It occurred to me recently, now that I have this great blog going and plenty of new readers providing positive feedback and thanks every day (thank you all!) that I kind of just jumped right in and started giving tips on toning those love handles via external oblique targeting but never really stopped to give a good thorough explanation as to what they are. At least, not from an anatomical/medical perspective. I am not a physician or even in the health field. I’m just a person who has done a LOT of research on the subject and has learned enough to share with you all. So with that said, let’s get into what exactly the external oblique muscle group is.
The anterolateral abdominal wall is created by the four distinguished pairs of abdominal muscles. They are just like layers of tissues that are flat but could be straight while contracting. The abdominal wall has got 4 different parts namely: transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal abdominal oblique, and external abdominal oblique.
Transversus abdominus is the deepest layer of muscle that helps to stabilize the trunk and also maintain internal abdominal pressure.
Rectus abdominus is located between the ribs and the pubic bone in front of the pelvis. This muscle when contracted is known as ‘the six pack’. The primary function of this muscle is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis.
Internal oblique muscles are located inside the hipbones. They function in the opposite manner to the external oblique muscles. For example, when you twist the trunk to the left, it requires right side external oblique and left side internal oblique to contract together.
External oblique muscle originates from the lower eight ribs in the anterior part of your body. It inserts into the iliac crest and inguinal ligament near the pubic bone of your pelvis. Though this muscle is considered to be the most superficial part of the abdominal wall yet it is the strongest one. The fibers of the muscles in this part of the abdomen are intended for strong contractions. External oblique muscle works with other abdominal muscles and your hips to help stabilize your body to enable it to move in different directions, especially in rotational movements. The right external oblique turns the body to the left and vice versa. They also facilitate your trunk to flex, which is like the motion of bending over. It is highly essential to have strong abdominal muscles particularly for protecting the lower back from injury. Let us discuss some exercises to tone up external oblique muscle.
• Side Bends: For this exercise you need to be in standing position with your feet planted as wide as your shoulders. While doing side bends on to your right side, simply lower the right shoulder and hand towards the floor on the right side of your body then stand erect again. You can make this exercise more challenging one by holding a weight in the hand that is being bent.
• Rotating Sit-Ups: Rotating Sit-Ups is the improved version of a normal sit-up. Here you need to rotate from side to side every time you sit up. For safety purposes, your feet should be anchored in some way by tucking them under a stable object. Alternatively, you can also have someone hold your feet down. You can make this exercise more effective by holding a free weight or weighted exercise ball over the chest for creating more resistance.
• Standing Rotations: You can do this exercise either with the help of a weight attached to a cable-and-pulley system or an exercise band. The weight or band should be secured at waist level. For this you need to stand with the feet shoulder-width apart. While working for right external obliques, you need to hold the band on to your right side in standing position. Thereafter, grip the handle of the band with your right hand simultaneously planting the same firmly against the middle of the right side of the trunk. Then while keeping the hips and feet facing forward, the trunk is rotated toward the left.
• Medicine Ball Vertical Chop: With the help of this exercise you can force your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine. Stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart. Then hold a medicine ball over your head. While exhaling swing the ball down the opening between your two legs. Then bend your knees slightly while bending torso forward at your waist. When you swing up, you need to tighten up your buttocks to prevent your spine from hyperextending.
• Medicine Ball Diagonal Swing: For this stand with your left foot behind you while holding a medicine ball over your right shoulder. You need to tighten your left buttock so as to enable your pelvis to get stabilized. Then swing the ball down and across your body towards your left hip but do not rotate your torso. While swinging in the opposite direction, switch your leg position.
• Soccer Throw: As already stated your external obliques do work with other abdominal muscles to transfer the force from lower to upper body. They also facilitate in preventing your spine from injury during the throw. For this, stand 6 to 8 feet away from a strong wall. Then hold a medicine ball over your head and while stepping forward with your left foot, throw the ball towards the wall. Then catch the ball when it bounces off once on the ground.
The above workouts should be done 10 to 12 times per session and are necessary to maintain the shape of your external oblique muscle group. They will also assist you in doing various sporting activities involving lots of twists and turns.
