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Beginner Oblique Exercises

Medicine Ball Wood Chops

Medicine ball wood chops are a very basic obliques and core exercise which you have to perform properly to get any benefit.

You must actually feel your oblique and core muscles working to do this properly.

Start: Stand up tall with your feet shoulder width or closer (more difficult).

Grasp a medicine ball with your hands on both sides and hold it above one of your shoulders.

Begin the motion: At the same time, bring your legs and arms together above your waist. Your shoulders should come off the floor and the only body part in contact with the floor is your butt. You can either swing yourself up to the top position, or go up slowly which is more difficult. You must make sure to hold at the top for a split second and slowly lower yourself back to the original position.

Modifications: If you do not have a medicine ball handy, you can use any form of weight such as a dumbbell, weight plate, can of soup or even just perform them with the weight of your own arms.

To increase the difficulty of the exercise you can move your feet closer together, stand on one foot, or stand on any controlled unstable object such as a balance disc or BOSU ball.

Cable Wood Chops

Once you have mastered drawing in your core and isolating your obliques with movement at your waist you can add resistance.

Start: Stand to the side of a high cable setup with a rope attached. Hold the rope so your little fingers are both facing towards the floor.

Step away from the machine so the weight stack will not hit when you perform reps.

Begin the motion: Keep your core tight as you pull the cable across your body. It should pass in front of your belly button as you turn your torso and finish with the rope at your thighs.

Modifications: Besides increasing the resistance level, you can increase the difficulty of these cable-rope wood chops by standing with your feet closer together. Standing on an unstable surface such as a balance disc or BOSU ball will also progress the difficulty or most core exercises this included.

Intermediate Obliques Exercises

Stability Ball Russian Twist

The Russian twist is an excellent exercise which you can perform slow & controlled or explosively.

Start: Form the stability ball supine bridge position. It is best to have your feet shoulder width apart. Put both your hands straight up towards the ceiling.

Your hand should be together in the middle of your chest. This is where they should remain during the entire range of motion.

Begin the motion: Put your hands up towards the ceiling. Interlock your hands directly above you chest. Turn to each direction, make sure to keep the feel flat on the floor.

Keep the 90 degree leg angles and arms extended in the middle of your chest. If you feet move at all, you did not perform the stability ball exercise correctly. Start over and focus on total body stabilization.

Modifications: You can increase the difficulty of the Russian twist by holding a form of resistance in your hands such as a dumbbell, weight plate or medicine ball. The harder the stability ball, the more difficult the exercise will be.

Advanced Obliques Exercises

Cable Push-Pull

The cable push-pull incorporates upper body opposing actions as well as obliques making it an advanced obliques exercise.

Start: Stand in the center of 2 cables.

Grab the cable closest to the machine with your arm which will be pushing. The opposite (pulling) arm should hold the cable on the other side of your body. Spread your feet further than shoulder width apart and point both of your toes straight ahead.

Begin the motion: Keep your core drawn in, push the handle closest to the machine away from your body as you pull the opposite cable back, bringing your elbow backward all whilst you twist your body in the direction of your pushing arm.

Perform a given number of reps going in one direction. As you complete the last rep hold both cables in place, pivot your feet and turn the other direction.

100 Abdominal Exercises has 4 Groups of Exercises

To keep things simple, you can target 3 different muscles in your mid section. Some argue that exercises which target the lower abdominals are ineffective while others believe you can so it is debatable.

Rectus Abdominis

Your abdominals are the large muscle from your chest to your waist which look like a "six pack." Even though the rectus abdominis is a single muscle, exercises often attempt to isolate the upper or lower abs.

Your rectus abdominis concentrically flexes your lumbar spine (crunch motion). It also helps stabilize your core in certain instances.

Transverse Abdominis

Your transverse abdominis (TVA) or core muscle is a deep stabilizer of the spine. It helps stabilize your spine by building up intra-abdominal pressure and also pulls in at the belly button creating a tighter mid section.

Obliques

You also have internal and external obliques on both sides of your stomach. Your internal and external obliques work together to flex and rotate your lumbar spine in all 3 planes of motion.

Make sure to click on your target area on the anatomy chart for a list of the best abdominal exercises.

Before you read the list of the Best Abdominal Exercises Know This

There is no such thing as spot reduction. Not one of these abdominal exercises by itself or in combination will burn fat from your mid section. These exercises are great for strengthening your mid section which may cause a tightening the waist, slimming, effect which could reduce waistline, but you will not go from "flab to fab" with any of the 100 ab exercises.