Monday, March 5, 2012

How To Do Barbell Side Bends

by

healthy_blogging

Obliques are among the most important yet neglected muscles in the upper body. Today I'm going to show you an exercise that targets these muscles.

How To Do Barbell Side Bends

For this exercise, you'll need a fixed weight barbell. You're going to start off with a warm up so grab a light weight barbell. Take the barbell in your right hand. Make sure that you're standing up straight. Place your left hand behind your head. Now, bend to the right side lowering the barbell toward the floor. Next, use your oblique muscles to pull yourself upward until you've returned to your starting position. That's one rep. Do this nine more times then switch hands and repeat ten times.

After the warm up set, grab a heavier fixed weight barbell. Do three sets of ten barbell side bends with your right hand. After completing thirty reps with your right hand, do thirty with the left hand.

Fixed weight barbell side bends are beneficial because they:

  • strengthen the obliques
  • develop your core
  • prevent lower back problems
     
This exercise is more challenging than the basic side bends the former employs weights which create resistance. Resistance accelerates muscle growth because it forces them to work harder. You can perform this exercise alongside the hanging obliques exercise thus giving your abdominal muscles a power workout.
Now you have the knowledge, put it to good use.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Barbell Side Bends" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.