How to pump up your oblique abdominal muscles. How to quickly and correctly pump up your side press? Alternate body lifts

In this article we will talk about how to train the oblique abdominal muscles correctly. You will learn about the most effective exercises for the lateral press, receive recommendations on the technique of performing them and nutrition, which will directly result from your training.

The obliques, which form the “side” abs, are a lagging muscle in most athletes. The main problem hindering their development is the weak involvement of the oblique muscles in crunches, which the vast majority of bodybuilders consider best exercise to get a sculpted belly. There are two types of oblique muscles - external and internal. We can evaluate the external muscles visually, since they form the separation on the side of the body; the task of the internal oblique muscles is to stabilize the body during movements and protect internal organs abdominal cavity. In all lateral abdominal exercises, both muscles are worked equally.

Functions of oblique muscles and features of their development

The oblique abdominal muscles perform the following functions:

  • bend the torso at the waist;
  • turn the torso to the left and right;
  • move the pelvis back.

Unlike the rectus abdominis muscle oblique fibers directly affect the shape of the figure. How bigger muscle, the wider the waist appears - this should be taken into account by all athletes, especially girls for whom excessive development side press could be harmful.

Nutrition for a sculpted belly

The humorous expression: “Everyone has abs, only some have them hidden by a layer of fat” - fully corresponds to the real state of affairs. Whether you get relief cubes on the stomach or not, no more than 30% of the final result depends on training, while the nutrition factor is of primary importance.

In order for the relief of the abdominal muscles to be clearly visible, you need to have 12-15% subcutaneous fat. In parallel with classes in gym you will need to “dry”, which is done with the help of a properly selected diet. We do not suggest that you count calories and weigh food - it is pointless to do this, but your own gastronomic habits will need to be significantly changed.

5 the most important rules power supply:

  1. Eliminate sweets and starchy foods from your diet, Consume any sources of fast carbohydrates in limited quantities.
  2. Eat 4-6 times a day in small portions- this allows you to accelerate your metabolism, due to which the body will burn more calories than usual.
  3. Eat plenty of protein foods- meat, eggs, cottage cheese, fish, use sources of fast carbohydrates as a side dish - buckwheat, rice and any types of cereals.
  4. Avoid store-bought treats- chips, soda and similar chemicals, which almost entirely consist of fats and sugar.
  5. Take "good" fats- nuts, vegetable oils and fish oil, instead of animal fats. Remember, if fat hardens at room temperature, it means nothing. useful organism will not receive it from him.

Exercises for obliques

Abdominal muscles, unlike others muscle groups, must be worked in a large range of repetitions. It is optimal to do 15-20 repetitions for each approach, 3-4 approaches per exercise. You need to pump up your abs at the end of the workout, since they are involved in many related exercises - a tired abs at the beginning of training will not allow you to perform a squat, deadlift, or bent-over barbell row normally.

The best exercises for side press

  1. Bent-overs with a barbell on your shoulders. The exercise is done from a standing position (feet shoulder-width apart) with a light weight of the apparatus; it is better to use small barbells with a fixed weight. You need to bend over as you exhale; when moving down, the body rotates so that one shoulder looks up, the other looks down. The tilt is done until the body is parallel to the floor, rising to the starting position while exhaling.
  2. Lying lateral crunches. The athlete lies on the mat, the body looks up, the legs (pressed together and bent at the knees) are pulled to the side and pressed to the floor. Next, the body is lifted and twisted until the elbow of the working arm touches the upper knee. The exercise is performed on each side in turn.
  3. Woodcutter. Performed on block simulator with upper L-handle. You need to stand sideways to the rack of the simulator, take the handle with both hands and perform a chopping movement with your body from top to bottom, moving the handle of the block to the foot opposite to it. At the lowest point of the amplitude, there is a short pause, during which you need to tense your abdominal muscles as much as possible, after which you can return to the starting position.
  4. Hanging side crunches. Can be done on a horizontal bar or parallel bars with back support. We fasten ourselves on the apparatus and raise our legs bent at the knees, rotating the pelvis so that the feet are parallel to the floor.
  5. Twisting with rotation. The simplest exercise in terms of technique, from classic twist differs in that at the top point of the amplitude of movement it is necessary to touch the elbow of one of the hands to the opposite knee.
  6. Bent-overs with dumbbells. Holding dumbbells in your hands, we perform alternating tilts to the right and left sides, it is necessary to tilt exactly top part the body due to the oblique abdominal muscles, and not the entire torso.

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Important! When performing any exercises on the lateral press, it is extremely important to concentrate on engaging the oblique muscles in the work, since in addition to them, the muscles of the spinal region can also rotate the spine. Focus on the load the right muscles You can imagine that you are tilting your chest towards your pelvis, rather than simply moving your torso.

The role of basic exercises in pumping up the abs

You can pump up your oblique abdominal muscles not only with isolation exercises, but also with basic exercises. Moreover, in the process of performing basic exercises, the load placed on the abs is much greater than what you can give it when working with own weight. It is not for nothing that many fairly dry weightlifters and lifters have such a developed “Adonis belt”, which is extremely difficult to pump up without squats and deadlifts.

The abdominal muscles work best when performing squats and deadlifts. These exercises are an excellent help for the harmonious development of muscles, since when they are performed, the body experiences severe stress, as a result of which production increases 1-2 days after training. anabolic hormones, on which the efficiency of growth of all muscle groups directly depends.

If you decide to include deadlifts and squats in your training complex, then the number of isolation abdominal exercises must be reduced. It will be enough to perform 2 exercises in the 3x15-20 mode at the end of the workout in order to “finish off” previously tired abdominal muscles.

However, keep in mind that beginners need to do technically complex basic exercises under the supervision of a coach or a person who can give the athlete correct technique their implementation. published .

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

The desire to have a beautiful torso is completely justified. But any fit figure begin with narrow waist And flat stomach. Therefore, many begin their first workouts with huge loads for the abdominal muscles. This approach will not help to make your waist narrow, since this requires much work. more muscles press exercises. One of the main places in the formation of the muscular frame is played by lateral muscles. But how to pump up your side press at home to get thin waist as soon as possible?

It is necessary to understand that the amount of load should be normal on the abdominal and side muscles. Trying too hard can cause this area to grow. And if for men this indicator is not so important, then women and girls clearly do not need such a result after intensive abdominal exercises. Therefore, you should look for the optimal balance of load levels on various muscle groups, focusing on the result you want to achieve. The lateral press is very difficult to work out with exercises, and therefore the first volumes of loads should be determined only with the participation of a trainer. He will also ensure that each movement is performed correctly.

The basis of all lateral exercises performed in vertical position– tilts. They need to be performed by calculating and controlling every movement. Accordingly, tension is felt only in this area.

The oblique abdominal muscles require a special approach and careful execution of movements. This is the key to properly structured training. If you choose a training complex taking into account your own physiology, the results will not keep you waiting. Here are the basic side press exercises.

Exercise No. 1

IP exercises for lateral press: stand straight and as stable as possible. Place your hands behind your head, feet shoulder-width apart. If classes are carried out without dumbbells, then first bend to the right from this position. Then the same number of tilts to the left is made. The body should not lean forward or backward when moving. In this case, there should also be no painful sensations - only tension in the sides.

Exercise No. 2

IP exercises for the lateral press: as in the previous exercise, but the dumbbell is taken in the right hand, and the left one is placed on the back of the head, and bends to the right are performed. Dumbbell at head level. After execution a certain amount Once again, transfer the dumbbell to the other hand and continue the workout. During the execution, pain should not be present in the lateral abdominal muscles. By the way, with dumbbells with insignificant weight there will be no pumping of the waist. This will only slightly increase the load.

Exercise No. 3

IP exercises for the lateral press: as in the previous exercises. Place your arms at shoulder level, extended forward. Bend your body forward, while trying to touch the toe of your left foot with your right hand, and then return to the IP position. Then bend over and touch the toe of your right foot with your left hand. This exercise works the oblique abdominal muscles.

Exercises No. 4

To work through bottom part oblique muscles, you can perform leg swings. IP exercises for the lateral press: stand with your right side to a support point (for example, the back of a chair or wall bars). Rest your right hand on it. After that, start lifting left leg sideways In this case, it is necessary to control the amplitude of movement so that the limb does not deviate when performing exercises on the lateral abdominal muscles at home, neither forward nor backward.

Important! If it is not possible to exercise in the gym, then you can do a set of exercises at home, in front of a mirror, which will allow you to see how accurately you follow the recommendations.

This is enough simple moves for the side press, which should be performed as carefully as possible so that the load goes directly to the sides. Therefore, it is better to conduct the first training with a specialist.

Exercises from a horizontal position

A set of exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles (laterals) is also considered very effective. At correct execution it relieves the load from most of the body, while during the movement, if performed correctly, the main share of the load falls on the trained areas - the lateral abdominal muscles.

Exercise No. 1

IP exercises for the lateral press: lying on your back, arms extended forward, legs bent at the knees. Twists are performed. Stretch your arms alternately to the left and then to the right, lifting your body slightly above the ground using the force of your abdominal and lateral muscles.

Exercise No. 2

Reverse crunches for side press. Place your hands on the floor in line with your shoulders. During the exercise shoulder girdle lies motionless, without leaving the surface. The legs are bent at the knees at a right angle and raised above the floor with the abdominal muscles tense. You begin to perform the exercise: lower your legs alternately to the right and then to the left, trying to press your thigh to the floor on one side or the other. Movements should be smooth and measured, and the load mainly falls on the oblique muscles of the abs and sides.

Exercise No. 3

Another type of crunch for the side press. IP: lying on your back, stretch your arms along the sides of the body and raise them above the floor. Lift your shoulders off the surface so that your abdominal muscles tighten. The legs are bent at the knees and the heels are as close to the buttocks as possible. Now try, by swinging your body to the right to the left, to touch your palms inside ankles alternately (pendulum movements).

Exercise #4

IP exercises for the lateral press: lying on your back, hands behind your head, legs bent at the knees. When raising your body, you should try to alternately touch the left knee with the elbow of your right hand, and the right knee with your left elbow. Only the body rises, while the legs remain in their original position.

Exercise #5

IP exercises for the lateral press: lying on your side, lean as firmly as possible on elbow joint make a support in front of the chest with one hand and the palm of the other. From this position, as smoothly and slowly as possible, try to raise both legs above the floor at once as much as possible. This must be done using the force of the lateral abdominal muscles. After several repetitions, change sides.

Important! During your first workouts, you should not overload your body. Otherwise, you won’t be able to study next time, which will lead to disruption of your study schedule. It is better to increase the loads gradually, and at first do it without weights.

As you can see, horizontal exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles are based on twisting the body. This is one of the best natural movements for the human body, which when regular implementation give best results. How to properly pump up the side press at home can be answered in special video lessons suitable for both men and women.

Exercises while sitting and using a horizontal bar

From a sitting position you can also pump up your sides and abs. To do this, you should position yourself on the very edge of the seat so that your feet are on the floor, fixing the lower half of your body. IP: put your hands behind your head while sitting on the edge of a chair. Rotate your body left and right, while straining your oblique abdominal muscles. Remember that your feet must be completely flat on the floor. Also include the lateral abdominal muscles in the work. Despite its simplicity, this exercise gives an excellent effect.

Remember! It’s not a big deal if you get tired quickly during your first workouts. Weakened muscles develop gradually, and therefore this condition can only be overcome with perseverance and regular exercise.

If we talk about the horizontal bar, there is also nothing complicated here: keep the torso in an upright position. Perform circular movements with the pelvis using the force of the lateral muscles, first to the right, then to the left. The slower the exercise for this section of the press is performed, the greater the load on them. In addition, in this way it is possible to control tension in a specific area of ​​the muscle corset.

About beautiful, clearly defined and relief press Everyone dreams: both women and men. But not everyone knows how to do it correctly and without harm to the figure, and sometimes health.

A combination of proper nutrition and moderate physical activity , aimed at increasing abdominal muscles, will give the first results in 3-4 weeks.

Many people are chasing beautiful abs They concentrate their attention exclusively on the “cubes”, completely forgetting about an equally important muscle group, namely the lateral ones.

After all, it is The oblique muscles form the V-shaped lower abdomen. In this article you will learn how to pump up your lateral abdominal muscles, that is, the oblique abdominal muscles at home.

The lateral press is represented by the external and internal oblique abdominal muscles. They are located in the lateral region of the abdomen, originating from the eighth rib and attaching to the iliac crest of the pelvic bone. This muscle group, without constant loads, is involved only in breathing, namely in lowering chest when exhaling.

Well-trained oblique muscles help keep the body in the correct position, create beautiful and even posture, and also give definition to the abs. Of course, pumping only the lateral muscle group also does not make much sense, since the effect will not be very noticeable due to the abdominal muscles not being worked out.

  • Don't overeat 1.5-2 hours before training if you don't want to experience nausea or dizziness while exercising.
  • Don't exercise on an empty stomach, since you will not be able to exercise at full capacity.
  • Warm-up– one of the most important components of training. It is imperative to warm up the muscles before the main workout in order to avoid sprains and joint dislocations. Running, twisting your torso, bending over, or jumping rope are good options for warming up. 10-20 minutes is the optimal time to warm up.
  • Post-workout stretching necessary to prevent various injuries. Stretching muscles also stimulates their growth and strength.
  • It is not recommended to eat immediately after training. If you feel hungry, it is better to just eat an apple, and after 1-1.5 hours have a full meal.

To effectively pump up your lateral abs, you don’t need to exercise to the point of exhaustion every day, as some people do. Volne two to four times a week is enough, and you will notice the result within a month.

Some people believe that oblique exercises are different for women and men. But actually there are absolutely no anatomical differences in this part of the body, therefore there are no specific implementation for each gender.

To begin with, two or three sets of 5-10 repetitions on each side will be enough. Then the number of approaches increases to 3-4 for 15-20 repetitions. If you have been training with your own weight for quite some time and want to increase the effectiveness of your exercises, increase abdominal Press, you can diversify your activities with various sports equipment.

A bar with or without weights will work well, deadlift upper block, dumbbells. Of course, no training will give the desired effect if it is not combined with a balanced proper nutrition. Recommended eliminate simple carbohydrates(cakes, pastries, white bread), instead use complex(cereals, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, durum wheat pasta).

Increase protein intake of both animal and plant origin (low-fat cottage cheese, chicken). But the best thing is to contact a nutritionist and develop a diet with him, suitable just for you. A big mistake when losing weight is fasting, because if you lack nutrients, you will lose not only the hated centimeters, but also precious muscle mass, which is much more difficult to gain than to lose!

To increase the muscles of the lateral press, it is recommended to consume 2 g of protein per 1 kilogram of weight.

Exercises for the lateral abdominal muscles

Side crunches

Lying on the floor, bend your legs and place your feet as close to your pelvis as possible. Next, we raise our back, hold our neck straight and, tensing our abdominal muscles in turn, touch our left foot with our left hand and our right foot, respectively, with our right hand.

We inhale while twisting, and exhale while extending. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that the lower back does not come off the floor, otherwise you will not be pumping the lateral muscles, but the lumbar and vertebral muscles.

Exercise on the upper row block

Holding the handle of the block with both hands, you should pull it from top to bottom, making a chopping motion with a rotation of the torso. In this case, you need to gradually bend your knees and pull the handle towards the far leg. Make sure that your feet do not lift off the floor and that your oblique muscles are constantly tense.

Hanging Leg Raise with Rotation

Lifting the legs is done while exhaling, lifting while inhaling. Direct your legs in a bent state, first to the right, then to the left. Be sure to control the position of your torso, do not sway, lift your legs exclusively with your abdominal muscles. Do the exercises calmly, without moving by inertia.

Side plank on one leg

Another effective exercise for the side press - this is a side plank on one leg. To begin with, it is tedious to take a side plank position, while leaning on your forearm. Then you should raise your leg 30-40 cm and hold it in this position for 10 seconds.

Perform the exercise on both sides. You can also raise your hand for balance. It is important to keep your body straight and not bend. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the exercise is greatly reduced.

Dumbbell Bends

Taking a dumbbell in one hand, you should stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then bends are carried out, first in one direction, then, changing hands, in the other. There is no need to do speed exercises; movements should be measured and smooth, without jerking.

Such exercises are suitable for athletes to build up muscle mass in the waist area, which is why girls usually avoid them.

To build muscle mass, use weights, be it dumbbells or barbells. Usually the supporters of such exercises are men. But if you are a girl who does not intend to create volume in the waist area, then it is better to work exclusively with your own weight and focus on the number of repetitions.

Video with the best exercise for oblique muscles

To demonstrate how to perform one of the exercises, or rather crunches, we suggest you watch this video. The trainer explains and shows everything clearly.

As you can see, there are many side press exercises, the most popular of which we have described in detail. We give 100% guarantee that if you systematically perform these exercises, the result will not be long in coming!

Be sure to try it this complex exercises on the oblique muscles of the abdomen, and before you know it, your stomach will become toned and sculpted, which will certainly attract the attention of others.

What exercises do you think are the most effective? Leave your comments and questions on this topic, share your impressions!

Imagine how friends and ordinary passersby look at your figure with envy. Imagine waking up refreshed and active every day. All this is impossible without pumped up and beautiful belly. Let's take a closer look at how to pump up the lateral abdominal muscles, and what it actually is.

In everyday life, this muscle group is practically not involved, since it is responsible for turning the body.

On a person with an athletic build, the external oblique abdominal muscle is best visible. It runs from the sternum to the lower abdomen, passing along an oblique path. The left external muscle contracts and turns the body to the right, that is, in the opposite direction.

But you won’t see the internal oblique muscles. This is because they are located under the external ones. When the right oblique muscle contracts, the body rotates to the right.

In general, in order to pump up the press correctly, you need to follow simple recommendations:

  • Eat a light meal 2–2.5 hours before class. If you exercise on an empty stomach, you will not give your full strength, which means the workout will be ineffective. An overfull stomach can also leave negative consequences, such as nausea and severe dizziness.
  • Warm up your muscles by doing a light warm-up. Jump, run in place or on a machine, perform simple techniques such as turns, bends and rotations.
  • Do not overdo it! There is no need to exhaust yourself every day. Exercise 2-4 times a week - this will be enough for a beautiful and sculpted belly.
  • Every exercise should stretch your muscles. You should feel how tense they are. If it doesn't, then you're doing something wrong.
  • Don't eat immediately after training. If you feel very hungry, snack on an apple or drink a glass of water. Start eating no earlier than an hour later.

Attention! Don't be afraid if you get tired quickly while practicing. Since the muscular frame of the abdomen is difficult to stretch, such a reaction is quite normal.

First level

The techniques described below will help you understand how to pump up your side press. If you are a beginner, then these classes are perfect for you. Try to keep the muscle frame tense during training, but do not overdo it to avoid injury.

The entry level will not make you a bodybuilder, and your muscles will not be voluminous and large. But it will help pump them up and tone them up, preparing them for the next stage of development.

Tilts

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and clasp your hands behind your head. Just bend to the sides as far as possible. Do the techniques smoothly and slowly, fix the body at the maximum point. Total 20 repetitions, 5-6 approaches.

When you feel that the load is becoming small, increase it: take small dumbbells (up to 10 kg) in one hand and bend in their direction.

Remember that exercises with dumbbells help build additional mass, which causes the waist to thicken. This is especially true for girls :-)

For next exercise you will need a bench. Lie on your side on it so that half of your body is outside the bench, fix or ask your partner to hold your legs. Lift your body up 30 times. Do several approaches. Turn over to the other side. If the load is not enough, use weights.

Crunching on the horizontal bar

This exercise will help pump up your oblique abdominal muscles at home if you have a horizontal bar. Hanging from the bar, place your hands shoulder-width apart. Do the lifts bent legs to chest level, but not in front of you, but taking them out alternately to the right and left.

Second level

Has the first level become too easy for you? The second will help pump up your lateral abs at home, making them more prominent. Perform the techniques regularly, and your waist will decrease and your body will become toned. Each complex is performed 3-4 approaches 10-15 times.

Raises of the body and legs

Lying on a flat surface, place one arm under your head and straighten your legs. Raise your body and knee at the same time, touching each other. Return to the starting position and change hands.

Alternate body lifts

Lie down on a flat surface, place your hands at the back of your head, and bend your knees. Raise your body and at the same time turn, touching your right elbow to your left knee. Repeat the same with the other hand.

Knee Raise

Lie on your side, leaning on your elbow, straighten your legs, and place your arm that is at the top behind your back. Raise both legs towards your chest without touching the floor. Repeat the same on the other side.

On the horizontal bar

Performed from a hanging position, hands shoulder-width apart. Without bending your legs, do lateral raises, pausing at the maximum points.

Third level

The exercises described below are good for those who have been working on their lateral abdominal muscles for a long time. The number of repetitions and approaches can be adjusted independently, depending on your physical fitness.

Simple bends with weights

This exercise is difficult to perform because your lower back must be “trained.” However, it allows you to quickly and effectively pump up your oblique abdominal muscles.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and place the bar on your trapezius. Do 15 side bends, trying to lower yourself as much as possible. Having lowered to the maximum point, stop for a couple of seconds and then smoothly return to the starting position. If you feel muscle tension, then you are doing the exercises correctly.

If you feel that there is not enough weight, add weights to the bar. When bending, keep your body straight and do not lean forward or backward. Return strictly to the starting position without deviating from the vertical.

Tilts with rotation

You could say this is a stronger version of the previous exercise because it targets the oblique muscle bundles.

Perform while standing, with your feet shoulder-width apart. A bar with plates (or without, if it’s hard) on the trapezes. You should bend forward and to the sides 15 times, while twisting your body. When doing crunches, the right elbow should be directed towards the left knee and vice versa.

Hanging turns

The exercise requires a horizontal bar and considerable strength, since these are really hard exercises for the abs. Initial position: hanging, hands shoulder-width apart. Straight legs should be raised so that they run parallel to the floor. Holding them in this position, describe an arc with the maximum possible amplitude. Make 10-15 such turns.

Woodcutter

These movements will also help narrow your waist. To perform this, stand sideways to the frame and grasp the handle of the upper block with both hands. Then make 12 chopping movements, while twisting the body towards the opposite shin.

Let's summarize

Now you know how to pump up your side abs, and you can make your figure even more perfect. Don't try the hardest level right away, start with simple exercises and gradually reach more complex ones. Exercise regularly and diligently, stimulate yourself, and before you know it, you will become a new person. Good mood, toned stomach and excellent health is the least that awaits you.

Everyone strives to have a beautiful torso. Very often, beginners, when starting to pump up the press, work hard on the upper and lower abdominal muscles, often forgetting that lateral muscles require no less attention. This article will talk about how to properly pump up the side press. After reading this information, you will be able to avoid the mistakes that beginners most often make when pumping up the lateral press.

It is not so easy to pump up this muscle group; very often they turn out to be much weaker than the rectus abdominis muscles. This is due to the fact that the stomach is often involved in other basic exercises, such as deadlift, standing press, barbell squats, and oblique abdominal muscles need to download separately.

We are offering to you good complex exercises that will allow you to correctly pump up the side press.

A set of exercises for the lateral press

Very effective pumping side press each workout, of course, this will be to the detriment of other muscle groups, because training time is limited. Most often, they download oblique press through training, this is the most optimal distribution of all exercises.


We hope the above set of exercises will help you pump up oblique press, and the question of how to pump the side abdominal muscles will not be difficult and incomprehensible for you.

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