Advanced Oblique Exercises

Your obliques are a group of flat, abdominal muscles in the sides of your torso that work with other muscles in your body to stabilize your torso and turn your torso in various directions. They are located partially beneath your rectus abdominus, or the six-pack muscle, and their fibers run diagonally from your ribs to your hips. They also work with other breathing muscles, such as your diaphragm and intercostal muscles in your ribs, to expand and contract your abdomen. Advanced oblique exercises integrate the obliques with other muscle groups to move, absorb and produce force, and stabilize your body altogether when you exercise, says Coach Vern Gambetta, author of "Athletic Development."

Benefits

Since your obliques are linked to other muscles in your torso and hips by connective tissues and nerves, training your entire abdominal region with other muscle groups will improve movement coordination between your lower body to your upper body, says physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance." Increasing stabilization strength in your obliques and surrounding ab muscles also reduces your risk of injury to your spine and hips, especially when you perform complex movements incorporating multiple joints moving together, such as throwing a baseball or tumbling on the ground.

Plyometrics

Plyometric training is performing short bouts of high-intensity exercises by using quick, explosive movement patterns repetitively. This method of training improves muscular stamina and movement coordination while your obliques work with other abdominal muscles to stabilize your torso to prevent injury, especially to your spine, says Gambetta. You can perform plyometric exercises that emphasize the lower or upper body, such as box jumps, medicine-ball throws and power jump roping.

Cutting and Turning

Cutting and turning involve quick changes in direction when you sprint, which requires high stability in your torso and hips to maintain your balance and alignment as well as adequate hip-and-ankle mobility to change directions without injuring your joints. The obliques are part of a pivot point in the center of your body that serves as an anchoring point for your hips to turn. You can do this exercise by placing six to eight orange cones about 5 to 10 yards apart in a zigzag pattern on a running track, soccer field or basketball court. Run from the first to the last cone by weaving to the left and right of the cones.

Medicine Ball Throwing Drills

Power is generated by the abdominal and hip region when you perform medicine-ball throwing exercises. Your obliques and other ab and hip muscles keep your torso and pelvis in place as you throw the ball in different directions. You can throw the ball with different patterns, such as rotating your torso, pushing it in front of you like a basketball pass, or throwing from over your head. You can perform all three exercises without rest between sets to help you burn more calories in less time and improve muscular endurance. Cook recommends that you use a lighter medicine ball if you want to improve speed. Use a heavier ball if you wish to use work on strength.

References

• "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
• "Athletic Development"; Vern Gambetta; 2006