22 Best Oblique Exercises For Working Your Core From Every Angle

This twisted crunch places more of the work on your oblique muscles instead of your rectus abdominis, which run up the front and center of your abs.

• Start lying face-up on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Your heels should be about a foot away from your glute muscles.
• From this position, lower both legs to the right side of your body. Your right leg should be touching the ground, and your left leg should be stacked on top of the right. Your upper back and shoulders should be flat on the mat.
• With your hands behind your head or crossed in front of your chest, engage your core (gently brace your abdominal muscles) and slowly lift your shoulders and back off the ground, performing a crunch.
• With control, lower to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Side planks are a simple but essential oblique exercise for building core stability. If this is too difficult, try staggering your feet so the top foot is in front of your other foot on the floor.

• Lie on your right side on a mat. Prop yourself up on your forearm, making sure your shoulder is right over your elbow. With your legs fully extended, stack your left foot on top of your right.
• Press into your right foot and elbow to lift your hips up into a side plank, forming a straight line from head to heels. Keep your neck long, and make sure your hips are stacked; don’t allow your hips to tilt forward or backward.
• Hold this position.

Turn a regular forearm plank into a killer oblique exercise by adding some hip rotation.

• Start in an elbow plank with your feet together.
• Keeping your shoulders square, slowly rotate your hips to lower your left hip just above the floor.
• Lift your left hip up to return to the center and the starting position.
• Repeat on the opposite side, lowering your right hip toward the floor, then returning to center. That’s one rep.

This creative side-plank variation also works your top leg in addition to your obliques.

• Sit on the floor with your right leg outstretched and your left leg bent, placing your left foot on the floor on the outside of your right knee. Place your right hand on the mat under your right shoulder and your left arm behind your head. Roll onto your right hip.
• Exhale to engage your obliques, and press into your left foot to lift your hips off the floor.
• Hold for two seconds before slowly returning to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Adding a hip dip makes side planks even harder, and amps up the burn you feel in your obliques. Be sure to keep your chest open and try not to bend at the hips.

• Begin in an elbow plank on your left side with straight legs and your feet stacked. Place your right hand on your hip or extend it toward the ceiling. Make sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are all aligned.
• Inhale and lower your left hip a few inches toward the floor.
• Exhale and engage your left obliques to lift your hips and return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

An easier version of oblique V-ups, this oblique exercise will challenge your coordination as well as your core strength.

• Lie face-up on the floor with your legs extended, and roll slightly to your right side, placing your right arm diagonally on the mat and your left arm extended next to your ear. Bend your left leg, and place your left foot flat on the floor.
• Exhale and engage your obliques to lift your torso and right leg off the floor, reaching your left hand toward your right foot.
• Lower your left arm and right leg to the floor to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

This Pilates-inspired exercise is great for all the muscles in your core, but especially your obliques.

• Lie face-up on the floor with your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling. Extend your arms up toward the ceiling, palms pressed together.
• Lower your left leg to hover just off the floor. At the same time, curl your shoulder blades off the mat and rotate your upper body to reach your arms to the outside of your right thigh.
• Switch legs, reaching your arms to the opposite side, keeping your chest lifted. That’s one rep.

If you’re in the gym, you can also do this move on the back extension machine.

• Lie on your right side, with your hips and torso on top of the soft side of the BOSU. Stagger your feet so your bottom leg is forward and your top leg is extended backward for balance. Place your hands behind your head, elbows pointing out.
• Engage the left side of your core to exhale and lift your shoulders up, reaching as if you could touch your left elbow to your left hip.
• Lower your shoulders onto the BOSU. That’s one rep.

You can also do this oblique exercise with weight using a lightweight dumbbell or a kettlebell.

• Start standing with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart, knees slightly bent, holding a medicine ball in both hands with your arms extended.
• Pivot your hips and shoulders to the right, and lift the medicine ball overhead to the right. This is your starting position.
• On an exhale, engage your abs and “chop” the ball down diagonally across your body toward your left knee.
• With control, lift the ball back up to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Try this unique oblique exercise when you need a break from planks and crunches.

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor in front of you, with your hands on the floor just behind your hips. Lean back slightly to lift your feet off the floor, maintaining a 90-degree bend in your knees.
• Keeping your knees together, slowly lean onto your left hip and lower your legs to the left until you feel your obliques fire up. Pause for one second.
• Inhale to return to center, and exhale as you slowly lower your legs to the right side. That’s one rep.

This oblique move comes from the yoga pose Camel.

• Start kneeling on the floor with knees directly under hips. Reach both arms in front of you at shoulder height.
• Lean back slightly, drawing your belly button toward your spine. Exhale, twisting to the right while reaching your right hand back toward your right foot or the mat. Keep your left arm extended in front of you.
• Inhale back to your starting position, and exhale as you lean back and reach your left hand toward the mat. That’s one rep.