Oblique Exercises For The Gym

The external and internal oblique muscles, which are on the sides of your abdomen, help flex your spine forward and laterally and rotate your torso to the left and right. Moving through these ranges of motion against external resistance strengthens the obliques. Gyms normally have a variety of equipment you can use for this purpose. Consult your doctor if any exercise causes pain.

Cable Twist

Gyms typically have at least one machine that has a cable attached to an adjustable stack of weights on a pulley system. The machine can be designed for exercises such as biceps curls or seated rows, but you can also use it to perform the cable twist exercise, which targets the obliques. Hold the cable's handle with both hands and stand so your left side is closest to the machine. Start with your hands outside your left knee, then twist your hips and torso to the right, pulling the cable diagonally upward until your hands are at least as high as the top of your head. Return to the starting position slowly and repeat. Perform the exercise in the opposite direction as well.

Knee Lift

Some gyms have an apparatus, often called the Captain's Chair, that has two padded bars positioned parallel to each other and high enough to suspend your body off the floor. Each bar has a handle attached near its front that points upward. You can perform a knee lift exercise on this apparatus to work the obliques and the other abdominal muscles. Place your forearms on the pads and hold the handles, letting your legs hang toward the floor. Flex your knees and draw them toward your chest as far as possible, twisting them about 45 degrees to the left on the way up. Return to the starting position slowly, then repeat and twist your knees to the right. Continue alternating sides for your desired number of repetitions.

Seated Twist

Perform the seated twist exercise on a machine that has a chair and a padded, horizontal lever at chest height that you can adjust to rotate to the left or right. The lever is attached to a stack of weights that rises when you turn the lever from a neutral position. Set the machine to rotate to the left, then sit on the chair and press your chest into the lever's pad. Hold the handles that protrude downward from the lever to secure your torso. Twist 90 degrees to the left to lift the stack of weights, then return to the starting position and repeat. Complete a full set to the left before switching directions.

Side Bend

Performing the side bend exercise strengthens the oblique muscles as you repeatedly flex your spine from side to side against external resistance. Hold a dumbbell with your left hand just outside your hip. Lean to the left, keeping your chest facing forward, to lower the weight about 12 inches, then reverse to the right as far as possible to work the oblique muscles on the right side of your abdomen. Repeat this motion multiple times, then switch sides. You can also do the exercise with a short barbell positioned across your shoulders and upper back, but use safety clips if you add weighted plates to the barbell to prevent the plates from sliding off the ends.