Don’t you forget to train your oblique abs while exercising? Only Crunches or Hanging Leg Raises are not enough to tackle your abs properly. Your oblique abs, also called obliques, can be trained with exercises like the Dumbbell Side Bend and the Oblique Crunch. Strong obliques make your tummy bulge less, making you look slimmer and you have better control of your belly. But how do you perform a perfect Oblique Crunch?
The oblique abdominal muscles
The oblique muscles (oblique abdominal muscles) lie on both sides of your core next to the straight abdominal muscle, i.e. rectus abdominis. The oblique abdominal muscles frame the straight abdominal muscle as it were. The obliques are responsible for rotation and lateroflexion of the spine. They also support the straight abdominal muscle.
In heavy compound exercises, such as the Squat or Deadlift, the oblique abdominal muscles are stimulated, but there are also isolation exercises such as the Oblique Crunch that specifically tackle the oblique abdominal muscle.
The obliques can be subdivided into the Musculus obliquus internus abdominis, or inner oblique abdominal muscle, and Musculus obliquus externus abdominis, or outer oblique abdominal muscle.
Oblique Crunch version
By following the steps below, you can learn the perfect Oblique Crunch version. It is important to perform this fitness exercise properly. This way you avoid injuries and get the best results.
- Put a fitness mat on the ground and lie on your back
- Bring both legs to the right side
- Place your legs on top of each other and keep a slight bend in your knees
- Then place your left hand behind your head
- Now raise your left elbow, as with a normal crunch, only focus on the contraction of your oblique abdominal muscles during movement
- Crunch up (shoulder blades off the ground) and hold the top position for a second
- Now lower your upper body slowly down to the starting position
- Repeat for the desired number of reps
- Now turn your legs to your left to train the other side of your obliques
Train oblique abdominal muscles
- Although the Oblique Crunch version is not possible to add extra weight, you can focus on a perfect technique and focus on the movement.
- Inhale during the eccentric phase (going down) of movement and exhale during the concentric phase (coming up).
- Keep your legs on the ground while crunching, it’s important that only your upper body comes up. This way you get the strength purely from your oblique abdominal muscles.
- Just doing abdominal exercises is not enough to make your abdominal muscles visible. There’s more to that, like lowering your fat percentage. Check out my sixpack tips in this blog!
Abs at home to train
With the Oblique Crunch, you can easily train your abs at home. You don’t need any material. However, you can buy a fitness mat to make the version more comfortable. If necessary, you can weigh down the abdominal muscle training with a disc or dumbbell. Check out in this blog which home fitness material is convenient to purchase. Or check out materials below to train your abs at home!
