Russian Twist
Rotating the torso side to side from a leaned-back seated position — rotational core strength and control.
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
Sit with knees bent, heels lightly on the floor (or lifted), torso leaned back ~45 degrees with a straight spine.
How to do the Russian Twist
- Rotate the CHEST, not just the arms — the shoulders turn as one unit.
- Touch the hands (or weight) toward the floor beside each hip.
- Keep the spine long — leaned back, not slumped.
- Slow and controlled beats fast and sloppy.
Russian Twist muscles worked
The Russian Twist works the obliques and abs.
Common Russian Twist mistakes
- Rounding the lower back.
- Whipping the arms while the torso barely moves.
- Feet flailing — anchor them or control the lift.
Scale it
Easier: Heels on the floor, no weight.
Harder: Feet lifted, hold a weight, or slow the tempo.
Pairs well with
Bicycle Crunch
Alternating elbow-to-opposite-knee crunches with a cycling leg action — abs and obliques with a coordination element.
Copenhagen Plank
A side plank with the top leg supported on a bench — the standard for building groin (adductor) strength and injury resilience.
Crunch
The classic short-range ab curl — simple direct ab work when programmed alongside the stability movements.
Hollow Hold
The gymnast’s banana-shaped hold — total anterior-core tension that transfers to a stable, tall running posture.