These muscles are in charge of movements like waist twisting and side bending. Working the oblique muscles tones the abdominal wall, cinches the waist, and tightens the abdomen.

These muscles play a crucial role in rotating motions such as side-to-side bending. They also aid in enhancing your core's general strength. Oblique muscles are crucial for protecting your spine, which is what matters most. If physical appearance is a concern for you, a powerful set of obliques will take the place of those much-loved, stubborn love handles.

The obliques in particular play a significant function, but the entire core is crucial in keeping us upright and allowing us to execute a variety of activities without stooping or hurting our backs. These are muscles that travel from the ribs to the hip bones along the sides of the waist.

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Best Exercises to Tone Oblique Muscles

Add these five exercises to your routine, and start working on your obliques right away if you want to permanently lose your muffin top:

1) Cross-body mountain climber

This workout is especially beneficial because it works the oblique muscles and core while simultaneously acting as an aerobic exercise. Your tummy will be targeted out during the vigorous workout, which will also raise your heart rate, and help you burn calories.

Instructions:

• Put your hands behind your shoulders and raise your glutes a little higher as you assume a high plank position.
• While maintaining as much bodily stillness as you can, bring your left knee to your right elbow.
• Put the leg back in its original position.
• Continue by repeating with the right leg, being careful to move somewhat slowly.

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2) Heel taps

Despite being a basic movement, one of the best oblique muscle workouts to target the neglected areas of your core is the heel tap. You have to assume a comfortable stance while performing what is effectively a side crunch.

Instructions:

• Kneel down on the floor with your feet flat and your palms facing up or down, and lie on your back.
• Keep your upper back and head off the ground and lift your head while engaging your core.
• Tap your left heel with your left hand while you reach out to your left side in a sideways motion.
• When you get back to the center, use your right arm to make the same motion.

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3) Side plank with a reach-under

To target those oblique muscles, an effective twisting action that you can add to your routine is the side plank with a reach-under.

Instructions:

• On your left side, lay flat on the ground.
• Raise your upper body by standing on your hand or forearm.
• Your right leg should be stacked on top of your left, with your knees bent at a 45-degree angle.
• Use your obliques to raise your right hip while keeping your feet together.
• Your left arm must be raised overhead.
• Take a deep breath and twist your left side while extending your hand under your body.
• Next, raise your arm overhead once more.

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4) Bicycle crunches

Your oblique muscles will burn after doing this twisting abs move. Its ability to scale is a further advantage.

Instructions:

• Placing your feet on the ground rather than extending your legs will help you maintain your lower back flush to the floor if you have problems doing so.
• Placing your legs in a tabletop posture, lie on your back on the ground.
• Your hands should be behind your head and elbows should be bent.
• Straighten your right leg while bringing your right elbow to your left knee by engaging your core as you elevate your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor.
• With a small release, twist to the opposite side while bending your right leg, lengthening your left leg, and moving your left elbow to your right knee.

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5) Wide side crunch

This move will help you incorporate leg work into your side crunches. Wide side crunches help target the obliques, so if your legs start to tire, ease out of the squats a little.

Instructions:

• Put your toes out and take a broad stance.
• Squat down and extend your arms out to the sides with your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
• While continuing to squat, bend your right elbow towards your right knee with a side bend.
• Go back to the center and do a left crunch.

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Key Takeaway

Along with helping to tighten up the sides of your stomach, these exercises will also assist in strengthening your oblique muscles.

You can do these as part of your abs workout or all by themselves during one of your weekly workout sessions, and you'll be sure to develop a strong core that will significantly improve your mobility.