Building oblique muscle can help to tone your abdomen and give it that great look you’ve been wanting. Other than removing the fat covering your external oblique muscles (also known as love handles), the oblique muscles also need to be dedicated to regular workouts and proper nutrition. In terms of nutrition, the oblique muscles require substantially low body fat percentage. Therefore, it is prudent to observe your diet accordingly if looking to build your oblique muscles. What that means is a wider gap between burned and consumed calories. On this note, consumed calories should be lower than burned calories in order to realize a greater caloric deficit and a subsequent drop in body fat percentage. When this is achieved, then building oblique muscle will be more straightforward.
Before learning about building oblique muscle, it is good to understand how the oblique muscles operate. The oblique muscle lies in the outermost part of the lateral anterior abdomen. It is actually the largest and most superficial. The muscle is usually invisible due to the subcutaneous fat that is deposited above it and beneath the skin. The small size of the muscle also diminishes its visibility. The internal and external obliques help to rotate the body frame or bend it sideways. They also help in compressing the abdominal area and work in collaboration with the abdominal muscles to manipulate the pelvis, the spine and the lower back. Building oblique muscle can be a tough task for most, if not everyone. It can be quite a challenge and a pain trying to reduce the overall fat and improve the visibility and strength of the oblique muscle. However, from a workout perspective, this is much achievable. The most ideal workout is doing oblique-specific exercises as highlighted below.
Using the dumbbell
This is a great exercise that targets the oblique muscles. Perform this by holding a dumbbell with your hand down to your side. With a standing posture, lower the weight down and lift it up repeatedly. Then raise the dumbbell with your oblique until crouched to the opposite side. Repeat this exercise with other side for uniformity and better results. You can alternate sides for 6-12 repetitions on each side. Six complete sets are appropriate. Note that the lower body should be kept stationary when dropping the torso on either side to ensure that only the oblique muscles are targeted.
The oblique raise
The hanging oblique raise requires a pull-up bar, ankle weights, arm slings and a stool. The stool is used to position the sling under the triceps muscles. Put the arm sling against the shoulder joints and under the triceps. Then move off the stool slowly to straighten the body. Once in this position, twist the upper torso towards the left to perform oblique raises. The lower body should be moved to the right while the chest and thighs are drawn towards each other diagonally. Repeat this for the other side by going to the start position. This may somehow seem a complex exercise but it is very effective in building oblique muscle.
The side bridge
The side bridge involves lying on a mat with the legs straightened out. The body is held up with one arm bent at the elbow and put parallel to the ground. Your abs should be kept tight for at least a minute. However, you can hold this position for longer depending on your tolerance but do not overdo it. It is a simple but great oblique-specific exercise.
The alternate foot-hold
This exercise involves holding the toes alternating in a sitting posture. Sit on an appropriate mat in an upright position, legs straight and spread wide and the arms out on the sides. With the each opposite arm to each leg, touch your toes repeatedly. Precisely, the left arm should touch the toes of your right leg while the right arm should touch the toes of your left leg. Repeat this exercise continuously and if you find it easy, you may pick up speed gradually.
Additional tips
Once you are able to handle each of these exercises, try increasing the number of sets for each. Increase the weight in the case of dumbbell. However, do not forget to balance your calories since you still need to build your oblique muscles besides burning extra calories. Include back exercises as well. This will help balance the strength of the abdominal frame and reduce the risk of sustaining lower back injuries. A gym membership is appropriate so as to have a qualified trainer while building oblique muscle.
