Obliques

The obliques are the side muscles of the abdomen: they rotate and bend the torso and, above all, hold it still when something tries to move it. They train with twists, side planks, oblique crunches and leg raises, all bodyweight, in the space of a mat.

Here you'll find the exercises on video with form, common mistakes and the muscles involved. Controlled movement, still hips, steady breathing: speed doesn't help here, it just lets momentum do the muscle's job. Ten reps you feel are worth more than thirty that get away from you — and train them with the rest of your abs, not in a session of their own.