Sculpted obliques are a key part of a defined physique—but firming these muscles goes beyond aesthetics. The obliques are situated on the sides of your abdomen and play an essential role in daily movement, helping you twist, bend and reach with ease. The obliques stabilize the spine, protect the ribcage, support the lower back and improve posture. They also generate the power you need to rotate your trunk, whether swinging a tennis racket or golf club, tossing a ball or grabbing and carrying grocery bags.
“The internal and external obliques connect your ribcage to your pelvis like supportive slings,” Kelley Workman, Pilates instructor, master personal trainer and nutritionist with Life Time Greenway, tells Parade. “Together, they stabilize and protect the lumbar spine by coordinating with the deep core (transversus abdominis) and pelvic floor, organize posture by managing rib flare and pelvic tilt, reducing swayback and ‘duck-butt’ tendencies and drive and decelerate rotation and sidebending, which is crucial for walking, reaching, carrying and sport. Undertrained obliques often show up as low-back tightness, shoulder/neck overuse and a core that looks strong but collapses under rotational load.”
The bottom line? It’s essential to improve your oblique strength in order to maintain a solid, functional core. Many common exercises are golden when it comes to strengthening the obliques, as they channel real-life movement. For instance, if you’re a Pilates fan, there are certain oblique-firing moves instructors never skip—and we’re here to clue you in on them.
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Before we dive in, let’s chat about Pilates. This low-impact, full-body workout is a popular training modality—and for good reason. It can help you achieve a lean muscle tone while boosting flexibility, mobility, balance and strength.
Not only does Pilates train the obliques to move—it also teaches you how to effectively use them, says Bayley Brunnmeier, owner and lead instructor of Grow Core Pilates in Las Vegas, where she specializes in private and semi-private, equipment-based training focused on strength, alignment and long-term body support.
“We train rotation from the ribcage, lateral flexion with length instead of compression and anti-rotation to stabilize the spine,” she explains. “But more importantly, we slow everything down. That’s where the real work happens. When you can control the movement, maintain alignment and recruit the right muscles together. Instead of isolating the obliques, Pilates teaches the body how to use them in connection with everything else.”
Related: ‘I’m a Pilates Instructor—These Are the 5 Moves I Give Every Client Who Wants To Lose Weight After 50′
Why the Obliques Are Commonly Undertrained
During many classic gym workouts, the obliques don’t receive the attention they genuinely deserve.
“Undertraining obliques happens because many workouts focus on forward flexion movements such as sit-ups, crunches and machines—but when you do Pilates, you can incorporate side bending, rotation, anti-rotation, balance and dynamic control, which is a complete core workout,” says Nikkii Behrens, Pilates teacher, trainer and founder of Rare Pilates. “When trained correctly, the obliques become one of the most powerful components of a strong and resilient core.”
That’s not to say there aren’t a few essential tips to ensure you’re engaging your obliques properly and getting the biggest bang for your buck out of each Pilates session. According to Brunnmeier, many Pilates participants move too quickly and lose control, pull with the arms rather than the ribcage, rely too much on the hip flexors or allow the pelvis to shift instead of being stabilized. Focusing on form is key.
“Once the hip flexors take over, they can start doing the job of everything—the glutes, the lower back, even the abdominals. That’s when you lose the deeper core connection entirely,” Brunnmeier cautions.
Another common pitfall is not utilizing the other muscle groups that support how well your obliques function.
“For example, a lot of clients lack internal rotation and adduction. The adductor muscles, or inner thighs, play a major role in supporting the obliques. They work together almost like a system. When you learn how to connect into them, it allows you to access the obliques in a much deeper and more integrated way,” Brunnmeier adds.
Now, if you’re ready to fire up your obliques, let’s dive into the moves Pilates instructors highly recommend.
Related: The Equipment-Free Move a Pilates Instructor Is Begging Every Woman Over 50 To Do in the Morning
Here are the oblique-firing moves they never skip.
Begin by lying flat on your back with your knees lifted in a tabletop position.Place your hands at the back of your head, elbows out wide.Curl your shoulders, neck and head off the mat or reformer.Extend one leg straight to a 45-degree angle.At the same time, rotate your torso and bring the opposite elbow toward your bent knee.Switch sides, continuing to alternate.Perform 2 sets of 12 to 16 slow, controlled reps
Related: Exactly How Often You Need To Do Pilates To Reduce Belly Fat, According to Instructors
2. Short Box Side Over (Reformer)
To set up, place the short box on the reformer’s carriage.Secure both feet under the foot strap.Sit sideways on the box near its edge, keeping the hip that’s closest to the footbar anchored on the box.Extend your legs under the strap.Place your hands at the back of your head.Breathe in as you assume a tall posture.Side-bend your torso toward the floor, keeping your hips square.Exhale as you lift your torso back to an upright position, using your obliques to get there.Perform 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.Assume a high plank, forming a straight line from your head to your heels.Push the ground away from you.Draw your ribs in and keep your pelvis neutral.Rotate to one side, stacking your shoulders and pelvis.Reach your top arm up toward the ceiling and hold.Perform 2 to 3 rounds of 20 to 45-second holds on each side.
Related: Pilates Instructors Say This Is the #1 Mistake Beginners Make
4. Teaser With Rotation
Begin sitting tall on the mat with your legs extended ahead of you.Brace your core as you slowly roll down through your spine until your back is flat on the mat.Reach both arms overhead and keep your legs long.On the exhale, roll up into a teaser, balancing on your sit bones with your legs lifted and raised into a “V” position.Once you find your balance, rotate your torso to one side.Return to the center.Rotate to the other side.Perform 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 rotations on each side.Related: ‘I’m a Pilates Instructor—These 5 At-Home Exercises Helped My Clients Lose Stubborn Weight’
5. Mermaid
Assume the mermaid position with both knees bent to the same side.Maintain a tall posture, lengthening through the top of your head.Place one hand on the mat beside you and lift the opposite arm overhead.Side bend toward the grounded hand.Use your obliques to return to the tall position.Perform 6 to 8 slow reps on each side.Remember that a solid core is much more than an aesthetically pleasing six-pack, and your obliques are crucial when it comes to rotational strength, spinal stability and all-around more efficient movement. Adding these Pilates moves to your routine is an excellent step in the right direction.
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Kelley Workman, Pilates instructor and nutritionist with Life Time GreenwayBayley Brunnmeier, owner and lead instructor of Grow Core Pilates in Las VegasNikkii Behrens, Pilates teacher, trainer and founder of Rare PilatesHence then, the article about 5 oblique firing pilates moves instructors never skip was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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