Your obliques run diagonally along the sides of your abdomen — both the external obliques on the outside and the internal obliques beneath them. They rotate your trunk, produce lateral flexion, and resist unwanted rotation — the stability function that protects your spine in almost every movement you make.
Most people either skip oblique training or only do side planks and Russian twists. Here are 8 exercises that go beyond the basics, with a structured weekly routine.
Exercise 1: Side Plank — 3 × 25–30 sec per side
Forearm side plank, body straight, hips raised. The foundational anti-lateral flexion exercise — you’re resisting gravity trying to collapse your hips sideways.
Progress to: Side plank hip dips (lower hips to floor and raise) — 3 × 10 reps per side.
Exercise 2: Slow Russian Twist — 3 × 12 per side
Sit with knees bent, feet slightly raised, lean back 30–45°. Twist torso fully each direction, touching the floor beside your hip. 2 seconds each direction — fast twists become momentum exercises, not oblique exercises.
Progress to: Hold a water jug or dumbbell as you rotate.
Exercise 3: Resistance Band Woodchop — 3 × 10 per side
Step on a resistance band or anchor it low. Stand sideways to the anchor, hold with both hands, and chop diagonally from low to high across your body. Trains rotational power — obliques generating force, not just resisting it.
Progress to: High-to-low woodchop (anchor the band high, chop downward).
Exercise 4: Pallof Press — 3 × 10 per side
Anchor a resistance band at chest height. Stand perpendicular to the anchor, hold the band at your chest, press it straight out and hold 2 seconds. Your obliques resist rotation toward the anchor the entire time. This exercise looks easy. It is not.
Exercise 5: Suitcase Carry — 3 × 25–30 meters per side
Hold a heavy object in one hand only (loaded backpack by handle, heavy jug). Walk without letting your torso tilt toward the load. Your obliques on the opposite side work continuously to keep you upright — exactly the function they perform in daily life.
Exercise 6: Bicycle Crunch (Controlled) — 3 × 12 per side
Alternate elbow to opposite knee with full torso rotation. Pause 1 second at the top of each rotation before switching. This converts a momentum exercise into a genuine oblique contraction.
Exercise 7: Star Side Plank — 3 × 8 per side
Full side plank (on hand, not forearm). Raise your top arm and top leg simultaneously into a star shape. Hold 1 second. Adds instability and hip abductor demand to the standard side plank.
Exercise 8: Dead Bug with Rotation — 3 × 8 per side
Standard dead bug position. As you lower the opposite arm and leg, add a slight torso rotation toward the lower arm. Trains obliques in their anti-rotation role while engaging deep core stabilizers simultaneously.
Weekly Structure
Two sessions per week, 15–20 minutes each, added at the end of any workout.
Session A (Anti-rotation): Pallof press → Side plank → Suitcase carry → Dead bug with rotation
Session B (Rotational): Woodchop → Slow Russian twist → Bicycle crunch → Star side plank
What to Skip: Dumbbell Side Bends
Dumbbell side bends are a common oblique exercise that produces poor results. The range of motion is small, the loading pattern doesn’t match any real movement, and the exercises above are more effective in every measurable way. Don’t add them.
Written by
Sarah Mitchell
Sarah Mitchell is a NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness writer with 8 years of experience coaching home fitness. Sarah specializes in beginner programs, bodyweight training, and helping people build lasting fitness habits from the comfort of their own home.
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