Your oblique muscles are the abdominal muscles on the sides of your abdomen. They work to flex, bend and rotate your trunk. Include oblique exercises with leg raises in your workout plan to strengthen and tone your obliques as well as your other abdominal muscles.
Oblique Hanging Knee Raises
Begin by hanging from a bar or with your arms inserted into ab straps hanging from a bar. Keeping your legs straight and together, slowly bend both knees up together and toward the side. Pause for a moment before lowering back down to your starting position, then repeat on the opposite side. Perform 10 to 15 slow and controlled repetitions on each side. Avoid using momentum or swinging during the movement. This exercise can also be performed on a captain's chair.
Floor Side Leg Raises
Begin by lying on your side, with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other and your feet together. Support your head with your bottom arm, or rest it on the floor. Using slow and controlled movements, lift both of your legs together off the floor. Hold your legs in the air at the top of the movement for 2 seconds before lowering them back down to the floor. Repeat for eight to 12 repetitions on each side.
BOSU Ball Oblique Leg Raises
Elevating your hips off the floor with the use of a BOSU ball offers a greater range of motion in the movement, increasing the difficulty of the exercises. Lie on your side with your hips positioned on top of the BOSU ball and your legs stacked on top of each other. Raise your legs up as high as possible, pausing at the top of the movement briefly before returning to starting position and repeating for eight to 12 repetitions on each side. For a greater challenge, do not let your feet touch the floor between repetitions.
Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are one of the most effective abdominal exercises, and they place a large amount of emphasis on the obliques. Lie flat on your back, holding your legs in the air with your knees bent so that your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head and contract your abs. Lift your right shoulder off the floor, bringing your right elbow to your left knee while extending your right leg at the same time. Return to your starting position, and repeat on the opposite side. Your legs should mimic pedaling a bicycle. Perform 10 to 15 slow and controlled movements on each side.
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