Primary muscles: Obliques
Secondary muscles: Abs
Equipment: Dumbbell
Exercise for the opposite muscles: Bird dogs
DUMBBELL SIDE BEND INSTRUCTIONS
1. Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell on your right hand with your palm facing your hip and place your left hand behind your head.
2. Bend to your right side, as far as it feels comfortable, and pause.
3. Repeat for the duration of the set, and then switch sides.
PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN
Keep your head and neck in a neutral position, engage your core and inhale as you bend to the side. Face front and don’t lean forward nor back, bend slowly and smoothly to the side and go only as far as it feels comfortable. Pause for a second and then breathe out as you return to the starting position.
EXERCISE BENEFITS
By adding dumbbell side bends to your workout routine you’re targeting the external and internal obliques. Strengthening these muscles can help tighten the entire side ab wall and can also help cinch your waist and create a curvy body.
DEMONSTRATION
SETS AND REPS
Start with 2 or 3 sets of 30 seconds on each side and pair side bends with plank jacks and the wood chop exercise to cinch your waist in no time!
CALORIES BURNED
To calculate the number of calories burned doing the dumbbell side bend, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:
RELATED CORE EXERCISES
Try these other core exercises to tighten, sculpt and strengthen your abs, obliques, lats and lower back:
Toe touch
Wood chop
Scissor kicks
Plank hip dips
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