- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternCore
- Reps12 to 30 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Sit with your knees bent and heels on the floor, then lean back slightly with a straight back and hold your hands together in front of your chest.
First cueTurn from the ribs, not just the arms.
How to do the Russian Twist
Set up. Sit with your knees bent and heels on the floor, then lean back slightly with a straight back and hold your hands together in front of your chest.
- Rotate your torso to bring your hands beside one hip.
- Rotate through the middle to the other side.
- Continue alternating at a controlled pace.
Form cues
- Turn from the ribs, not just the arms.
- Keep the chest up.
- Lift the feet to make it harder.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back.
- Swinging the arms without turning the torso.
Muscles worked
Main target: Obliques. The obliques wrap the sides of the waist. They turn and bend the trunk, and resist being turned or bent, which is the rotation work most gym programmes leave out.
On the way: Abs.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Russian Twist, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Back Extension Same core session: it trains the lower back.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Russian Twist first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Russian Twist 3 × 12 to 30 reps
- Back Extension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Hanging Leg Raise 3 × 6 to 20 reps
- Side Bend 3 × 10 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Side Bend
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Pallof Press
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Bicycle Crunch.
Do before it: Pallof Press (bracing) and Dead Bug (bracing).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Russian Twist is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Russian Twist?
Set up: Sit with your knees bent and heels on the floor, then lean back slightly with a straight back and hold your hands together in front of your chest. Steps: 1. Rotate your torso to bring your hands beside one hip. 2. Rotate through the middle to the other side. 3. Continue alternating at a controlled pace. Form cues: Turn from the ribs, not just the arms. Keep the chest up. Lift the feet to make it harder. Common mistakes: Rounding the back. Swinging the arms without turning the torso.
What muscles does the Russian Twist work?
It trains the obliques as its main target and works the abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Russian Twist?
At home: Side Bend. In a gym: Pallof Press. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Russian Twist with?
Good partners in the same workout are Back Extension.