Intermediate

Medicine Ball Feet-Up Russian Twist

Lifting the feet removes the stable base of the classic twist, so the abs must both hold the V-position and rotate the trunk against the ball's weight. That combination hammers the obliques while the rectus fights to keep you balanced. Program it for rotational core strength and anti-collapse endurance.

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Body part
Abs
Type
Functional, Strength
Browse by movement
Rotation
Muscles worked
Target
Abdominal External Oblique
Secondary
Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit on the floor and lean back to about a 45-degree torso angle.

  2. 2

    Lift both feet off the floor with knees bent, balancing on your sit bones.

  3. 3

    Hold the medicine ball at your midsection with both hands.

  4. 4

    Rotate the trunk to one side, bringing the ball beside your hip.

  5. 5

    Reverse smoothly and rotate to the other side, keeping the chest tall.

  6. 6

    Breathe steadily and let the shoulders follow the ribcage, not the arms alone.

Tips

  • Turn from the waist, not just the arms; the ball should track your sternum.
  • Keep the lower back long instead of rounding into a slump.
  • Lower the feet to the floor if you cannot control the rotation.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Balancing by leaning further back and letting the spine round, which is the position this exercise is least suited to; hold the lean with a long back instead.
  • Swinging the knees the opposite way from the ball to stay balanced, so the two halves cancel out and the trunk barely rotates.
  • Letting the torso creep upright as the set gets hard, which restores your balance and removes most of the load at the same time.
  • Dropping the feet to catch the floor between reps and still counting the set; either hold the feet up or run the version where they stay down.
  • Tucking the feet so high that the knees end up over your chest, which shortens the lever, makes balancing easy and takes the abs out of the job.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the medicine ball feet-up Russian twist should I do?
Three sets of 12 to 16 taps counting both sides, or 30 seconds per set. The feet coming down ends the set, so let that be the rep counter rather than the number in your head. If you cannot hold the feet up for 20 seconds while rotating, run the feet-down version for a few weeks. Progress by slowing each rep to three seconds, then by adding a pound or two to the ball.
What can I use instead of a medicine ball for the feet-up Russian twist, and what if I cannot hold my feet up?
For the ball: a dumbbell by one end, a plate, a kettlebell or a jug of water all substitute cleanly. For the feet: rest the heels lightly on the floor, which turns it into the standard Russian twist, or hold them up for the first half of the set only and set them down when the back starts to round. Building a 30-second hollow hold usually solves the balance problem faster than practicing the twist itself does.
Why lift the feet during a Russian twist?
Taking the feet off the floor removes your base, so the abs have to hold the V shape while the obliques rotate against the ball. That trains rotational strength and trunk endurance together, which is useful for grappling, paddling and any sport where you rotate without a solid foot underneath. It is a poor choice if the low back rounds as soon as the feet lift, or if the hip flexors cramp before the abs tire: both mean the feet-down version still has more to give you.

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