Your external obliques are the abdomen muscles on each side of your rectus abdominis. Far too often, people neglect this muscle group and focus only on working their rectus abdominis by doing only crunches and situps. There's no reason you need a gym membership to get a great set of obliques. Crunches and situps are not the only ab exercises that can be done at home, however.
Standing Oblique Twists
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width distance apart. Hold your arms straight out to your sides and contract your core. Begin twisting your torso in a rotating motion. Keep your arms straight the whole time. Do not bend your elbows or let your arms lead the twisting motion. Exhale each time you twist one arm in front of you. Perform as many reps as you can. You can increase the resistance by holding a pair of dumbbells.
Oblique Crunches
Lie down on your back on an exercise mat and bend your knees, as if you were about to do a normal crunch. Tilt your legs to the left until your knees are touching the mat. Cross your left arm over your stomach and place your hand on your upward-facing obliques. Place the other hand behind your head. Gently exhale and slowly crunch forward until your shoulders come off the mat. Hold for one second and then gently inhale and lower yourself back down to the starting position. Perform 10 to 12 reps on each side for a total of three sets.
Side Plank
Lie down on your side on an exercise mat. Lay your legs on top of each other and bend your knees. Bend your elbow and begin to lift yourself up on your forearm. Your elbow should be directly under your shoulder. Hold your body in this position for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side for a total of three sets. You can increase the intensity by either holding the pose longer or straightening out your legs.
Dumbbell Side Bend
Pick up a dumbbell that is a weight you can comfortably hold. Hold the dumbbell in one hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart. Lower the dumbbell towards the floor, bending at your waist until you feel a slight stretch, then raise the dumbbell back up and bend your body to the other side. Exhale as you bend and inhale as you rise. Perform 12 to 15 reps on each side for a total of three sets.
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