1. Stretch Sideways
The obliques are the muscles that frame your torso with a sleek definition. They sustain balance and posture and hold in the important glands and organs that keep you fit. Before any rigorous workout on those critical muscles, make sure you do some stretching in that area. Stand straight with your arms out at your side and reach slowly to one side at a time, touch your fingers to the side of your leg. After stretching each side, do a toe-touching stretch by crossing your arm in front of your body and grabbing the opposite ankle. Pull your body downward and feel the stretch in your side. Repeat on other side.
2. Side Crunches
Modify your regular crunches by twisting every time you come up off the floor. With your hands behind your head to keep them out of the way and you knees bent, lift and turn. Build up until you can do 50 reps on each side. Suck in your abs as you pull up and concentrate on the obliques. Do not use your arms to give you any additional pushing power. Hold the raised position for a count of ten for an isometric toning workout. Perform the lifts quickly to sculpt the obliques.
3. Free the Weight
Use free weights in a standing, sitting or lying position to add resistance to your oblique workouts. While standing, hold a weight in each hand, leaving your arms to hang loosely at your sides. Lean to one side and pull up your hand on the other side, curling the weight in toward your body. Do this move quickly to tone and then slow down the side-to-side movements to strengthen. While sitting in a solidly firm chair or on the edge of a bench, set a weight on each side of your feet. Reach across your body to pick up the weight, pull it back up across your torso, keeping your elbow bent as you pull it to your side. Replace the weight on the floor. Repeat this move at least 10 times then do it with the other side. Lying on the floor, hold a weight in each hand stretched out. Raise the weight, concentrating on using the side muscles instead of your arms. Keep moving the weight over your body as far as you can. When using free weights, start with a small weight and gradually increase the weight until you are using at least 10 pound weights to really firm and tone up.
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