Everyone is talking about getting those V-lines, but aren’t really sure what muscles to target in order to work toward that. Those V-lines are created by your obliques that run diagonally from your ribs to your pelvic bones. They do more than just create nice lines to show off at the beach though - they’re put to use each time you twist or bend to the side.
Below are a handful of great exercises that you can do to target your obliques:
Russian/Mason Twists
Sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Grab a weight plate and hold it in both hands with your arms extended out in front of you. Lean back while keeping your back straight, and tighten your core as you slightly lift your feet off of the floor so that you’re balancing on your glutes. With a tight tummy, twist yourself to the left, and then again to the right to finish one complete rep.
Weighted Side Bends
With a weight plate in your left hand hanging down at your side, stand with your feet hip width apart. Keep your back and neck straight and facing forward, and using controlled muscle movements, bend down to the left from your waist. Slowly bring yourself back up. Repeat this for the right side as well.
Bicycle Crunches
Lay on your back with both hands behind your head as you bring your knees up to a ninety degree angle. Raise your shoulders up off of the ground and straighten out your right leg as you bring your left knee closer to your chest. As you do this, twist your abdomen so that your right elbow comes in to meet your left knee. Repeat for the other side. Continue this exercises in this alternating manner.
Side Planks
You’ll definitely feel the burn with these! Lay on your left side, and lift yourself up so that you’re balancing on your feet and your forearm. Your elbow should be positioned on the floor directly under your shoulder, and your forearm should be perpendicular to your body. Hold this position for as long as you’re able to before slowly lowering yourself back down. Repeat on the right side.
Waist Training
Though waist training isn’t an exercise, it can help you increase your muscle tone. It does so by reminding you to keep your posture in check, which involves not only your back muscles, but your core muscles too.
It takes a lot of time and effort to sculpt your muscles to look the way you want them to, so don’t feel discouraged if you don’t notice more tone to your obliques overnight. Keep up the hard work and you’ll be able to see the results that you’re after!
By: Kayla Harwick
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