And by sore obliques, I mean sore obliques within hours! I loved the different ways this workout challenged my core. Did you know your core actually consists of more than just abdominal muscles? It is a general term that also includes lower back and hip flexors. These are all muscle groups that help your body maintain good posture, which is why this workout is even more beneficial for someone with a desk job. Give it a whirl and let me know what your obliques are telling you 24 hours post workout 🙃🤪
Exercise descriptions and tips:
Back extension – be sure to squeeze your butt on this one and only come up to where your body is in one straight line, not ever extended. This works your lower back, booty, and hamstrings. You can even hang low to get a good back stretch.
Lat Pulldown – Choose whatever grip you want today. Lean back slightly and pull to chest.
Plank Bird Dogs – start in good plank form with hands directly underneath chest. Then life (at the same time) your left arm and right leg, both extended in a straight line. Alternate each side 10 times each. Key here is to keep your core tight while shifting your center of gravity.
Tricep pull down – use a cable machine with rope attachment. I do a staggered stance. Pull down, then out to the outside of my hips, really popping those triceps out in the back of your arms.
Bent over back fly – these should be similar to a bat flying, if you’ve ever seen that 😉. Bend over with chest up and back flat. Try to keep upper arms parallel to torso while “flying” wrists outwards. Really, you are pinching your shoulder blades together on your upper back.
Leg raise to overhead sit up – Wow. Start by laying down with barbel over chest. Bring legs up like a normal weighted leg raise. Then when legs hit the floor, do a sit up, pushing the bar overhead. You can use some momentum from the leg lifts, but of course it will be harder if you slow it down and concentrate on each movement individually.
Bent over back row – bend over at your hips, keeping chest up and back flat. Pull the barbel up to lower chest.
Freedom trainer back fly – if you are lucky enough to have a membership at a gym with a freedom trainer, then you need to use it! Here I cross my arms and grab the cable “by the balls” 🍒. Try to keep arms straight and pull out, keeping arms at shoulder height. Again, we are squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Rope Ab choppers – this is a new and now favorite exercise. Stand with the rope so you have enough slack to pretty much bring it over your head. The movement is hitting with all your power to one side, up and over head and then hitting the other side. This helps develop quick power in those obliques and damnnnnnn it does the job!
Landmine Ab twist – set the bar up in the landmine and stand square to it. Bring the bar back and forth to each side, really contracting the obliques to keep it from falling to the ground. The trick here is to not turn your hips. This allows your obliques to work as intended.
Choose weights that are tough, so that by the end of your two rounds of 10, you’re feeling like “whoa, glad that’s done.” We’re only doing to rounds of each, so feel free to push the weight a little.
Drop a comment when you complete this workout!
Amber Launstein 