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Internal and external obliques .........................................................

Given name:Internal and external obliques

Street names: Obliques or the waist

Whereabouts:Your internal and external obliques run diagonally down the

sides of your rectus abdominis (refer to Figure 12-8).

Job description:Your obliques enable you to twist from the waist or do a

side bend.

The training payoff:Strong obliques are essential for preventing lower-back

pain. They work with your rectus abdominis and lower-back muscles to

support your spine.

Special tips:Doing side bends while holding a weight in each hand is not a

good idea unless you want to build a thicker waist. In addition, placing a pole

across your shoulders and twisting from side to side can wreak havoc on

your lower back, especially if you do this movement a zillion times.

Our favorite exercise:Crunch with a twist, plus side bends with an exer-

cise ball

Butt and Hips ...............................................................................................

If your rear end and hips are larger than you’d like them to be, don’t be afraid

to strengthen these muscles with weights. With the right workout program,

these muscles can look firmer and more shapely, not bigger and bulkier. Also,

strengthening your butt and hip muscles can help prevent hip and lower-back

injuries. If your job requires you to sit on your rear end all day, doing exercises

that target these muscles is a good idea.

Gluteus maximus ...............................................................................

Given name:Gluteus maximus

Street name:Glutes, buns, or butt

Whereabouts:The largest muscle in your body — as if you need anyone to

tell you that. Your two glutes (left and right cheeks) span the entire width of

your derriere (see Figure 12-9).

Chapter 12: Your Muscles: Love ’Em or Lose ’Em 185