Muscle guide · Core

The Best Exercises for Obliques

The best oblique exercises combine rotation (Russian twists, cable woodchop-style rotations), side bending (side planks, cable side crunches) and anti-rotation (Pallof presses). Train them two or three times a week alongside the abs.

Includes: External Oblique, External Oblique Lower, External Oblique Middle, External Oblique Upper · also called External obliques Back, Lower Obliques Left, Lower Obliques Right, Middle Obliques Left

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

Front view: muscles worked by obliques training. Primary: obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by obliques training. Primary: obliques.
Primary

What the obliques do

  • Rotates the trunk.
  • Bends the trunk to the side.
  • Resists rotation and side bending, stabilising the spine when you carry or press with one arm.

The external and internal obliques sit on the sides of the abdomen, with fibres running diagonally in opposite directions. Rotating to one side uses the external oblique on the opposite side and the internal oblique on the same side.

5 best oblique exercises

  1. Pallof press — Anti-rotation.
  2. Cable side crunch — Loadable side bend.
  3. Russian twist — Rotation, no equipment.
  4. Side plank — Side-bend isometric.
  5. Farmer's walk (one hand) — Carrying in one hand trains anti-side-bend.

Sample obliques workouts

Oblique circuit

Home · Beginner

Oblique circuit: exercises and sets × reps
Side plank 3 × 20–40 s per side
Russian twist 3 × 20 total
Pallof press 3 × 10 per side

Sets × reps. Finish each set with one or two reps left in reserve, and rest 2 to 3 minutes after compound lifts and 1 to 2 minutes after isolation work.

How many sets for the obliques?

4 to 10 sets a week is plenty; the obliques also work during carries, rows and unilateral presses.

Muscle growth rises with weekly volume: in a meta-analysis, 10 or more hard sets per muscle per week produced more growth than fewer than 5 (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), and training a muscle at least twice a week beat once a week when volume was matched (Schoenfeld et al., 2016). Start near the low end and add sets while you are still recovering between sessions.

Exercises that also work the obliques (50)

Obliques training FAQs

Will oblique training make my waist wider?

Training the obliques adds some muscle, but it is a small amount. Waist size depends far more on body fat.

Are Russian twists bad for your back?

They are fine for most people done with control. If they bother your back, use anti-rotation work like the Pallof press instead.

Sources

  1. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.