Oblique Crunches and Best Exercises – The quick video teaches you in 2 minutes how to do dumbbell oblique crunches. This simple tutorial will teach you how to do the exercise correctly.

Anatomy of the Obliques

The external oblique muscle or obliquus abdominal major is the muscle that occupies the superficial and lateral part of the abdomen. Below this is the internal oblique and the transversus abdominis.

It originates from the ribs (5 to 12) and inserts into the linea alba, iliac crest, and pubis. On the other hand, the internal oblique originates from the iliac crest and inserts on the last four ribs and the linea alba. The fibers of the external oblique are direct forward and downward. Its function is to allow the inclination and rotation of the body.

They also repress the ribs, flex the trunk, and are part of the abdominal girdle.

Best Exercises for Obliques

Once we know the anatomy of these muscles, we will see some of the best exercises for obliques. It is essential to perform the activities carefully. If in doubt, ask a sports professional. Always perform the exercises with control and technique, avoiding sudden movements and protecting the lower back.

I want to divide the exercises into two types, which would be the following: with implements or accessories such as weights, rubber bands, or unstable surfaces such as the bosu or fitball, and on the other hand, those that we can do with the use of our body weight.

Oblique exercises with implements (such as weights, unstable surfaces like a fitball, or elastic resistance like rubber bands).

It’s Obliques with your body weight.

Most of these exercises admit variants with and without implements; therefore, in the description of each activity, we will indicate how to add weight or resistance.

Side Plank – Oblique Crunches and Best Exercises

The abdominal plank is the quintessential isometric abdominal exercise. When we talk about the abdominal plank, we almost always think of the front plank. The abdominal plank is a very effective isometric exercise to work the entire abdominal girdle, but it can do on the side to work the obliques more specifically. The time will depend on the level of each one, but it is preferable NOT to reach “failure” to avoid injuries.

It can combine with the leg lift to increase the intensity of the exercise further. This variation requires a certain balance and control. The support can be of the entire forearm or the hand, keeping the arm stretched. The support of the hand with the arms extended makes the exercise more intense.

Alignment is important. The elbow should be aligned with the forearm, leaving the elbow support just below the shoulder. In the case of help with the hand and the extended arm, the alignment should be shoulder – elbow – wrist, with the heel of the arrow just below the shoulder.

The side plate supports a variant with weight. In this case, we will use dumbbells, alternate from one side to the other, raising the arm with the weight. In this way, the exercise becomes more dynamic and intense. You can do repetitions on one side or also alternate.

Like the side plank without an implement, the weighted variant supports different supports; these can be from the entire forearm or the palm. Again, it is essential to pay attention to alignment.

Side Plate with Rubber

You can add an elastic (rubber) resistance to this exercise. In this case, you can use a small closed rubber band for the variant with leg elevation. Spreading the legs with the resistance of the rubber band will involve more oblique abdominal effort.

In addition to resistance and weights, unstable surfaces are also to be considered for this exercise, as we will see below.