Bodybuilding Questions - AB Exercises Making Obliques Bigger

Bodybuilding Question:
I have been working on my abs for many years and have recently had a lot of success performing the hanging leg raises as it really works the lower abs. I have had a problem recently. I believe hanging leg raises with straight legs also works the obliques and I have performed this exercise so much that my obliques have grown immensely and I now look fat because I am short (5ft 7in). My abs are still very good but my midriff is as wide as it is long so it looks like a block and is square shaped. What should I do? I would give anything to go back to having the rectangular longer midriff Should I do nothing for 6 months and let muscle atrophy come into effect or is there an exercise I can do that works solely the abs and not obliques?

Bodybuilding Answer:
I have never heard of hanging leg raises building up the obliques. The leg raise is a direct lower/middle ab exercise and unless you're are twisting at the top of the movement, this exercise should not directly hit the obliques. I recommend cutting out any side-to-side AB training where you are twisting or crunching to the side which would bring the obliques (sides) into play.

If you're currently at a very low body fat percentage and you have not been doing any twisting or side-to-side AB work and your obliques are blocky, then you may want to take some time off of AB training altogether. However, if you're holding some body fat it usually gets stored in the lower abs and love handles, so this may be causing the "look" of a blocky waist. Then, it's just a matter of dropping your fat percentage lower and your waist should take on more of a tapered look.

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