Training your obliques may not be at the forefront of your mind when you’re on a mission to get a rippling mid-section, often it’s the abdominal muscles we’re headset on. But, to build a set of washboard abs, or improve your overall core strength, you need to give them some love and attention. That being said, we’d avoid the side bend.
You may have seen others pumping out 12 to 15 reps on either side of their body with a kettlebell or dumbbell in hand, determined to get their ‘side abs’ to show. But have you ever done a side bend and felt your lower back aching afterwards? This is because it places your spine in an uncomfortable position. Throw some weights into the equation and it's even worse. You also end up using your hips far more than your obliques to perform the exercise so, in terms of bang for your buck, it’s minimal.
