Cable Side Bend

The cable side bend trains the obliques through lateral flexion, bending the torso sideways against resistance. It is one of the few ways to load that movement progressively, since bodyweight side bends stop being challenging almost immediately and there is nowhere to add weight without a cable or a dumbbell. Holding the handle in one hand, you lean away from it and then contract the muscles down the opposite side to return upright. The one thing to keep out of it is rotation. The obliques both bend and twist the trunk, and letting the torso turn as you come up converts the exercise into something else and takes the tension off the muscle you were working. Keep the chest square to the front, the hips still, and use a range that stays comfortable rather than chasing depth.