Intermediate

Russian Twist

The Russian twist trains rotational strength by having you rotate a load from hip to hip while balancing on your seat. The obliques do the twisting while the rectus abdominis holds the leaning torso in place and the hip flexors keep the legs up. Add a medicine ball or plate to scale the challenge.

Body part
Abs
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Rotation
Muscles worked
Target
Abdominal External Oblique
Secondary
Upper Rectus Abdominals
Tertiary
Rectus Femoris

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit on the floor with knees bent and heels lightly touching or lifted.

  2. 2

    Lean your torso back to about forty-five degrees and brace your abs.

  3. 3

    Hold a medicine ball or plate at your chest.

  4. 4

    Rotate your torso to tap the weight toward the floor on one side.

  5. 5

    Rotate to the other side in a controlled arc, moving from the waist.

  6. 6

    Continue alternating while keeping your chest tall and back flat.

Tips

  • Turn through your torso, not just your arms swinging the weight.
  • Lift the feet off the floor only once you can keep your back from rounding.
  • Keep the movement deliberate; speed shrinks the range and the benefit.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Letting the low back round into a C shape as you tire, which piles rotation onto a spine that is already flexed.
  • Sitting on a hard floor with the tailbone taking your weight, which gets uncomfortable long before the obliques tire; sit on a mat or fold a towel underneath.
  • Slapping the weight into the floor and using the bounce to reverse, which drops the obliques right where they were about to work hardest.
  • Sitting almost upright, where there is little load on the abs; around forty-five degrees is where the position starts to cost something.
  • Pushing off the heels to swing the torso around instead of turning from the waist.

Frequently asked

How many Russian twists should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Sets of 16 to 20 taps counting both sides, for three rounds, with each tap taking about a second. A time cap works too: 30 seconds per set. Start with the heels resting on the floor and no weight, then add a light ball, then lift the feet. Two or three sessions a week alongside your other core work. End the set when the chest starts to collapse toward the knees, whatever the count says.
What can I hold instead of a medicine ball for Russian twists?
A dumbbell held by one end, a plate gripped at the edges, a kettlebell by the horns, a jug of water or a backpack all work; what matters is that you can hold it close to your chest without grip becoming the hard part. With nothing at all, press the palms together and reach further on each turn, or lift the feet, which adds difficulty without adding weight.
Is the Russian twist worth doing, and is it safe for the low back?
It trains rotational endurance in the obliques and is a reasonable pick if you throw, swing a racket or a club, or just want variety in core work. The combination that causes trouble is a rounded, loaded spine being twisted hard, so keep the chest tall and the back long and stop when that goes. If your back objects anyway, you lose nothing by using a Pallof press, a cable chop or a side plank; they train rotation control without loading a bent spine.

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