The pumped-up oblique muscles of the abdomen emphasize the beauty of the abs, make the waist slim and beautiful, and support the spine when bending and turning the body. In addition, this muscle group is very important in contact sports - football, hockey, martial arts.
For those who are taking the first steps in the development of the oblique muscles of the press, exercises with a low load are needed - various types of twists.
Twisting
The simplest twist is to turn the body to the sides while standing. In this case, the pelvis must remain motionless. Such exercises are often included in the complex of morning physical exercises or warm-ups. However, do not underestimate them: even with visible lightness, they provide a good load on the oblique muscles. Make 20-25 turns of the body with arms extended to the sides in several approaches - and unprepared muscles will ache a little the next day.
One of the types of twisting is exercises on the horizontal bar. Hanging on the bar, turn your pelvis to the sides. In addition to the direct benefits for the development of oblique muscles, the spine relaxes and stretches well, its cartilage is kneaded.
American bodybuilders are very fond of performing curls with a barbell on their shoulders, sitting on a bench. The weight of the bar is selected individually, the pace of the exercise is slow and smooth. Particular attention is paid to the moments of stopping rotation in one direction and the beginning of movement in the other. It is in overcoming the inertial force of the bar that the main load on the oblique muscles lies. The number of turns can vary from 50 to 100, and the number of approaches from 3 to 5.
Other exercises
Other oblique exercises will also be helpful initially. Standing straight, raise your hands up. Legs are wider than shoulders. Leaning forward, rotate the body so that your hand touches the toe of the opposite leg. The pace of execution is average with the concentration of attention at the lowest point of the incline.
Body bends to the sides with dumbbells in lowered hands. In this case, the body should bend strictly to the side, the lower back should not bend. The weight of the dumbbells is average; when tilting, the dumbbell should slide along the line of the body. Average pace.
Hanging on the bar, raise your legs, bent at the knees, to your shoulders. Unlike straight leg raises, this exercise is much easier for beginners to perform.
Woodcutter. Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Take a light dumbbell, weighing no more than 5 kg, in your hands and lift it over your shoulder. Straining the abs, gently lower it diagonally to the opposite leg and carry it past the lower leg from the outside.
All the exercises described should be performed 10-20 times in several approaches. Exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles can be performed in combination with pumping up the press. If during the week the press sways with several workouts, the study of the oblique muscles can be distinguished as a separate lesson.
