WhatWorksWhat.
Obliques

Russian Twist

Burn down both sides of the waist.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Dumbbells
  • Abs
  • Obliques
  • Obliques - Obliques
  • Obliques

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Obliques

    Hit

    Twist, side-bend, anti-rotation.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

4:52· Colossus Fitness

How to PROPERLY Cable Crunch to Shape Your Abs (How to Kneeling Cable Abdominal Crunch)

Lying flat

Crunched

Seated, lean back to ~45°, feet up. Rotate the trunk side to side, tapping the weight beside the hip each side. Move the ribcage, not just the arms.

Common mistakes

  • Just waving the arms - torso never rotates.
  • Spinal rounding under load - choose lighter weight.

Where you should feel it

Burn down both sides of the waist.

Injury risk · 2/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains obliques. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Cable wood-chop

    Standing, cable diagonal.

    90% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Pallof press

    Anti-rotation hold.

    75% on target

    Slight shift

    Anti-rotation, deep core.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Supine Spinal Twist

    On the back. One knee crosses over the body to the opposite side, opposite arm extended out. Look the other way. 45s per side.

    ObliquesLower backGlutes

  • Cobra Pose

    Lying face-down, hands under the shoulders. Press the chest up by extending the back. Hips stay on the floor. 30s. Antidote to a long day of crunches and sitting.

    AbsFront deltsChest

  • Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

    Half-kneeling lunge. Squeeze the rear glute hard, tuck the pelvis. Optional: same-side arm overhead for a deeper hip-flexor + lat stretch. 60s per side.

    QuadsFront deltsAbs