Fitness Q&A: Will Working my Obliques Widen my Waistline??

Q: I heard that working my obliques will widen my waistline, is this true?
A: Not necessarily. Your mid-section is made up of several groups of muscles; your rectis abdominus, which runs down the center (the 6-pack), the internal and external obliques, which run down the sides of the waist, and the transverse abdominus, which are the deepest muscles, encircling the waist around to the spine. When you exercise these muscles, as with any muscle, the muscle fibers shorten and thus can get thicker. Because the obliques run down the sides of your waist, if these muscle fibers shorten and thicken too much, it could widen the waistline to a degree. However, there are 2 key things that you can do to ensure that this doesn't happen. #1- stretch. Stretching your muscles, especially those surrounding your waist can help eliminate any thickness that an increase in muscle mass might contribute. #2- working your transverse abdominus. The transverse abdominus are the deepest abdominal muscles and they run in a circle around your waist. Working these muscles will help to tighten and pull in the muscles, like a corset, creating a narrower waistline. Any abdominal exercise that involves a twisting movement from the core will help to tap into these muscles.