💪 15 Best Oblique Exercises for a Ripped Core

The heat’s still raging — but so is The Ripped Report. Read on for the best workout tips, exercise guides, and bodybuilding news to take you through the final dog days of summer.

Here's what’s on deck today:

• The 15 best oblique exercises to build a shredded core.

• Seven-time Mr. O Phil Heath candidly discussed his experience with performance-enhancing drugs during the pinnacle of his career.

• Discover how to create a DIY cold plunge to accelerate post-workout recovery.

EXERCISES

Core Crushers

Yes, having a sound strategy for working your core is a surefire way to look great at the pool, but it can also help with a bevy of other muscle-growing lifts like the squat and bench press.

The catch? Many folks solely focus on training the rectus abdominis muscles or stick to exercises in the sagittal plane. To truly fortify your core, it's crucial to incorporate ab exercises that involve lateral movement and target the transverse plane. (Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be an anatomy lecture.)

This is where oblique exercises come in. These specialized movements make your core more resilient by honing in on the sides of your torso. Planks and crunches are old favorites, but to engage those oblique muscles effectively, you need to spice up your workout routine. Curious about which movements will do the trick? Click the link below for a comprehensive list of 15 exercises to try, along with tips on incorporating them into your regimen.

BODYBUILDING

“The Gift” Opens Up

Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath is a true bodybuilding icon. His unmatched symmetry, size, and conditioning have put him in the conversation as one of the greatest of all time. He’s also among the most open and honest competitors in the sport today, and he recently touched on a divisive top by sharing his experiences with performance-enhancing drugs during a podcast interview with Chris Williamson.

With complete transparency, Heath reveals some details on his PED journey, including which drugs he took early in his career, which ones he never touched, and the importance of taking a break in the off-season. 

Throughout the interview, he discloses each drug's pros and cons and what type of dosage plan worked best for him. It’s a side of the sport that rarely gets talked about so openly, and you can watch the entire interview below.

RECOVERY

Take the (DIY) Plunge

Cold-water therapy offers plenty of potential benefits, from improved workout recovery to sharpened mental focus. While you could invest in a cold plunge tub to test these benefits for yourself, the price tag may shock the system more than the frigid water itself.

Thankfully, there’s an affordable yet effective way to build your own tub right at home. With just a few items — a frozen chest, flex seal, and a reliable water source — you can construct your own personalized cold plunge for pennies on the dollar.

THE DROPSET

Master Class

• The Masters Olympia returned over the weekend, showcasing some of the best talent in the world of bodybuilding. Hidetada Yamagishi came out of retirement to win in the 212 division, while Kamal Elgargni took home the Men’s Open crown. Check out the full results here.

• Do you want to start working out from home? If so, having a reliable weight bench is crucial. Here are the nine best weight benches suitable for beginners and those with limited home space.

• The deadlifts are one of the best movements you can do for your posterior chain. But performing them on an elevated surface can elicit even more gains. Learn how to do deficit deadlifts for a greater range of motion to maximize your glutes, back, and hamstring strength.

SOUND OFF!

Core Cadence

THE RESULTS ARE IN

All Jacked Up

In the August 22, 2023, edition of The Ripped Report, we asked you to predict where Andrew Jacked will place at this year’s Mr. Olympia. Here’s how you voted:

1. Top three (35.04%)

2. Top five (25.64%)

3. Wins the whole thing (18.80%)

4. Top 10 (16.24%)

5. Top 15 (4.28%)