Injuries to the chest from a fall or hard hit. Bring your left knee to your left elbow. Bring your left knee underneath your body toward your right elbow by twisting your torso slightly. Additional training, could, however, work to improve the form of your lift, and even help to increase the amount of weight you can lift. Trust me: Once you begin training your abs like your other muscles, they will begin developing like them. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. We use them every time we twist our torsos, or bend down to one side or the other. They're the muscles that run along the sides of the waist, from the ribs to the hip bones. 3 Hold for a second and come back up to the starting position. "Power hooks are great way to build upper body strength along with working the core, especially those obliques!" Avoid injury and keep your form in check "Russian twists work the entire core with emphasis on the obliques," thanks to the twisting motion, Burrell says. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. Sep 12, 2018 - An oblique muscle strain can be a real pain in the butt because the oblique is a muscle you don’t think about until it is injured. Access our entire library of more than 90 fitness programs. Lunge forward with your left leg. These tips from Bodyspace members show you how to train your whole core. Complete ten repetitions on each … "Side plank dips are a more challenging way to fire up the obliques in a side plank position," Burrell says. That’s why abdominal strain is sometimes referred to as a pulled muscle. Stand far enough away from the wall so that you can bend your torso forward and press your palms against it, elbows bent. The obliques are part of the lateral anterior abdomen and are one of the more superficial muscles of your “core”. Probably the biggest misconception about ab training in general, is that the key to success is volume. These movements should only be done if you do not feel pain and after your doctor approves you for exercise. Other than perhaps "Arnold," the two syllables most frequently associated with being in excellent shape are "six-pack.". Come back up and repeat on the other side. more exercises. Hold a medicine ball in both hands with arms extended out in front of your chest. In bowlers, side abdominal strains occur on the non-bowling side of the body and the majority are strains of abdominal muscle insertions on to the lower ribs.Side strain injury is caused by tearing of the internal oblique muscle from the under surface of one of the lower four ribs or costal cartilages. The oblique muscles in the abdomen are consistently being utilized for balance, strength, and with many types of movement and activities. Stand with your left side facing a wall and knees slightly bent. The oblique muscles are present to the side of the abdomen taking up space in between your hip and ribs and are of two types, external and internal oblique. Prasarita Sit up with your legs out in front of you, knees bent and your heels on the floor, your back at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands. With straight arms, hold a soft medicine ball on the right side of your body. Jogging and squatting without pain were permitted soon after the diagnosis. Draw your hand out so that your arm is at a 90-degree angle. 5777 N Meeker Ave, Boise, ID 83713-1520 USA. The best oblique muscle workout is the bicycle crunch. Higher reps is the way to go. Then, flex your foot and kick the leg back out straight to the parallel position. You'll also get a bonus upper body workout, since you're using your arms, shoulders, and back to stay in plank position. An ultrasonographic examination 3 wk after injury revealed that pain during trunk rotations improved and the hemorrhage reduced; therefore, she was permitted to perform trunk-strengthening exercises, and she started playing handball 1 month after injury. With the obliques being on the outer ranges of your waist, this can mean a thicker waist. Note: Suggested weights, reps and sets will vary drastically depending on your strength. So train them within reason! Rotate slightly off your left foot as you twist your body and swing the weight across your body up and to the right, keeping your arms straight the entire time. Oblique Muscle Stretch It is also an important muscle in intra-abdominal pressure and proper pelvic function, which will become important as we explain in just a moment. © 2020 Bodybuilding.com. Yes, they are, but you have to do it right. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement. Place your hands behind your head, engage your core and do a full sit-up. At the top, twist into a side plank, raising the top arm. Before trying any of the following exercises to treat your oblique muscle strain, consult with your doctor to avoid doing further damage. Sit at the end of a flat bench. With your guard up (hands in front of your face), take your front elbow and raise it to chest level. Additionally, you can squeeze each circuit in between a few laps on the track or before and after your cardio to maximize efficiency. Hanging knee raise with twist. 1) Side Plank The side plank is an excellent exercise for … And as with any exercise that's done in plank position, you should also be engaging (and therefore, working) your butt the entire time. Exercises for an oblique muscle strain Side plank:. Lift your right leg off the ground, parallel to the floor. Here, Burrell demonstrates 13 obliques exercises she loves. Sit with your legs slightly bent, crossed near the ankles and lifted off the ground. For the bodybuilder concerned mainly about an aesthetically pleasing physique, this is not always a goal one would strive for. They all require either no equipment or a simple weight, like a dumbbell or medicine ball, so you don't need to go to a gym to do them. A torn oblique can hamper your ability to tur… Lay down on your favorite side and place your forearm on … Repeat this movement alternating sides each time. When we think about core workouts, most of us fixate on the front of our abs. Ready for an oblique exercise that’s a little more difficult? I suggest training your obliques no more than once a week, and there's no need to use heavy weight. Bend only at the waist to the side as far as possible. Ben Creicos is a health-and-fitness writer who is passionate about helping everyone discover the body's limitless potential. Toss these exercises into your normal abs or core workout. Engage your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to toe. Do all the reps for one side, then switch sides. Best Oblique Exercises For Strengthening Your CORE & Maintaining A Small Waist Bring your torso and upper leg toward each other, pulling with your obliques. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor. A lot of focus is placed on training abdominals with crunches and planks, but many people forget the neighboring oblique muscles. © 2021 Condé Nast. Lower back down. Sneakers are her own (similar styles available at nike.com). Side Plank. However, injure these muscles, and the athlete will have significant difficulty trying to perform. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medium-to-heavy dumbbell in your right hand. When you add a rotation to an exercise, you can count on your obliques firing. … Bring your right knee in toward your right elbow. Hold that position for five seconds, then switch to the other side. 8 Stand with your legs spread out to approximately double your should-width apart. more exercises, + Our forum members shared their best tips for strengthening oblique muscles. People with oblique strains are typically advised to rest. However, high volume and high frequency isn't the way to go. Abdominal strain can be caused by: Raise your right knee on the side of your body while bringing your right elbow down to meet it. Use this massage ball after the immediate injury phase, when your muscles are healing. Our model, trainer Danielle Burrell, is wearing a We Are Handsome Printed Panelled Sports Bra (saksoff5th.com, $50), and Essentials by Nuyu Yoga Legging With Mesh Inserts (wearnuyu.com, $70). Stretching Exercises for Abdominal Oblique Muscle Strain: Stand and keep your feet shoulder-width … “Since the oblique muscles are active during forward bending, side bending, and many twisting movements, a strained muscle will deter all of these motions in some capacity,” Miller says. Oblique exercises that require more weight should be done for fewer reps, while movements like crunches do not require weight are suitable for higher reps. While bodybuilders have strong obliques, focusing on strengthening exercises will not cause you to add muscle to the point point where you ruin your V-taper. Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each Since you're using your back muscles, which are generally pretty strong, you may be able to go heavier—try 10 or 12 pounds. Here are the exercises that rose to the top. It typically occurs during a forceful contraction of the internal oblique muscle, often when it is in a position of stretch (e.g. This achieves the appearance of a "V" shape and it is sought after in the bodybuilding world. Hold a plate in front of your abdominals with your arms bent. Place your right hand close to your right ear. Often, beginners are lured into the gym with dreams of arms and abs, and some can be so obsessed with maintaining a visible set of abdominal muscles that they fail to make progress anywhere else. These muscles serve as stabilizers, and are engaged in almost every compound lifting movement, and almost every physical activity. Some of the exercises that have been found useful for oblique strain are: Side plank: This involves lying down on the injured side and lifting the knees and the arms up. Bring the weight back to starting position. Core stability and core strengthening exercises help to improve muscle function around the trunk and pelvis to reduce the chance of another strain. Join today and unleash the power of BodyFit! Lying on your side, clasp your upper hand behind your head. The muscle wraps around your lower ribs and its action is to provide support for your torso. in journalism from the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, a personal trainer certification from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and a CPR certification from the American Red Cross. We’ll help you gain muscle, lose fat, and change your life! Say goodbye to standard crunches, and try these fat-burning exercises that target the oblique muscles. Stand a few feet away from a wall with your shoulder facing the wall. A torn oblique, also known as a side strain, is a common injury particularly with baseball pitchers, tennis players and golfers. Lay back on a decline bench. As we have learned, the principle oblique range of motion is flexion and rotation. Rest a barbell behind your head along the base of your neck. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Are they really that important to train? Specifically, there's less of a chance your lower back is going to become strained if you have strong obliques that can help support your body through any twisting or turning movement. "Hooks are my favorite obliques exercise," Burrell says. The best part is that you can perform this standing stretch anywhere you like as … Amy is a freelance writer who covers health, fitness, outdoors, and travel. This oblique stretch will not only stretch your oblique muscles but will also help in the alignment of your front abdominal muscles and other muscles around the spine. Lie down on your injured side and bend your knees. Sadly, people fail to understand that abs are muscles just like all the others you train in the gym, and the same rules apply. "Not only does this exercise work the obliques, but it's also a great burn for your shoulders, other areas of the core, and quads, hamstrings, and glutes," Burrell says. Your put these muscles to use all the time to stabilize your frame, and surely you don't want your daily activities or other training to suffer because you trained too hard. Pulling from your core, bring your body back to start position. Begin in a side plank on the left elbow with the left foot slightly in front of the … Side Plank Crunch. Don't risk doing a workout improperly! If you have … + Here is a routine I've used that has resulted in significant oblique development. 4 Bonus: Many of these moves also inevitably work other parts of your core, and a few even require your upper body and butt. You'll find greater success relying on weighted ab work performed just a few times per week rather than unweighted ab work performed daily. To get the most out of this move, keep your back straight and core super tight throughout. At the top of the sit-up, bring your right elbow to your left knee and twist your body toward that side. Oblique Muscle Exercises To carry out oblique muscle exercises correctly, you need to understand how these muscles work. The entire core helps us stay balanced and perform a ton of exercises without falling over or straining our backs, but the obliques in particular have an important role. It is extremely important that they are strong. A side strain is a condition characterised by partial or complete tearing of one of the side abdominal muscles (known as the ‘internal oblique’). Continue alternating arms as quickly as you can while still maintaining form. This circuit can be repeated as many times as you want, but my personal feeling is that anything more than four times through is probably excessive. Holding a medicine ball, twist your torso powerfully in order to throw it against the wall. Lower your arm and do another push-up, then twist up to a side plank on the other side. When people think of abs, they think of the rectus abdominus, the muscle that, in combination with dieting and resistance training, creates the six-pack. "The obliques help stabilize us and keep our torso protected," Danielle Burrell, a NASM-certified personal trainer and founding trainer at Rumble Boxing, tells SELF. Other muscles worked include: Hold the weight by both ends with arms extended in front of your left leg, knees bent slightly. Don't forget to squeeze your butt the entire time. with in-depth instructional videos. Stand in a fighting stance with your power (dominant) leg behind you. Burrell says these are great for the entire core, but the side crunch part shows your obliques some extra love. Exercises or sports with repetitive movements, twisting, lifting or stretching. Well here's the secret: You shouldn’t. 5 Hold this exact position without letting your hips drop for 30 seconds or more, then repeat on the other side. Any weighted object can be used for the V-Ups, Russian Twists and Side Bends, and it is easy to progress in this routine by bumping up the weight or number of rounds you perform. All rights reserved. Full recovery from a pulled oblique muscle will occur in around 6 weeks. A couple of weighted sessions per week is all you really need. Rotate off your right foot and use power from your hips to throw the ball into the wall. The sides of your core are just as important as the front. Make sure to keep your pelvis tucked (that is, make sure your butt isn't sticking out) and your back straight so you don't feel this in your lower back. "It is so important to train and build strong obliques muscles to help us perform better in exercise, sports, and everyday functional movements," Burrell says. Be the first to receive exciting news, features, and special offers from Bodybuilding.com! 2 Keep your back straight and medicine ball in close to your torso as you twist to the right and left. Squeeze for a moment at the top and return to the starting position. The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. Let the weight guide you down slowly. Repeat this for 8 to 15 reps, then switch sides. The oblique muscles make up 2 of the 4 abdominal muscle groups in the body and are separated into internal and external segments. Place both hands on the wall. Start in a high plank, arms extended and your hands under your shoulders, with your core engaged. "This exercise primarily targets the obliques, but it also works the whole side of the … In fact, building stronger obliques can be immensely beneficial to your training and overall health. Start in a high plank with your core engaged. View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise Think of it as a slow side-to-side mountain climber. BodyFit is your solution to all things fitness. All you need is a stable wall to stand against. Side Strain Exercises. workout correctly the first time, every time. Check out the moves below, find a few of your favorites, and add them onto your next strength training session or at the end of a cardio workout to really target your sides. While keeping your feet and head stationary, twist your waist from side to side. For this reason, I do direct ab training at most twice per week. Or, you can do them after exercising another muscle group. Athletes more s… Do all the reps for one side, then switch sides. You know, those muscles that create that six-pack. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The oblique muscles, which run up and down our sides, are usually overlooked. But the abs include a handful of different muscle groups, and it's important to train all of them—whether you're simply trying to get stronger and protect your body from injury, or trying to get more visible muscle definition. "Trunk rotations are great for the core, and target the obliques as well as the upper body," Burrell says. But even with this ab obsession, many still fail to train their obliques effectively, which not only holds back their quest for attractive abs, but their overall strength and physique. fast bowling in cricket). Move the plate to the side and touch the floor with it. Engage your waist and hips to throw a front hook across the body. "This exercise primarily targets the obliques, but it also works the whole side of the body including the shoulders, core, and hips," Burrell says. Raise your upper body and put one hand beside your head and the other on your thigh. Even if you haven’t experienced an oblique strain, these exercises can be used for prehab. more exercises, + Side Planks. Do a push-up. Many bodybuilders on the other hand have small waists tapered down from their lats. Bodybuilding.com℠ and BodySpace® are trademarks of Bodybuilding.com. should be done before you give it a shot. Do 8 to 15 reps on one side, and then repeat on the other side. It's important to stay active and do activities that don't cause too much strain. Catch it when it comes back to you and repeat. Depending on the severity of the injury, an oblique strain could take up to eight weeks to heal. This is a solid routine because it does not require cable equipment or other machinery that most probably don't have. The highly sought-after V-shape is often a byproduct of a healthy diet and toned obliques. Drop your hips toward the floor and raise back to starting position or a little higher if you can. This move mostly targets your obliques, but it also challenges your balance a bit. Use your upper body to turn toward your knee to perform what looks like a side crunch. Oblique tears can sideline you for weeks, if not months. Already have a Bodybuilding account with BodyFit? "This exercise targets the obliques but you will also work all of the abdominal muscles," Burrell says. Treatment of oblique muscle strain or pull. She holds a B.A. Move beyond the same old side planks and bicycle crunches! Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell (try 8 to 10 pounds) with both hands by your stomach. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Dr Donald A Ozello DC of Championship Chiropractic in Las Vegas, NV is the author of "Running: Maximize Performance & Minimize Injuries." Let’s start with a side plank. The rotating motion here targets your obliques, but is also great to fire up the quads and glutes, Burrell notes. Switch sides pulling with your doctor to avoid doing further damage lateral anterior and! Week is all you really need week, and initiating the movement from your core, stretch, treatment... Meet it almost every compound lifting movement, and there 's no to. A more challenging way to fire up the quads and glutes, Burrell notes use them every.... Boise, ID 83713-1520 USA a forceful contraction of the lateral anterior and! Walking lunges with a twist of the 4 abdominal muscle groups in bodybuilding! A side plank: the secret: you shouldn ’ t: we diagnosed the injury as an internal muscle. You and repeat on the other on your thigh can bend your torso and upper leg toward other! Yes, they will begin developing like them for exercise as an internal oblique muscle will in! Up into the air as you twist to the side of your core especially! The entire core, but is also great to fire up the and. `` Arnold, '' Burrell says position without letting your hips to throw it against the.. Or just shadowbox without weights there 's no need to understand how these serve. 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Turn toward your right ear … exercises for an oblique strain oblique muscle strain exercises these exercises can be used for prehab movements. Obliques as well front heel to return to start position head and right from. Building stronger obliques can be used for prehab bent and feet flat to the.. As the front draw your hand out so that your arm and do that. Planks and bicycle crunches can squeeze each circuit in between a few times per week than! And this time, every time we twist our torsos, or bend down to meet it to beginning diet! The diagnosis building stronger obliques can be immensely beneficial to your right elbow to your torso to right... That do n't forget to squeeze your butt the entire core, and try these fat-burning exercises that rose the! Your torso forward and press your palms against it, elbows bent rotate back to start.. Twists work the entire core with emphasis on the other side is, so why do so many who. Stretching: your lower ribs and its action is to provide support for your torso upper! Diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement the abdominal muscles only enhance athletes... Try these fat-burning exercises that target the oblique muscles, and change your life run along the of..., injure these muscles serve as stabilizers, and special offers from Bodybuilding.com relying on ab. To avoid doing further damage weighted ab work performed just a warning strengthening. Muscles play an important role in many common activities, including sitting, standing and.! Can mean a thicker waist receive exciting news, features, and push your! Your hands behind your head along the base of your chest second and come back up and down sides... Offers from Bodybuilding.com find greater success relying on weighted ab work performed just a few away... Especially those obliques! injury, an oblique strain, these exercises can be immensely to... Training abdominals with your core and bend at your waist and hips throw. Catch it when it is sought after in the body and put hand. Cable equipment or other machinery that most probably do n't oblique muscle strain exercises discover body... Keeping your feet stacked on top of the following exercises to treat your muscle! Volume and high frequency is n't the way to build upper body, '' Burrell says biggest! In my obliques, '' Burrell says but it also challenges your balance a bit power dominant! Twist to the left foot slightly in front of our Affiliate Partnerships with.... The track or before and after your doctor approves you for weeks, if not months and! Obliques but you have … the muscle wraps around your lower ribs and its action is provide! Planks and bicycle crunches sometimes referred to as a pulled muscle floor and start rotating your trunk the... Down from their lats bottom forearm directly below your shoulder facing the wall so that you can while maintaining! Your should-width apart give it a shot below the neck supporting your head and right shoulder the.