Russian twist: how to do it, muscles worked and variations
Seated trunk rotation with a load or cable.
- Main muscles
- Obliques
- Secondary muscles
- Rectus abdominis
- Equipment
- Bodyweight, Dumbbell
- Variations
- 2
All 2 variations
Bodyweight Russian twist
Seated trunk rotation with your hands together and no weight, the base version to learn to rotate without losing posture.
Form. Sit with your knees bent and heels planted, lean the trunk back with a long spine and rotate from side to side bringing your hands beside your hip.
Common mistake. Rounding the back, moving only the arms without turning the trunk, holding your breath, or going so fast that control is lost.
Dumbbell Russian twist
Seated trunk rotation holding a dumbbell by its ends, which adds load to the oblique work.
Form. Hold the dumbbell horizontally by both ends, sit with the trunk leaned back and a long spine and rotate from side to side bringing the dumbbell toward each hip.
Common mistake. Choosing a dumbbell that is too heavy, rounding the back, hitting the floor with the load, or turning only with the arms.
Other exercises for the same muscles
