Here’s a rehash of a blog post I did almost two years ago to the date. It describes the workout I had done earlier that day for abs.

I did a 3-exercise circuit for the oblique muscles (love handles) each exercise was performed back to back in a circuit fashion with no rest between the exercises.

The first exercise was a Swiss ball oblique crunch using the cable machine for resistance. The best handle to use for this exercise is a single rope attachment, if you don’t have access to this kind of equipment a dumbbell can be used instead. Or if you are a beginner using just your body weight will be sufficient enough. I prefer to do this exercise one side at a time rather than alternating sides as I work through the set. I aim for 8 to 12 on each side.

The second exercise I did was a side flexion on the Swiss ball holding a weight plate at chest level for resistance. If you are working the right oblique on this exercise the right side of the body needs to be doing the bending. The other side of the body needs to stay in position throughout the set, in this case the left hip needs to be on the ball at a 90-degree angle and the left knee should also be at 90 degrees. On the side doing the bending the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and ear needs to remain in line throughout the bending/side flexion for good alignment and posture. It is wise to use a mirror to keep checking your technique as you progress through the set. Initially, using just your own bodyweight will be enough to get a good response if you are not used to this exercise.

The third exercise I did on the circuit was a Russian twist lying on my back with straight legs. You need good flexibility in your lower back for this exercise. You can also do it with your legs bent at 90 degrees. To target the right hand side the starting position for the legs need to be to the left hand side of the body on the floor. Bring the legs up to the midline of the body and then back to the floor before repeating. Resistance can be used for this exercise by placing a small medicine ball between your knees or feet.

The rep range I used for all the 3 exercises were between 10 and 12. I completed 3 rounds. If you try a circuit similar to this your sides will be toned in no time.

Remember when training oblique muscles to always do both sides.