Oblique Teapots – Ab Attack Series

Here we are going to talk about Oblique Teapots.

Oblique Teapots

This exercise targets your obliques.  You will need a medium-sized rubber ball (the ball in the photo is a medicine ball).

1. Sit on the floor on a mat.  Put both legs to one side of your body and bend the bottom leg at an angle.  Your top leg can either be bent at the same angle as your top leg, or it can stretch straight out to your side.

The ball should be on the floor next to you, opposite your legs.  Rest your hand lightly on the ball and straighten your opposite arm out parallel to your legs, sitting as straight as possible.  Your body should be in a straight line from the legs to the opposite arm.

1. Engage your oblique muscles (the ones on the leg side) and slowly roll out to the side as the ball rolls up your arm (never going past your elbow), keeping your obliques engaged.  (see photo 3)

   

2. Roll back up to the sitting position by engaging your obliques to pull yourself up.  keep the opposite arm straight and the legs still. (see photo 4)

   

Oblique Teapots

This is a slow, controlled motion.  Do 10 (or more) reps on one side, then switch.

Progression (Charles’ photos) 

1.      For more of a challenge, extend your top leg straight out and lift it off the floor keeping it parallel through the entire exercise.  (see Charles Progression photo #2)

2.     Roll back up to the sitting position by engaging your obliques to pull yourself up.  keep the opposite arm straight and the legs still. (see Charles Progrssion photo #3)

3.     Roll back up to the sitting position by engaging your obliques to pull yourself up.  keep the opposite arm straight and the legs still. (see Charles Progression photo #4)

4.     This is a slow, controlled motion.  Do 10 (or more) reps on one side, then switch.

Have Fun and go bust out some Oblique Teapots.