How to Row for Obliques

Rowing exercises typically work your back muscles, but you can add a twist -- literally -- to turn a rowing activity into an oblique exercise. Strong core muscles, which include the obliques at the sides of your abdomen, help stabilize your body while you perform a variety of motions, including running, jumping and kicking. The obliques also help whenever you rotate your torso -- during golf and tennis swings, for example -- so oblique exercises are good additions to your workout program.

Things You'll Need

  • Exercise band or towel
  • Medium pulley machine
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Instructions

  1. Rotating One-Arm Cable Row

    • 1

      Stand in front of a medium pulley machine with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold the handle with your arm extended in front of your shoulder and about parallel with the floor. Flex your knees and lean your torso back slightly. Stand far enough from the machine to make the cable taut.

    • 2

      Exhale as you row the handle horizontally, moving it straight back. Rotate your torso in the direction you’re pulling. For example, when you’re rowing with your right hand, twist your upper body to the right.

    • 3

      Inhale as you return, under control, a bit beyond the starting position. If you’re rowing with your right arm, rotate your torso to the left as the handle moves back toward the machine, but keep your feet in place. Perform as many rows as possible in each set and try to perform three sets with each arm. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

    V-Sit with Oblique Row

    • 4

      Hold a short resistance band taut in your hands as you sit on the floor with your torso leaning back a bit, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold both ends of a small towel if you don’t have a resistance band.

    • 5

      Rotate your torso to the right and move your arms back and to the right side as if you were paddling a canoe. Extend your right arm as far back as possible, at shoulder height or slightly lower, but maintain a bit of elbow flex. Your left hand must move in sync with your right, which is why you’re holding the exercise band. Keep the band at about the same length, rather than pulling on one end and stretching it.

    • 6

      Turn your upper body to the left and move your arms in that direction, as if you were swinging a two-bladed oar for a stroke on the left side. Raise your right hand up, then let your left hand lead the way as it swings down, back and to the left to complete one repetition. Perform 10 to 15 reps

    • 7

      Lift your feet off the floor about 6 to 12 inches and continue rowing. Maintain the 90-degree bend in your knees and keep your legs aligned with your torso. Do eight to 10 repetitions.

    • 8

      Drop your knees in the opposite direction of your arms, so when you row to your right your knees drop together to the left. At the bottom of your leg motion your shins should be angled roughly 45 degrees to the floor. Perform as many reps as you like, because this is the exercise’s final phase, but try to do at least eight.