Oblique Crunches

Six packs and a zero size waistline is what everyone seems to dreams of these days. Even people who have lived for years on fatty, junk food hope to fit into their slim-fit apparels. Belly fat or love handles are unattractive and getting rid of them is not at all easy. Excess fat around the waistline is a problem most people are likely to face at some time or the other in their lives. Love handles can be frustrating, since you cannot fit into fashionable dresses, and everyone makes fun of you, too! Moreover, your bulging belly does not please your own eyes as well. But, there is nothing to worry about; a number of exercises exist that help you get rid of those bulky love handles. One such exercise that will help you shed extra pounds is oblique crunches. Oblique crunches are exercises formulated for the oblique muscle, which is one of the four muscles that form our abdominal area. Let us learn few oblique crunch exercises for and reduce the expanse of our waists.

Stability Ball
Performing oblique crunches on the stability ball is one of the best ways to reduce love handles. You need to position yourself on the stability ball in a way that your middle back rests on the ball and your feet lie flat on the floor, in order to start the exercise. Make sure that you keep your hands behind your head while performing this exercise. Slowly raise and tilt your upper body to twist towards a side. Get back to the starting position and then twist to the opposite side.

Bench Twist
You need to position yourself on a decline bench in order to perform this type of oblique crunch. The bench should be raised to a certain height from one side, to keep it in a tilted position. Lock your feet into the bench and position yourself while placing your left hand over the left ear and the right hand on top of your right thigh. Now raise your upper body slowly, twist your torso and try touching your right knee with the left elbow. Once you reach saturation point, get back slowly to the original position by lowering your upper body. Perform at least 10 sets of this exercise for both sides.

 

Simple Oblique Crunch
Lie on your back and cross the left foot over the right knee, hands behind your head. Keeping lower back pressed into the floor, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and then curl your upper body diagonally across your body towards your left knee. Repeat for 10-12 times before switching sides.

Waistline Trimmer
This is an excellent exercise to shrink love handles. To perform the exercise, lie down on your back with your heels on top of the exercise ball and the knees in bent position. Clench your hands behind your head with your elbows facing sideways. Lift your left shoulder while exhaling slowly towards your right hip. Lower your shoulder after staying in position for a while. Repeat the same exercise on the other side. Each alternate side equals one repetition.

 

Side Oblique Crunch
Another effective exercise to get rid of extra fat is the side oblique crunch. Lie down on your right hand side with legs extended. Cross up your right arm across your waist while resting your right hand on the left hand side. Place your left fingertips behind your left ear and point your elbow towards the ceiling. Now contract your abs and lift up your right shoulder along with your right leg. Make sure that your motion is towards the ceiling and not falling forward. Perform the same moves on the opposite side.

 

Standing Oblique Crunch
To perform this exercise, attach a stirrup handle to a high cable and stand beside a stack of weight. Hold the handle with the opposite side hand and pull down on the cable in a way that your palm is in line with your head with your elbow pointing down. Crunch your rib cage sideways towards the hip bone on the side of the arm holding the pulley. Stay in the position for a while and then slowly straighten your back.

 

Tips To Perform Oblique Crunches
Make sure that you breathe out every time you lift your upper body to twist. Your breathing should be right while performing any exercise.