Your abdominals are the layered set of rippled muscle covering the front of your lower midsection. Oblique muscles, on the other hand, are located at each side of your torso, between the bottom ribcage and pelvic bone. Strengthening and toning these two areas helps to sculpt an impressive physique and build a powerful core, the group of muscles that encase your trunk like a sleeve and work to stabilize your frame. Certain exercises can boost the responsiveness of your abdominals and obliques, allowing you to achieve strength and definition quickly.
Reverse Crunch
This exercise targets your lower abdominals. Begin by lying on your back, with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor. Keeping your feet at an equal distance apart, roll your hips backward, drawing both knees in toward your chest. At the point where your abdominal muscles are fully compressed, hold your position for two to three seconds. Reverse the motion, allowing your feet to swing back toward the floor. Just before touching the ground, pull your knees back up to begin another cycle. Continue, in this way, until you have completed between 10 and 15 repetitions.
Side Plank
The side plank focuses on strengthening your obliques and works at eliminating the often hard-to-tone love handles that can accumulate just above the hips. Start by laying flat on your side. Bring your torso to a 45-degree angle from the ground by "propping up" on the forearm closest to the floor and keeping your upper arm in a sraight line. Raise your hips from the floor, bringing your body up into a straight, diagonal line. Hold this position for 60 seconds, or as long as possible. Turn onto your other side and repeat the exercise.
Oblique Twists
To perform this exercise, obtain a pole or bar, approximately twice the width of your shoulder span in length. Stand, upright, with your legs positioned shoulder-width apart. Hold the bar across the length of your shoulders, allowing it to rest along the back of your neck. Keeping your feet and legs pointed forward, twist your torso to one side as far as comfortably possible. When you can turn no further, quickly turn your body in the opposite direction and repeat the movement to the other side. Complete 10 to 20 turns in each direction.
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