10 Of The Top Dumbbell Oblique Exercises - Weight Loss Made Practical (2024)

Dumbbell workouts can offer you impressive benefits for many muscles but what are some oblique exercises you can do with dumbbells?

Dumbbells are handles with weights attached to them, they are one of the most popular types of gym equipment, and for a good reason. Dumbells can play a role in many exercises for a wide variety of muscles. You can even train your obliques with dumbbells.

There are more dumbbell exclusive oblique exercises like woodchops, standing twists, and dumbbell T-pushups that do engage your obliques to some extent. However, more traditional oblique exercises with the extra resistance from dumbbells are generally more effective for building stronger obliques in the shortest amount of time.

The best dumbbell weight for oblique exercises varies from exercise to exercise and individual to individual. If you are not sure which weight would be right for you, you can start with light or no dumbbells and slowly build up from there.

Keep in mind that even though there are upsides, your injury risk is generally also higher when you do exercises with more weight/resistance. You may want to talk to your primary care provider before starting a new workout routine.

1. Dumbbell side bends

To do a side bend take the following steps:

1. Start standing up with your feet shoulder-width apart, an upright posture, one arm hanging by your side with a dumbbell in your hand, and the hand of the other hand behind your head. Let gravity do its work on the hanging arm so it points downward.
2. Slowly tilt your body sideways so that the dumbbell moves down as far as you comfortably can.
3. Return your body to starting position and do the same number of repetitions with a dumbbell in the other hand.

The side bend may not look very impressive but it can be a helpful exercise to work out your obliques. You can also do the overhead side bend which is the same exercise but with your arms upward. This makes the exercise moderately more challenging.

2. Dumbbell Russian twists

The Russian twist is an exercise that involves twisting. Because of this Russian twists are great for engaging core muscles like your obliques. To do two Russian twist repetitions take the following steps:

1. You start sitting down on the ground with your legs bent at the knees and your feet hovering above the ground. Make sure your back is straight and at about a 45-degree angle with the ground. Your hands which are holding one or two dumbbells start together at your chest.
2. Slightly twist your upper body to one side and then the other.
3. Return to starting position.

Make sure you don’t twist too far and keep your back straight to avoid any injuries. Even with the right technique Russian twists are not for everyone. If you have any back, neck, or shoulder issues you likely want to pass on this exercise.

The theme of this list is dumbbells but if you prefer you can also hold other types of weights like a kettlebell, medicine ball, a weight plate, etc. during the Russian twist to make this a weighted oblique exercise.

3. Dumbbell side plank dips

To do a side plank dip take the following steps:

1. Sit sideways on the ground leaning on one of your lower arms with the upper arm of that arm vertical to support your upper body.
2. Walk away from your upper body with your feet until you can put your body in a straight side plank. Hold a dumbbell on your hip with your free arm during the exercise.
3. Move your hips as far down as comfortable.
4. Move your hips as far up as comfortable.
5. Return your body into the position of step 2 in a controlled motion.
6. Repeat the same number of repetitions while leaning on your other arm.

If the ground stops you from bending down further you can consider doing side plank dips with your arm on an elevated object like for example a weight bench.

4. Dumbbell windshield wipers

The windshield wiper is another creative way to implement a dumbbell in your oblique workout routine. This exercise is also a suitable way to train your obliques at home. To do one windshield wiper repetition take the following steps:

1. Lie down on your back with your legs right next to each other. Both your hips and knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Your arms start resting on the ground at 90 degrees out from your shoulders for stability. Clamp one dumbbell between your ankles.
2. Slowly lower your feet and legs to one side until just above the ground while keeping your hips and knees at a 90-degree angle.
3. Slowly return your legs back to starting position and repeat for the other side.

In a different version of the windshield wiper, you put your legs straight up. By keeping your knees at a 90-degree angle if you drop the dumbbell it falls on the ground instead of on your body.

Due to the twisting movement, windshield wipers work a wide variety of core muscles including your obliques.

5. Sideways knee raises

For the next exercise, you will also need equipment like a pull-up bar or a gym machine called the captain’s chair. You basically need to get in a position where your legs hang freely.

You preferably want to use the captain’s chair since your grip strength may fatigue faster than your obliques and abs if you use a pull-up bar. To do a sideways knee raise on a captain’s chair take the following steps:

1. Grip the captain’s chair handles and rest your forearms on the padding. Your back should be against the back padding and your legs hanging, not resisting gravity yet. Hold one dumbbell in a vertical position between your feet.
2. Raise your knees held together upwards. Slightly tilt your hips to the left or the right so that the knee of that side is in a higher position than the other knee. Let gravity do its work on your lower legs throughout the exercise.
3. Raise your knees to at least hip height. Once you are at the highest you can hold for a second or less.
4. Lower your knees until your legs are back into starting position.
5. Repeat but with the other knee in the higher position.

One downside of using a dumbbell is that it is relatively easy to drop. Especially at those last few repetitions in a heavy set. To avoid this you can also use ankle weights to make sideways knee raises a weighted exercise.

6. Lying dumbbell opposite toe reaches

To do a lying opposite toe reach take the following steps.

1. Start lying down on your back with your legs stretched and right next to each other on the ground. Your arms start resting on the ground at your sides for balance. Hold one dumbbell in each of your hands throughout the exercise.
2. Keep your legs more or less stretched while you move up your feet slowly until your legs make a right angle with the ground.
3. Stretch out your arms towards your feet and use your core muscles to reach with one hand to your foot on the opposite side as far as comfortable.
4. Lower your body again in a controlled motion.
5. Reach with your other hand to the opposite foot.
6. Lower your body again in a controlled motion.

The lying opposite toe reach is a simple yet powerful exercise to engage your oblique muscles, especially with the extra weight from dumbbells.

7. Kneeling Russian twists

Besides your obliques, this next exercise also engages other core muscles like your abs. To do a kneeling Russian twist take the following steps:

1. Sit on your knees with your hands holding one or two dumbbells in front of your chest. Tilt your upper body backward until comfortable and at an angle where you can still do the rest of the exercise.
2. Slightly twist your upper body to one side and then the other.
3. Return to starting position.

Similar to the regular Russian twist, you don’t want to twist too far. If you have a history of back, neck, or shoulder issues you likely want to skip this exercise.

It is somewhat easier to keep a good posture during the kneeling Russian twist compared to the regular version.

8. Tabletop crunch side reaches

To do two tabletop crunch side reaches take the following steps:

1. Lie on your back with your knees and hips in 90-degree angles. Stretch your arms upward with a dumbbell or two in your hands.
2. Raise your head and shoulders from the ground as much as possible while keeping your lower back on the floor. Reach to the left of your legs with your arms. Make sure you don’t use your arms but your core muscles to do this movement.
3. Lower your head and shoulders until you are back in the starting position.
4. Repeat the same movement but this time reach to the right of your legs.
5. Return to starting position in a controlled motion.

It can be tempting to swing your arms to do the movement of this exercise. Avoid this if you want to train your oblique muscles. Going through the movement of the tabletop crunch side reach more slowly can help with this.

9. Dumbbell side plank twists

To do a side plank twist take the following steps:

1. Sit sideways on the ground leaning on one of your lower arms with the upper arm of that arm vertical to support your upper body.
2. Walk away from your upper body with your feet until you can put your body in a straight side plank. Keep your non-support arm with a dumbbell in that hand in the same position as the support arm but in the air.
3. Twist your upper body as far as comfortable while keeping your arm in the air in the same position. Ideally, you want your hand with the dumbbell under your body.
4. Return to the position in step 2 and repeat the same number of repetitions on the other side.

Side plank twists are a challenging exercise that requires some balance and flexibility. In turn, this can lead to a great workout for your oblique muscles.

10. Sideways dumbbell reverse crunches

To do a reverse crunch take the following steps:

1. You start lying down on your back with your knees at a 90-degree angle and your feet slightly above the ground. Your arms start resting on the ground at 90 degrees out from your shoulders for stability. Clamp a dumbbell between your ankles.
2. While keeping your knees at the same angle move one of your knees to the opposite side of your chest.
3. Return your legs to starting position in a controlled motion.
4. Repeat the same movement with the other knee.

Make sure you clamp the dumbbell tight since if it falls during the exercise it can fall on your body. This makes the sideways reverse crunch not the ideal dumbbell oblique exercise but it is still doable.