There seems to be a new trend among fitness influencers right now, and that is to completely ignore the oblique muscles. For those of you who fell asleep through biology lessons in school, the obliques are the muscles that run along the side of your stomach. You have internal and external oblique muscles – the two work together to move your trunk, spine, and core.
As a runner, a strong core is important to me both in terms of running hard and running fast. When you’re running, your oblique muscles control the rotation of your upper body and torso, bringing your upper and lower body together as you move. With that said, I set out to strengthen my obliques by doing 50 oblique crunches on each side, every day for a week. Read on to find out what happened.
A reminder that 100 reps of any exercise is a lot, and what works for me and my body might not work for you. If you’re new to an exercise or returning to exercise after an injury, it’s a good idea to see a personal trainer to check your form before increasing the number of reps you do.
Looking for more exercise inspiration? Read what happened when I Tried Lily James’ 600 Rep Ab Workoutwhen i dug up my resistance bands and gave Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Resistance Band Workout one try, and when I added 100 dead bugs to my daily grind.
How to do an oblique crunch
To do an oblique crunch, start by lying on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, as you would for a normal crunch. Put your hands behind your head, supporting your neck. Lower both knees to the left side, making sure your hips are still on the mat and your legs are together, one on top of the other.
Engage your core and contract upward, squeezing your abs to lift your torso; you should feel this along the right side of your stomach. Once you’ve completed your reps, lower your legs to the right side and repeat; you should feel this along the left side of your abdomen.
Remember, this exercise is working your core – don’t use your hands to pull your head and neck up. If this version is too intense, keep your feet on the ground, knees bent, and arms extended above you. While doing crunches, bring your arms to the left side of your knees, complete all reps, then repeat to the right.
I Did 50 Oblique Crunches A Day For A Week – This Is What Happened To My Abs
Sometimes it’s the little exercises that seem simple that burn the most, and this is definitely true for obliques. After 20 reps, I realized this was going to burn my abs, and I wasn’t wrong.
The key to this exercise is to keep the movement slow and controlled to ensure your form is correct; if not done correctly, you won’t work your abs and risk putting pressure on your neck. I opted for two sets of 25 reps on each side, with short breaks in between to make sure I was focusing on my form, not rushing through the workout.
I’m not naming names, but in the past, I’ve heard fitness influencers say that they avoid oblique exercises, as they can create a ‘boxy’ figure, and that the key to an hourglass physique is to ignore the obliques. . Speaking to personal trainer Lucy Gornall, she disagreed with this sentiment, saying: “This is strange to me, as all muscles have to be attended to for a complete workout.”
As the week progressed, I found that the challenge got a little easier, but a lot more boring. In the last few days to really ramp up the intensity, I opted for oblique v-ups, which really set my core on fire and worked the side of my body hard. To do an oblique V-up, lie on your side with your knees bent and your legs stacked on top of each other. Place your lower arm on the ground outstretched and your upper arm behind your head. Using your obliques, do V-shaped crunches, pressing the elbow of your upper arm against your knees.
Seven days later, did I have the abs of my dreams? Unfortunately no, no amount of abs can sculpt a Chris Hemsworth-esque six-pack – visible abs are the result of a low body fat percentage (Here’s how to calculate your body fat percentage. and why it is important). With that being said, I felt like I had worked my core harder and realized that I often tend to neglect my obliques in workouts.
Doing crunches before going for a run helped me think about my form as I moved, keeping my abs tight and my torso upright, rather than slouching in my stride. Oblique crunches are here to stay, I just won’t be doing them every day from now on.
