There seems to be a new trend among fitness influencers right now, and it involves ignoring your oblique muscles completely. For those who fell asleep through biology lessons in school, your oblique muscles are the muscles that run along the side of your stomach. You have internal and external oblique muscles – the two work together to move the torso, spine, and core.
As a runner, a strong core is important to me in terms of running strong and running fast. While running, your oblique muscles control the rotation of your upper body and torso, and they connect your upper and lower body together during movement. However, I proceeded to strengthen my oblique muscles by doing 50 oblique exercises on each side, every day for a week. Read on to find out what happened.
A reminder that 100 reps of any exercise is too much, and what works for me and my body may not work for you. If you are new to exercise, or you are returning to exercise after an injury, it is a good idea to consult a personal trainer to check your form before increasing the number of repetitions you do.
Looking for more exercise inspiration? Read what happened and when I Tried Lily James’ Workout With 600 RepsWhen I got out resistance bands and gave Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Resistance Band Workout Go, when I added 100 dead insects for my daily routine.
How to do an oblique crunch
To do an oblique crunch, begin by lying flat on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, as you would in a normal crunch. Put your hands behind your head with your neck supported. Drop your knees to the left side, making sure your hips are still on the mat, and your legs are together, one above the other.
Engage your core and press up, squeezing your abs to raise your torso – you should feel this along the right side of your stomach. Once you are done with the repetitions, lower your legs to the right side, and repeat – you should feel this along the left side of your stomach.
Remember that this exercise works your core – do not use your hands to pull your head and neck up. If this version is severe, keep your feet on the floor, bend your knees, and extend your arms over you. While squatting, raise your arms to the left side of your knees, complete all repetitions, then repeat on the right.
I Did 50 Obliques A Day For A Week – Here’s What Happened To My Abs
Sometimes it’s the seemingly simple little exercises that burn the most, and that definitely applies to oblique crunches. 20 reps, I knew this one would really torch your abs, and I wasn’t wrong.
The key to this exercise is to keep the movement slow and controlled to make sure your form is correct – if not done correctly, you won’t target your abs, and you risk putting pressure on your neck. I chose two sets of 25 reps on each side, with short rest periods in between to make sure I was focusing on my form, not racing through the workout.
I’m not naming names, but in the past, I’ve heard fitness influencers say they avoid oblique exercises because they can create a “boxy” figure, and that the key to an hourglass physique is to ignore the oblique. Speaking to personal trainer Lucy Journal, she disagreed with that sentiment, saying, “It’s weird in my eyes because all muscles need to be given attention for an overall workout.”
As the week went on, I found the challenge to be a little easier, but more boring. The last few days to really increase the intensity I’ve gone for v-slashes, which really set my heart on fire, and worked really hard on the side of my body. To do a V-shaped oblique motion, lie on your side with your knees bent and your feet stacked on top of each other. Place your lower arm on the floor extended and the upper arm behind your head. Using your oblique, smash into a V, smash the elbow of the upper arm to your knees.
Seven days later, did I have the abs of my dreams? Unfortunately no, no amount of crunches can sculpt a Chris Hemsworth-style six-pack — visible abs are the result of low body fat (here’s how to calculate body fat percentage and why it matters). Having said that, I felt like I worked harder, and realized that often, I tend to neglect my oblique muscles in my workouts.
Doing crunches before going out for a run helped me think about my shape as I moved — keeping my stomach engaged and my torso straight, rather than sloping in my stride. Oblique crunches are here to stay, and I won’t be doing them every day from now on.
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