10 Best External Oblique Exercises For Shredded Abs

Six-pack abs look impressive, but they’re only one part of the stronger core puzzle.

You need to train your obliques to build a truly functional, powerful midsection. Often dismissed as mere side abs, these muscles are vital for rotation, stability, and core strength.

The obliques are a group of muscles that run along the sides of your torso. They help you twist and bend your torso and stabilize your core.

When I add external oblique exercises to my workout routine, I have noticed improved definition in my abs and lifting weights capabilities and performance.

Here I’ll share my top 10 external oblique exercises that have proven effective for me and my clients. And it will definitely help you, too.

Anatomy of the Obliques

Your core comprises two muscle groups: the rectus abdominis (“six-pack” muscles) in the front and the obliques on each side.

Focusing only on your six-pack muscles is a very narrow scope of practice. You’ll also need to train your oblique muscles for a balanced core.

The oblique muscles consist of two distinct muscle groups: the external obliques and the internal obliques. They are responsible for flexing, rotating, and laterally bending the trunk.

1. External Oblique

The external oblique is the outer visible layer that runs diagonally on each side of the rectus abdominis. It is found between the lower rib region and the pelvis. These muscles help in side-to-side bending, spinal column flexion, torso rotation, and abdomen compression.

2. Internal Oblique

The internal oblique muscles lie under the external obliques and run into the lower back or erector spinae. The fibers of the two muscles pass at right angles to one another; therefore, they are often referred to as opposite-side rotators.

The deepest part of the abdominal cavity is the transversus abdominis, which lies horizontally across the abdominal wall. It helps stabilize the spine.

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Best External Oblique Exercises For Beginner

If you’re a beginner, then you must start with basic external oblique exercises that you can do without equipment.

1. Side Plank

The side plank (oblique plank) is one of the best core exercises for strengthening the oblique muscles, which don’t get worked as much during abs exercises such as crunches.

The side plank forces the external obliques to activate as they dynamically stabilize the spine against gravity. This exercise improves core strength for rotation and bending and reduces back pain. It also helps sculpt a lean, toned waistline.

If you’re new to planking, you should master the basic forearm plank before moving on to the side plank variation.

It has many advanced variations, such as side plank rotation and Side plank hip dip.

How To Do

1. Lie on your side and prop your body up on one forearm and the side of your foot.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe. Avoid sagging or rounding your lower back.
3. Hold this challenging position for 30-60 seconds per side.
4. Lift your hips off the ground and press into your forearm or hand to form a straight line from your head to your feet.
5. Repeat on the other side.

2. Alternate Heel Touch

Alternate heel touches or lying oblique reach are among the best exercises for targeting the oblique and abs muscles at home.

As you reach for your heels, you create a lateral spine flexion and a slight rotation. This movement pattern specifically engages the external obliques.

Its also helps improve flexibility and increases the range of motion in the hips.

Give it a try and feel the burn in those side abs. Your obliques will thank you, and you’ll be one step closer to that shredded six-pack.

How To Do

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Place your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
3. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground.
4. As you exhale, reach your right hand toward your right heel.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side, reaching your left hand toward your left heel.
6. Don’t jerk from side to side; focus on oblique muscles while doing touching.
7. Continue alternating sides, performing the movement in a controlled and rhythmic manner.

3. Russian Twist

This exercise is a staple in many core workouts, and for good reason. It’s effective, versatile, and can be done anywhere.

It strengthens your core muscles and lower back. This exercise helps to tone and tighten your abs and obliques and trim your waist.

If you are a beginner, do a bodyweight twist, and if you are intermediate, try a dumbbell, medicine ball, or weight plate Russian twist.

How To Do It

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Lean back slightly so that your torso and thighs form a V shape.
3. Hold your hands together in front of your chest or hold a weight for added resistance.
4. Engage your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine.
5. Begin to twist side to side while maintaining balance on your buttocks, keeping constant tension on the abs.
6. Repeat this movement until the set is complete.

4. Bicycle Crunch

Bicycle crunches are a popular abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors.

One distinct advantage of performing bicycle crunches is that they target both the internal and external obliques very effectively.

In a study conducted by ACE, a comparison was conducted between the efficacy of the bicycle crunch and 12 other common abs exercises, and it was determined that the bicycle crunch proved to be the most effective.

How To Do It

1. Lie flat on your back on a mat with your hands behind your head and your elbows out.
2. Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands; instead, use them only for support.
3. Lift both legs in the air, bending your knees to form a 90-degree angle.
4. Perform a crunch by lifting your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground and simultaneously rotating your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
5. Lower your upper body back down and straighten your right leg simultaneously. Immediately, perform another crunch, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee.
6. Keep alternating sides in a pedaling motion, as if you are riding a bicycle.

5. Oblique Crunch

If you’re looking for a new, challenging exercise to add to your oblique workout routine, try side crunches. They strengthen the other muscles in your core.

Oblique crunches are perhaps the most user-friendly workout. You can do them at home or in the gym.

Several variations of the side crunches exercise add variety to your workout and give you better results.

How To Do It

1. Lie on the floor on your right side with your hips and knees bent.
2. Put your left hand behind your head and your right hand across your body on your obliques.
3. Placing your hand on your obliques can help you feel the muscles contract and improve the mind-muscle connection.
4. Contract your obliques to lift your shoulder off the floor.
5. Hold this position briefly, contracting your obliques as hard as possible.
6. Then, return to the start position.
7. You should do all of the reps on the left side and then the same number of reps on the right side.

6. Oblique V Ups

Oblique V-ups are an intermediate-level abdominal exercise that targets the oblique muscles, including external obliques.

Oblique V-Ups are dynamic exercises that combine the benefits of a traditional V-Up with side raises that target the obliques specifically. This move involves lifting both your upper and lower body simultaneously from the side.

• You can also make the exercise easier by placing your feet on the ground or bending your knees.
• You can make the oblique V-up harder by lifting your top leg off the ground or holding a weight in your hand.

How To Do It

1. Lie on your side with your legs stacked and fully extended. Your body should form a straight line.
2. Rest one arm on the floor for stability and place the other behind your head.
3. Keep your legs together and lift them towards the ceiling, simultaneously lifting your upper body towards them. At the peak of the movement, your body should form a ‘V’.
4. Hold the ‘V’ position for a few seconds.
5. Slowly Lower your legs and upper body back to the starting position.
6. Repeat 10–15 reps and switch the side.

7. Spiderman Push Up

Spider-Man Push-Ups are a challenging variation of the traditional push-up exercise. This variation not only targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but also incorporates core and oblique activation.

The exercise is named after the superhero Spider-Man, as it resembles the way he moves in the comic books and movies.

In a Spiderman push-up, you bring one knee to the elbow, creating a dynamic movement that challenges the core, and improves stability.

How To Do It

1. Start in a traditional push-up position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Lower your body towards the ground as you bring one knee towards the same-side elbow.
4. Push back up to the starting position, extending the leg back out and returning to the traditional push-up position.
5. Repeat the exercise on the other side, alternating legs with each rep.
6. It is a challenging exercise, so don’t rush through the movement.

Advance Oblique Exercises

While beginner and intermediate exercises are great for building a foundation, advanced exercises can help you achieve a stronger, more defined midsection.

Here are some advanced external oblique exercises to help you take your core workout to the next level.

8. Windshield Wipers

Floor windshield wipers are an effective and challenging exercise that targets the oblique muscles, along with the rectus abdominis and hip flexors.

The controlled rotational movements of the legs mimic the motion of the windshield wipers. This exercise also works the deep core muscles, including the transverse abdominis, which helps stabilize the spine.

How To Do It

1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended out to the sides, palms facing down, and legs straight up in the air, perpendicular to the floor.
2. Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine and slowly lowering your legs to one side.
3. Start with a smaller range of motion and gradually increase.
4. If you find it challenging to keep your legs straight, you can slightly bend your knees.
5. Use your oblique muscles to lift your legs back up to the starting position, and then lower them to the opposite side.
6. Continue to alternate side to side with controlled and smooth motions.

9. Dumbbell Wood Chop

The Dumbbell wood chop, also known as the dumbbell up-down twist, is great for strengthening the torso’s twisting movement pattern and improving its ability to resist twisting forces.

The dumbbell woodchop is a compound pulling motion and a functional exercise. While it primarily targets the abdominals and obliques, it also employs the shoulders, back, and glutes.

For another variation, try the cable wood chop. It is one of my favorite exercises.

How To Do

1. Hold the dumbbell with both hands, with either your fingers interlaced or with one hand over the other.
2. Keep your arms straight and rotate the dumbbell diagonal downward until your torso turns to the other side and your hands are at knee height.
3. Don’t lock the knees and hips. Allow the hips and knees to rotate slightly.
4. Hold for a count of two. Then, slowly reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.
6. Do 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps a side.
7. Control the weight the whole time while doing this.

Know More: 12 Best Dumbbell Oblique Exercises For A Stronger Core

10. Pallof Press

The Pallof Press is an anti-rotation exercise. This means resisting the pull of the band or cable that’s trying to rotate your torso, which will help you develop an oblique and abs.

The Pallof press is a valuable movement prep and core strengthening exercise. It helps establish proper spinal alignment under load and increases core stability.

When I first tried it, I was surprised how hard it was to keep my body stable against the resistance. Over time, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my core strength.

How To Do 

1. Attach a handle to a chest-high cable pulley. Stand on the side cable machine with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Grasp the handle with the hand nearest the pulley, pull the handle to your chest, and place your free hand over the hand holding the handle.
3. Engage your core and press the handle out with both hands so your arms are extended in front of your chest.
4. Hold this position, resisting the pull of the cable and not letting your torso rotate towards the machine, for five to ten seconds, then bring the handle back into your chest.
5. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.

Know More: Most Effective Abs & Oblique Cable Exercises & Workout

How To Create External Oblique Workout Routine

1. Pick the best exercises for your oblique muscles. Choose ones that you like and challenge you, like side planks, oblique V-ups, bike crunches, Russian twists, and oblique crunches. 
2. Select the number of sets and reps as per your fitness level and goals. For beginners, start with 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps per set. For more advanced, aim for 3-4 sets of 15–20 reps per set
3. Also incorporate other core exercises such as planks, mountain climbers, and leg raises to work all areas of your core.
4. Allow your muscles time to rest and recover between workouts. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and 2-3 days between oblique workouts.
5. Modify exercises to make them easier or harder, depending on your fitness level. As you get stronger, progress to more challenging exercises to continue seeing results.

Beginner External Oblique Workout Plan

Advanced External Oblique Workout Plan

FAQs

Where are the external obliques located

The external obliques are located on the lateral and anterior parts of the abdomen. The external oblique muscles run from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis.

Best Weighted External Oblique Exercises

Here are some best exercises for the external oblique that you can do with weights.

• Dumbbell Side Bends
• Weighted Russian Twists
• Dumbbell Side Plank Row
• Standing Cable Chop
• Dumbbell Oblique Twist
• Overhead Dumbbell Side Bend
• Cable Woodchopper
• Medicine Ball Torso Twist
• Weighted Bicycle Crunch
• Farmer’s Walk
• Landmine twist
• Oblique V-Up With Medicine Ball

Can I target just my external obliques to reduce side fat?

No, spot reduction is a myth. A balanced approach to exercise and a healthy diet are necessary to reduce body fat overall.

Can external oblique training help me lose belly fat?

When combined with cardio and a nutritious diet, oblique exercises will help you burn calories and achieve your midsection-fat loss goals.

Conclusion

Strengthening your external obliques is crucial for both looks and function. From better posture to enhanced athletic performance, the benefits are vast.

Proper training of the external obliques doesn’t just whittle your waistline. It also improves posture and lower back health, corrects muscle imbalances, and boosts rotational power. All of these things help you perform better in sports and everyday life.

Over time, you will notice improvements in core strength, mobility, and abdominal definition with a focused external oblique workout plan.

References

• Choi WJ, Park BS, Yoo BK, Jeon JK, Son KH. The effects of Core program exercise on balance in patients with chronic low Back pain. J Korean Phys Ther. 2018;25(1):1–0. https://doi.org/10.26862/jkpts.2018.06.25.1.1.
• Yuki Nakai, Conceptualization, Data curation,..: A self-oblique exercise that activates the coordinated activity of abdominal and hip muscles–A pilot study. Published online 2021 Aug 12. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255035.
• Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Core Muscle Activity During Physical Fitness Exercises: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17: 1–42. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124306

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.