Lower Ab and Oblique Exercises From a Personal Trainer's Perspective

Most people do not have a core training problem. They have a technique and intention problem. In this video, Billy Jo Collette, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES and John Blaser, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES, NASM-FNS, CBS at Function Thru Fitness in Green Bay, WI demonstrate two of their favorite exercises for the lower abs and obliques — and explain the corrective reasoning behind each one.

These are not generic ab exercises. They are movements chosen and coached with a specific purpose, which is exactly what separates personal training built around corrective exercise from standard gym programming.

The Problem With Most Ab Training

When people say they cannot feel their lower abs working, the problem is almost never a lack of effort. It is usually a position issue. The hip flexors are stronger and more dominant than the lower abdominals, and they take over the moment technique breaks down. The result is a movement that looks like an ab exercise but does not actually train the abs in any meaningful way.

Understanding what is corrective exercise helps clarify why position and cuing matter so much. Corrective exercise is the practice of identifying compensations in how the body moves and using specific movements to address them. Applied to core training, it means selecting exercises and positions that isolate the target muscles rather than defaulting to whatever pattern is easiest.

Lower Ab Exercise: Weighted Reach and Extend

Billy Jo demonstrates this movement using a 25-pound weight plate. The setup is straightforward: lie on a bench with arms holding the plate over the shoulders and knees bent with hips at ninety degrees.

The movement begins by reaching the arms overhead as the legs extend out simultaneously. The weight is then brought back, placed on the shins, and the legs extend again in that loaded position.

The single most important cue in this exercise is keeping the lower back pressed to the bench throughout. Only extend the legs as far as you can while maintaining that contact. The moment the lower back lifts, the hip flexors take over and the lower abs disengage.

That lower back position is what makes this corrective exercise effective. It is the difference between training the lower abs and simply moving through a range of motion.

Why This Targets the Lower Abs

The lower abdominals — the fibers of the rectus abdominis below the navel — are often underleveraged in standard ab training. Crunches and sit-up variations tend to shorten the upper abdominal region. Leg raise patterns can load the lower abs effectively, but only when the pelvis stays stable and the lower back does not arch.

The weighted reach-and-extend forces the upper body and lower body to work simultaneously while the core braces against the load. The added weight of the plate on the shins during the second variation increases the challenge on the lower fibers specifically. Done with controlled technique and full attention to the lower back position, this exercise delivers the deep lower ab engagement most people have been missing.

Side Plank for the Obliques: A Corrective Approach

John demonstrates a side plank sequence with a specific corrective purpose — targeting the left-side obliques. This is not random. Most people carry slightly more weight on the right side of the body due to organ asymmetry. The liver, stomach, and other organs create an asymmetry that shifts load to the right, which over time can create compensations in lateral core strength and stability.

By targeting the left oblique specifically, this side plank works to offset that imbalance — lengthening the right side while building tension and strength on the left.

The setup requires feet roughly in line with the hips. The sequence John walks through begins with pushing up through the bottom shoulder first, followed by a full exhale to empty the lungs and bring the ribs down, then getting the hips high to create real tension in the left lateral wall.

From that position, the right arm has three options depending on the training goal: reaching out to the side for a lat stretch, extending straight up to expand the right rib cage, or reaching all the way overhead to decompress the lower back. Each variation maintains the theme — sustained tension on the left oblique throughout.

The prescription is two sets of five to eight breath cycles on the left side only. This is not a high-rep movement. It is a controlled, breath-driven corrective exercise that prioritizes quality of tension over quantity of reps.

What This Looks Like in Personal Training

These two exercises represent the approach that personal trainers in green bay wi at Function Thru Fitness bring to every session. Movement selection is not arbitrary. Every exercise is chosen based on an understanding of how the body is organized, where compensations tend to develop, and what positions actually load the intended muscles versus which ones allow substitution.

This is the benefit of working with a corrective exercise specialist near me rather than a general fitness trainer. The cues are more specific, the rationale is clearer, and the results are more consistent because the training is addressing how your body actually moves.

For anyone who has done ab work for years without feeling their lower abs or obliques engage properly, these two movements are worth adding to your rotation — with attention to the technique details that make them work.

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FAQ’s

What is corrective exercise and how does it apply to ab training? Corrective exercise identifies compensations in how the body moves and uses specific positions and movements to address them. Applied to ab training, it means choosing exercises and cues that isolate the target muscles — like the lower abs or obliques — rather than allowing stronger muscle groups like the hip flexors to take over.

Why do most people not feel their lower abs working? The lower back position is usually the issue. When the lower back arches away from the bench during leg extension movements, the hip flexors dominate and the lower abs disengage. Keeping the lower back pressed down throughout the movement is the correction that allows the lower abs to actually do the work.

What is the corrective reason for targeting the left oblique in a side plank? Most people carry slightly more weight on the right side of the body due to organ asymmetry. Over time, this can create lateral imbalances in core strength. Targeting the left oblique specifically helps offset that imbalance — building strength on the left while lengthening the right side simultaneously.

How many sets and reps should I do for the corrective side plank? Two sets of five to eight breath cycles on the left side only. This is a breath-driven corrective exercise, not a high-rep movement. The goal is sustained tension and controlled breathing throughout each cycle, not volume.

What makes personal trainers at Function Thru Fitness different from general fitness trainers? The team at Function Thru Fitness holds advanced certifications in corrective exercise, biomechanics, and neuromuscular therapy. Every program begins with an assessment of how the body moves, and every exercise is selected with a specific corrective or functional purpose. That intentionality is what separates this approach from generic workout programming.

Looking for a better way to stay strong, mobile, and pain-free as you age?

At Function Thru Fitness, we go beyond big-box gyms. As one of the established fitness centers green bay wi, our focus is on restoring how the body moves, reducing pain, and building long-term strength through a proven function fitness approach.

We help people move better at every stage of life through personalized training, corrective exercise, golf fitness, neuromuscular therapy, and athlete recovery.

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