Your oblique muscles are actually two different muscle groups, the internal obliques and the external obliques. The external obliques run from the lower ribs diagonally down and inward toward the pelvis and pubic bone. Underneath the external obliques, the internal obliques run diagonally opposite from the external obliques, laterally outward to the crest of the hip. Together the obliques work to help your trunk rotate, bend and flex. When you work your obliques at the gym, you can add weight and try different machines to keep your abs challenged and engaged.
Medicine Ball Twist
Choose a medicine ball from your gym's selection and sit on a mat on the floor. Bend your knees and place your heels on the floor, your toes pointing upward. Hold the medicine ball with both hands directly in front of your chest. Lean your torso back slightly to a comfortable 45- to 60-degree angle. Keeping the medicine ball directly in front of your chest, twist your torso to the right as far as you can. At the full extent of the twist, reach your arms outward to touch the ball to the ground. Pull your arms back in to your chest and twist your torso to the center. Reverse the movement and twist to the left. Continue twisting back and forth until you've performed 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.
Cable Wood Chop
Use the cable pulley machine at your gym to perform the cable wood chop. Adjust the pulley to a high position above your head and choose a weight from the weight stack. Stand next to the pulley with your left arm and leg adjacent to the pulley. Reach up with your left arm and grab the pulley's handle with your palm facing forward. Reach across your body with your right arm, keeping your head and torso facing forward, and grasp the handle with your right hand as well. Engage your abs and back as you pull the cable down and across your body to your right hip. Throughout the movement keep your head, neck and torso facing forward without rotating. This will require strong engagement of the oblique muscles. Reverse the movement and without moving your torso slowly return the cable handle to the starting position. Complete 10 to 12 repetitions before switching sides.
Standing Oblique Flexion
The standing oblique flexion engages the obliques and helps maintain adequate flexibility in the spine. When performing this exercise at the gym, choose a set of dumbbells and hold one in each hand at your sides. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Engage your torso and abs and concentrate on keeping your legs, butt and hips fixed and square throughout the movement. Starting with the left dumbbell, slide the weight down your outer thigh toward your knee while bending to the left from your waist. When you reach as far as you can without moving your hips or legs, reverse the movement and return to center. Perform the movement on the opposite side and continue alternating sides until you've performed 10 to 15 repetitions to the right and the left.
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