Working out your abs with the help of standing exercises is always exciting. A list of standing ab exercises such as dumbbell side bends always trigger my curiosity. This week, I’ve chosen to dedicate my energy solely to this specific exercise. The visitors of the site told that it works. It’s easy to do and doesn’t need a gym. It’s also said that only the oblique muscles are worked. I was intrigued. So, I decided to do it every day for a week and observe how my body was reacting. Spoiler: I didn’t even get to day four.
The standing ab exercise looked like a good idea not to get into a rut, changing ground exercises to those you do standing. This kind of exercise is often presented as a good alternative for people who experience discomfort in their back while lying down. Within the first two days, I was totally out of breath, and my body reminded me that I had nothing to prove to the world when it came to workout sessions—even more if it was going to be such a hard time.
What Is a Standing Dumbbell Side Bend?
The exercise goes like this: you take a standing position with your feet a bit wider than your shoulder-width, hold a dumbbell with one hand, and tilt your body to the side at the waist level, while the dumbbell slides down your outer leg. Now, with the opposite oblique, you pull back your body upright. Do the same for the repetitions and then change the side.
It appears so simple. However, it truly can lead to some disadvantages due to the fact that you don’t know how to do it or how to practice it properly. Also, it is not recommended to do this daily unless you are very careful or you use it habitually.
Back Pain Came on Fast on Day 1
My intentions here were to practice 50 reps on each side a day that would ensure the most visible results. After the first day, I started to feel uncomfortable at the bottom of my back, and the pain started to grow. It seems that his condition is the result of practiced sciatica, which made the pain well recognizable to me. I paused anyway, because the discomfort I felt was not the ordinary one I always get after training, it was more like a sign of something bad to come.
Within 48 hours, I cut down the sets by half. Nonetheless, there was no improvement. I experienced pain in my back as if my spine was being pushed inward and this made me think again about the necessity of this exercise.
Well, it Seems That I Am Not the Only One
After some quick research here and there, I found out that I was not the only one who was fed up with the heavy weights that were used for the side bend exercise. There is a group of fitness professionals that strictly advise not to use heavy weights for side bends. Why? They can pull you into an excessive range of motion, putting strain on the lumbar spine and even risking nerve compression.
One more thing: If your form is not good or in case you are not engaging your core as needed, the dumbbell will not be just wrong but also quite harmful for your body. Especially if you do not take a break and try to do many repetitions, which is exactly what I was doing, then the situation gets worse.
The Exercise Did Nothing for My Obliques
The whole idea is that despite all the effort, I barely felt the move. Yes, I could tell my hips were included, and I was sure about my grip and shoulders working, but still, my obliques? Not much. If I compare it to the side planks or bird dogs, for instance, which directly work out my abdomen, these were, on the contrary, somewhat… not effective.
The fact of the matter is that even if I concentrated on my abs and reduced the weight, the consequences were not so good. My back felt pain, and there were no signs of life in my midsection.
What Are the Better Options That Actually Gave Results?
On the third day, I excluded the side bends from my routine and chose some other exercises instead. First and foremost, I practiced side planks. Simply 30 seconds per side made my entire core tremble, and unlike the dumbbell bends, I could feel both my obliques and stabilizing muscles contract right away. Besides that, I took side plank reaches on a Bosu ball. That took the challenge to a whole new level — without hurting my spine at all.
Are there any other solid alternatives available? As anti-rotation exercises Pallof presses and standing oblique crunches with the body weight are given. They are both the most suitable ways to develop core strength more effectively without spine burden that the dumbbell side bends give.
When to Quit
One cannot expect every exercise to work for everyone. Some people might find the standing dumbbell side bend as a very effective workout move. But in my opinion—similar to many others, it is rather risky than safe. If a workout makes you feel like your body does not function properly, then it is a sign to reconsider the situation.
It´s important to differentiate between what gives you a good muscle burn, and what does not serve you. Take note of that. And do not refrain from replacing an exercise for a more functional, effective one, or simply for a healthier choice in your current level of strength and body shape.
