Oblique Hardening Drill: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Oblique Hardening Drill is a body-shot conditioning drill performed standing by bracing the core hard and receiving light rotational strikes or resistance to the side of the torso, alternating sides. Keeping the hips square and bracing through the obliques before contact rather than twisting away from the strike is what separates a hardening drill from a flinch.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required, though a training partner is needed to deliver the strikes or resistance.
Why It Matters
Because the strikes land specifically to the sides of the torso rather than the center, this trains the obliques and the deep core muscles that a straight-ahead abdominal drill doesn’t reach as directly, the area where a hook to the body or a grappling squeeze often lands. It works well as the lateral counterpart to more commonly trained frontal abdominal impact drills.
When to Do It
Place this in the middle of a session, once the body is warmed up but before heavy fatigue sets in, since reliable bracing depends on sharp attention. Anyone with a diagnosed abdominal, rib or back condition should get clearance from a doctor before absorbing repeated impact to the torso.
Getting Ready
Standing and bracing the obliques hard a few times without any contact yet is a reasonable way to rehearse the setup first. Having the partner apply one light touch to each side is a reasonable way to gauge how the torso responds that day.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Stand tall, hips square.
- Signal readiness to the partner.
- Brace the obliques hard on the side about to receive contact.
- Absorb the light strike or resistance.
- Switch sides and repeat, for the target reps.
How Many, How Often
| Level | Reps (per side) |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 6-8 |
| Intermediate | 10-12 |
| Advanced | 14-16 |
Keeping the hips square and bracing before contact matters more here than how firm any single strike feels. Twisting away from an incoming strike trains a flinch response, the opposite of the bracing habit this drill exists to build.
Modifications and Variations
Easier: Oblique Tensing Practice. The strike drops out and the athlete practices the bracing contraction alone, a gentler entry point.
Harder: Partner Body Shot — Obliques. The strike intensity to the sides of the torso rises considerably, once bracing here feels fully reliable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Twisting away from the incoming contact. Rotating the hips or torso away from the strike instead of bracing into it trains a flinch, not the tolerance this drill is meant to build. Keeping the hips square through contact is the standard here.
Bracing only the side receiving contact. Tensing just one side while leaving the other loose skips the full-torso stability a body shot demands. Bracing the whole core, with extra focus on the receiving side, better reflects how the body needs to respond.
Skipping the readiness signal. Letting contact land before the athlete has confirmed readiness removes the point of practicing a timed brace. Waiting for a clear go-ahead on every rep keeps this both safe and effective.
After Your Set
A gentle standing side bend on each side is a reasonable way to close out a set that just asked the obliques to brace against repeated lateral contact.
Going Deeper
The marker of progress here isn’t how firm the strikes have gotten, it’s whether the hips stay square and the brace lands reliably on both sides. Once that holds true at a given intensity, raising the strike force becomes a reasonable next step. Increasing intensity while the hips still twist away from contact usually just means the bracing habit has not locked in yet.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The hips stay square through contact.
- Both sides brace with equal reliability, with no clear weaker side.
- The readiness signal happens clearly before every rep.
- Higher-intensity contact stops feeling like a surprise.
- Raising the strike intensity starts to feel like a reasonable next step.
Muscles Worked
- Obliques (the muscles running along the sides of the trunk, bracing directly against the lateral contact)
- Transverse Abdominis (the deep, corset-like muscle wrapping around the midsection, bracing the standing trunk against rotational contact)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, keeping the torso upright through the brace)
- Quadratus Lumborum (a deep muscle of the lower back, holding the pelvis square against contact from one side)
FAQ
How does this differ from a drill that targets the front of the abdomen? A frontal drill braces the midsection against a straight-on impact, while this one targets the sides, where a hook to the body or a grappling squeeze is more likely to land.
Is a training partner strictly necessary for this? Yes, in this exact form, since the point is reacting to another person’s timing, though a solo bracing-only version exists as a gentler entry point.
Is some soreness through the sides of the torso normal afterward? Yes, general muscular fatigue and mild soreness along the obliques is expected after repeated lateral contact. Sharp pain, especially near the ribs, is different and worth stopping for and mentioning to a doctor immediately.
Can this be trained alongside a frontal abdominal impact drill? Yes, the two target overlapping but different parts of the core, so pairing them covers a fuller range of body-shot exposure.
Where on the side should the contact land? On the muscle between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hip bone. The ribs themselves, the kidneys toward the back and the hip bone are not targets.
What should the partner strike with? An open palm or a light pad, swung in from the side at a controlled speed. Steady pressure with the hand, held for a second or two, is the gentler form of the drill and a good way to start.
How should breathing fit the brace? A short exhale as the brace goes on, just before contact, and a normal breath between reps. Holding the breath across several strikes makes the brace harder to keep.
How wide should the stance be? About shoulder width with the knees soft. That base lets the body take contact from the side without stepping or turning away.
When is it time to increase the strike intensity? Once the hips stay square and the brace lands reliably on both sides at the current level, raising the intensity is a reasonable next step.
Related to Oblique Tensing Practice as the easier version and Partner Body Shot — Obliques as the harder one.