Dearest Readers,
I’m so sorry I made a bleak/oblique joke in the headline, but how could I not? Seriously? As a girl who loves to work the abs, I think it’s important to know that your abs are multi-faceted (much like last post’s arm workouts), and the obliques (the side ab muscles) are just as important to work as the lower and upper abs. You need a strong powerhouse (ab region) to have better posture and overall strength. Here are some different oblique workouts, because I think we are all familiar with the bicycle.
The Figure 4: Cross your right leg over your left, so that your right foot is resting on your left knee. You are creating a literal 4 with your legs if you stuck out your left leg (this is hard to explain in words so look at the picture). Start in normal crunch position with your chin off of your chest, but instead of having both hands behind your head use only your left hand behind your head and put your right arm down. (Opposite hand to opposite knee) Now crunch diagonally so your left elbow touches your right knee. Do 15 of these on each side. PS. in the picture, I am bringing my right elbow to my left knee. Make sure the space between your chin and your chest is the size of a baseball, and that you exhale as you crunch up/inhale when you go down. PPS. Look at my awesome striped socks!
start
Toe Touching: All oblique exercises normally involve twisting a bit. This exercise is just a lil’ bitty twist. For this one, extend your legs straight up to the ceiling (i can barely do this, because I lack any semblance of flexibility). Now, you will do lil’ baby crunches where you take your right hand and crunch so that you bring it up to your left pinky toe, then alternate by taking your left hand to your right pinky toe. (always take the opposite hand to the opposite pinky toe.) If, like me, you can’t quite reach your toes than just make sure your are moving your hand past your leg (TWIST IT). As a challenge, try to stay in crunched at all times and just move from side to side that way you work all parts of your abs and you target your obliques. Touch each side 25-30 times.
to the left
to the right
Twist and Shout: This is a really twisty exercise. There are two levels. You can keep your feet on the floor shoulder width apart with your knees bent, or you can bring your legs to table top position. Now lean back, so that your back is at a 45 degree angle (you’ll know your far enough back when your abs begin to shake). Then twist from side to side. For an added challenge you can do this while holding a tide bottle in your hands (that way you are twisting with more weight). You can also vary up this exercise by holding yourself twisted one direction, then hold yourself while twisted the other. Do the whole twist (both left and right) at least 25 times. Make sure that you’re not moving your legs away from you if they are in table top position, keep them steady and only move your upper half.
twist it to the right (don't I look like I'm having such fun with my obliques?!)
twist it to the left
You don’t have to repeat all of these again (yay!), but if you want killer obliques, go for it!
Leave a comment with your favorite obliques workout!
O-bleak-ily,
The Toned Toothpick Teacher
FIT-ting In 
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