# How do you work lower obliques???



## Pumping Iron (Jun 12, 2003)

My abs are coming in nicely, and my obliques are not too bad.

I do twists and i guess you can call them sidebends very often, but they still sort of "stick out". 

 I admire how pros such as Flex Wheeler , from the top of his lats to his hip bone is such a straight line. 

 Is there anything else i can do or am doing wrong?


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## ZECH (Jun 12, 2003)

Sounds like you are doing the right exercises. "sidebends" are Lateral Flexion (Abduction) and  Reduction (Adduction).
Rotation are twists. Just remember not to use any weight. You just want to tone. It is a muscle and if worked too much it can get bigger!


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## Dale Mabry (Jun 12, 2003)

The internal obliques are the "lower" obliques.  They are worked by performing flexion to the same side (Left side bends work the left inner oblique).  Unfortunately, I believe you have either loose skin or excess fat in the area.  You can do side bends til your blue in the face, but you must work off the fat first, which is done thru cardio.  If it is just skin, it will snap back into place soon enough, providing you are under 35 or so years of age.


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## Fit Freak (Jun 13, 2003)

I agree with Dale...your exercises are fine...if you're looking for the straight line like the pros on competition day...well you will only avhieve that througha strict nutritional plan and cardio.

Now...I have to object in terms of avoiding w8 when working the obliques...I always do exercises for the rectus abdominus as well as the obliquess (internal & external) using weight.  I treat it like any other muscle....you should use weight to achieve optimum development.  Muscles don't just grow that easily....otherwise we'd all have full chests, sweeping quads, buldgins bis...get my drift?

Others my oppose my opinion...which is fine...I'm giving you my side of the arguement.  Try both methods and see what works best for YOU!


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## tjwes (Jun 15, 2003)

DO cardio to lose the extra fat deposits.DON`Tuse weight on abs and DON`T even work the obliques unless you want a bigger waist measurement.Twists are useless .You can`t really isolate the abs too easily ,just work abs and they`ll look good if you reduce the fat.CARDIO.If you do crunch type exercises and a leg raise type movement the obliques will get enough indirect work from the rest of your training.


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## P-funk (Jun 15, 2003)

Fitfreak, it is stange that you say that about working your abs, using resitance that is.  I feel the exact same way and I also feel like my abs get better conditioning when I use resistance.  However, the abdominals are slow twitch muscle fibers and are better fatigued with higher repetions, which can't really be achieved when using weight, but it just doesn't seem like that works.  I like weighted crunches.

I am sure you use good form but note to newbies *if doing weighted torso twists be extremely careful becuase loading the spine and twisting can be extreamely dangerous and lead to a possibel injury where the lumbar and thoracic spines connect.*


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## Fit Freak (Jun 16, 2003)

> if doing weighted torso twists be extremely careful becuase loading the spine and twisting can be extreamely dangerous and lead to a possibel injury where the lumbar and thoracic spines connect



VERY True

When I use resistance I still keep the reps to 15-20...sometimes 25.  I usually don't do more than 25 reps weighted....I leave the ultra high reps to non-weighted exercises.  I try to combine both w8ted and non-weighted exercises.



> Don't use weight on abs and DON`T even work the obliques unless you want a bigger waist measurement.Twists are useless



I couldn't disagree with this statement more  Your muscles don't just get big...it takes some serious effort for that to happen...I do agree that you can achieve a decent set of abs through pretty much diet alone providing you train the rest of your body hard.  As for the functionality of that...well that is obviously less than optimal


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## Pumping Iron (Jun 16, 2003)

Cool, thanks everyone.

My obliques aren't that bad, its just i'd like to improve them. i think the reason they look like they are kinda sticking out a tad is bc my stomach is getting in better shape. 

About the whole dieting and cardio....

I am trying to put on some mass, therefore cardio and dieting is to a minimum.
*I do 15 min of either bike or precor after each workout (4 days on, 1 off..therefore 5 or 6x's per week). 
*I eat every 2 hours...high carbs, high protein, low fat. 

Thanks for everyone's input!


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## Robboe (Jun 16, 2003)

Yeah, good luck with them lower obliques.

That lower obliques muscle group is a bastard to get right.


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