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Exercises

Oblique exercises at home: side abs with bodyweight, one dumbbell or a doorway bar

Published October 19, 2026

The best oblique exercises at home are the Russian twist, the side plank, the dumbbell woodchop, the rotational push-up and the side plank hip dip. None needs a machine: the floor covers the basics, one dumbbell or kettlebell adds load, and a doorway pull-up bar opens up hanging oblique crunches. Do 2 or 3 of them for 2 to 3 sets each, ending 0 to 2 reps short of failure, two or three times a week.

  1. Russian Twist Abs
  2. Side Plank Abs
  3. Dumbbell Woodchop Abs
  4. Rotational Push-Up Chest
  5. Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip Abs
  6. Hanging Oblique Crunch Abs
  7. Kettlebell Windmill Abs, Shoulders

No equipment: floor and bodyweight

Three moves cover the obliques with only a mat. The side plank holds the waist against gravity, the Russian twist turns the torso, and the rotational push-up adds a twist to an upper-body exercise you may already do.

Obliques, bodyweight hold

Side Plank

Abs

The side plank is the simplest way to load one side of the waist at a time, and the hold teaches you to brace before any twisting work. Bend the bottom knee to shorten it if a full plank shakes after a few seconds.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side, forearm on the mat under your shoulder, feet stacked or staggered.
  2. Raise your hips until your ankles, hips and head line up.
  3. Hold the position while breathing through your nose.
  4. Lower down, turn over, and hold on the opposite forearm.

Cues

  • Straight line, head to heel
  • Push the floor away
  • Slow breaths

Common mistakes

  • Piking the hips back behind you: push them forward over your knees.
  • Holding your breath for the whole set: shorter holds with steady breathing are better.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Build a session with Side Plank

Obliques, seated rotation

Russian Twist

Abs

Sitting leaned back and turning side to side keeps tension on the obliques with nothing but the floor. Lift your heels to make it harder, or hold a dumbbell across your chest once bodyweight reps stop challenging you.

How to do it

  1. Sit on a mat, knees bent, and lean back until you feel your stomach working to hold you.
  2. Clasp your hands, or a dumbbell, close to your sternum.
  3. Rotate your shoulders toward one hip, then the other, keeping your knees still.
  4. Count each side as one rep and keep the same lean throughout.

Cues

  • Knees stay still
  • Shoulders rotate
  • Hold the lean

Common mistakes

  • Moving fast with a short turn: slower, fuller turns work the obliques more.
  • Slumping as you tire: sit up a little rather than letting your back round.

Swap for: Dumbbell Woodchop, Side Plank

Build a session with Russian Twist

Chest and obliques, push-up with a turn

Rotational Push-Up

Chest

Turning into a side plank at the top of each push-up adds oblique work to a chest and arm exercise, which saves time in a short home session.

How to do it

  1. Start in a push-up position, hands a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Do one push-up, keeping your body straight.
  3. At the top, rotate onto one hand and raise the other arm toward the ceiling, turning your feet onto their sides.
  4. Turn back to both hands, do another push-up, and rotate the other way.

Cues

  • Full push-up first
  • Turn the whole body together
  • Top arm reaches high

Common mistakes

  • Twisting only the shoulders while the hips stay down: rotate everything as one piece.
  • Cutting the push-up short to get to the turn: each rep is a full push-up.

Swap for: Side Plank, Push-Up

Build a session with Rotational Push-Up

One dumbbell

A single dumbbell, or a heavy household object with a handle, is enough to load every way the obliques work: chopping, bending sideways, holding a side plank with weight, and carrying on one side.

Obliques, dumbbell chop

Dumbbell Woodchop

Abs

Moving one dumbbell on a diagonal from high to low trains the obliques the way a cable chop does, without the cable. Kneeling on one knee keeps the hips still so the torso does the turning.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on one knee and hold one dumbbell by its ends with both hands.
  2. Raise it above the shoulder on the side of your front knee.
  3. Chop it down diagonally across your body to the outside of the opposite hip, turning your chest with it.
  4. Return along the same line under control. Finish the set, then switch knees.

Cues

  • Chest follows the dumbbell
  • Hips stay still
  • Control the way back up

Common mistakes

  • Bending your arms to pull the dumbbell down: keep them nearly straight.
  • Using a dumbbell so heavy you lean to start each rep: go lighter and turn further.

Swap for: Cable Woodchop, Med Ball Woodchop, Russian Twist

Build a session with Dumbbell Woodchop

Obliques, side flexion

Dumbbell Side Bend

Abs

Bending sideways against a dumbbell works the obliques through their full range, the side-to-side movement planks and twists do not train. It is easy to load and needs a single dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding one dumbbell at your side and your other hand resting on your waist.
  2. Lean toward the dumbbell, letting it slide down the side of your leg.
  3. Pull yourself back up past upright using the opposite side of your waist.
  4. Finish the reps on that side, then change hands.

Cues

  • Bend sideways, not forward
  • Pull up with the opposite side
  • Hips stay level

Common mistakes

  • Leaning forward as you bend: imagine your back against a wall.
  • Holding dumbbells in both hands: they cancel each other out.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Build a session with Dumbbell Side Bend

Obliques, weighted side hold

Dumbbell Side Plank

Abs

Resting a dumbbell on your top hip turns the side plank into a heavier hold, so you can keep sets short and progress by load instead of holding for minutes.

How to do it

  1. Get into a forearm side plank and have someone hand you a dumbbell, or set it on your top hip before you lift.
  2. Hold it there with your top hand as you raise your hips into a straight line.
  3. Hold for the target time without letting your hips drop.
  4. Lower, remove the dumbbell, and switch sides.

Cues

  • Weight stays on the hip
  • Hips lifted
  • Even breathing

Common mistakes

  • Using a dumbbell so heavy the hips sag right away: the line matters more than the load.
  • Letting the dumbbell roll off toward your stomach: hold it in place with your top hand.

Swap for: Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Build a session with Dumbbell Side Plank

Obliques, side plank reps

Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Abs

Dipping the hip down and raising it again gives the side plank a range of motion, so the obliques shorten and lengthen through every rep instead of only holding.

How to do it

  1. Start in a forearm side plank with a dumbbell resting on your top hip, or with no weight.
  2. Lower your bottom hip until it almost brushes the mat.
  3. Lift it back up, slightly higher than a straight line.
  4. Complete the reps on one side, then switch.

Cues

  • Hip almost to the mat
  • Lift above the line
  • Smooth tempo

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the reps: take about a second each way.
  • Letting the top shoulder roll forward: keep your chest facing sideways.

Swap for: Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Bend

Build a session with Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Obliques, one-sided carry

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

Walking around your home or yard with one heavy dumbbell makes the obliques on the free side hold you upright. It is the easiest way to load the waist heavily with home equipment.

How to do it

  1. Hold one heavy dumbbell at your side with your arm straight.
  2. Stand tall, shoulders level, and walk at a normal pace.
  3. Keep walking for the set time, turning around as needed.
  4. Put it down, swap hands, and repeat.

Cues

  • Level shoulders
  • Tall spine
  • Calm steps

Common mistakes

  • Leaning to one side: choose a weight you can carry straight.
  • Gripping so hard your shoulder shrugs: keep the shoulder down.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Bend, Kettlebell Suitcase Squat

Build a session with Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

A kettlebell or a doorway pull-up bar

These two pieces of home gear add the hardest options here. The windmill loads the side of the waist through a long reach with a bell overhead; the hanging oblique crunch uses your legs as the weight.

Obliques and hips, overhead reach

Kettlebell Windmill

Abs, Shoulders

With a bell locked out overhead, you hinge and reach down toward your front foot, which loads the obliques on a long, controlled range while your shoulder stabilizes the weight.

How to do it

  1. Hold a kettlebell overhead in one hand, feet turned about 45 degrees away from that arm.
  2. Shift your hip toward the bell side and reach your free hand down along your leg.
  3. Watch the bell and keep the top arm straight as you lower as far as you can control.
  4. Drive your hips back under you to stand. Switch sides after the set.

Cues

  • Watch the bell
  • Hip pushes out
  • Top arm locked

Common mistakes

  • Rounding forward to reach the floor: the reach is sideways and down, and partial range is fine.
  • Bending the top elbow: start with a lighter bell, or none.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Bend, Side Plank

Build a session with Kettlebell Windmill

Obliques, hanging from a bar

Hanging Oblique Crunch

Abs

If a doorway bar is up at home, hanging and raising your knees to one side is the hardest oblique exercise you can do at home. It also builds grip.

How to do it

  1. Take an overhand grip on the bar and hang with your legs together.
  2. Draw your knees up toward one armpit, curling your hips as you go.
  3. Lower them slowly until your legs are straight under you.
  4. Alternate sides, keeping your body from swinging.

Cues

  • Hips curl up
  • Knees toward the armpit
  • Dead stop at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Kicking the legs up with momentum: stop each rep at a still hang.
  • Hanging on a door bar that shifts: test it with your full weight before the set.

Swap for: Hanging Knee Raise, Russian Twist

Build a session with Hanging Oblique Crunch

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

No equipment, living-room floor

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You have a mat and nothing else, and want to train your obliques two or three times a week.

With no load to add, the plan pairs a hold, a twist and the rotational push-up so the obliques work three ways while your chest gets work too. Every set ends at 0 to 1 RIR because reps and time are the only progression. Seven sets, about 12 minutes.

Side Abs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rotational Push-UpAlternate the turn. 2 × 6–15 1 1 min
Russian TwistPer side. 3 × 12–20 0 45 s
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–45 1 45 s
How to run it
Do it three times a week on non-consecutive days, after a home workout or on its own.
How to progress
Add 5 seconds to each side plank a week. When Russian twists reach 20 per side, lift your heels off the floor.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

One dumbbell at home

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets13 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You own a single dumbbell or an adjustable one and want to load your obliques properly.

One dumbbell covers all four oblique jobs: the woodchop for rotation, the side bend for bending sideways, the weighted side plank for holding, and the carry for staying upright under load. Two routines split them so each session stays short. Chops and side bends stop at 1 RIR; holds and carries end at 1 as well, judged by how much longer you could have gone. Six to seven sets per session.

Side A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell WoodchopPer side. Kneeling. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–40 1 45 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySeconds per side. 2 × 30–60 1 1 min

Open Side A in the session builder

Side B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Side BendPer side. No leaning forward. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Side Plank Hip DipPer side. 3 × 10–15 1 45 s

Open Side B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate Side A and Side B, twice a week each or once each if you train full-body three times.
How to progress
Add reps to chops and bends up to 15 per side, then go heavier. Add 10 seconds to carries before increasing the weight.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Doorway pull-up bar and a kettlebell

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Kettlebells, Dumbbells

You have a home setup with a pull-up bar and a kettlebell, already train regularly, and side planks have become easy.

Your bodyweight on the bar and a bell overhead make the hardest home options possible. Hanging oblique crunches go first while your grip is fresh, then windmills at 2 RIR because the reach needs control, and hip dips to finish at 0. Eight sets, twice a week.

Advanced Side Abs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hanging Oblique CrunchAlternate sides. No swing. 3 × 6–12 1 75 s
Kettlebell WindmillPer side. 3 × 5–8 2 75 s
Dumbbell Side Plank Hip DipPer side. Dumbbell on the hip. 2 × 12–20 0 45 s
How to run it
Run it on two non-consecutive days, after an upper-body or full-body workout.
How to progress
Add hanging crunch reps up to 12 per side, then pause one second at the top. Move to a heavier bell when 8 controlled windmills per side are easy.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do you work your oblique muscles?

Three ways: by twisting (Russian twists, woodchops), by bending sideways (side bends), and by resisting a sideways pull (side planks, suitcase carries). A complete home routine uses at least two of those.

What is the best oblique exercise at home?

The side plank if you have no equipment, and the dumbbell woodchop if you have one dumbbell. Both are easy to learn and progress.

Can I get a six pack in 2 weeks?

Not from a standing start. Abs and obliques show when body fat is low, and losing enough fat takes months for most people. Two weeks of oblique work makes you stronger, which is a good start.

What are some good exercises for the stomach area at home?

For the sides, the side plank, Russian twist and dumbbell woodchop. For the front, crunches, reverse crunches and dead bugs. Pair one oblique move with one front-ab move per session.

Is 20 minutes of abs a day enough?

It is more than you need. Six to ten hard sets for the obliques two or three times a week is plenty, and each plan on this page takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Use the rest of the time for full-body strength work.

Can you train obliques every day?

You can do light holds daily, but the obliques grow from hard sets with rest between. Two or three sessions a week, taken close to failure, works better than daily easy work.