Russian Twist

What is Russian Twist:

The Russian Twist is a spinal rotation exercise, primarily working the obliques. The rotational movement involves twisting your torso from side to side while sitting with legs either elevated or grounded, often with a weight or just bodyweight.

Key Benefits:

  • Size and Strength: Works primarily the obliques, promoting muscle growth and strength improvement.
  • Hip Flexor Strength: As the exercise involves hip flexion, it can help strengthen the hip flexor muscles, improving hip mobility.
  • Improved Rotational Power: Enhances your ability to perform twisting motions, benefiting sports and daily activities that require rotational strength.
  • Functional Strength: Improves spinal rotation strength strength, lateral spinal flexion, core stability, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Convenience: This exercise can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment, making it accessible and convenient for most individuals.

Variations:

  • Heel Tap: A simple obliques exercise that involves lying on your back and crunching your obliques by tapping your heels.
  • Bicycle Crunch: An abdominal exercise with a rotation element challenging the obliques.
  • Side Plank Raise: A plank variation that works the obliques primarily through lateral spinal flexions.
  • Floor Windshield Wiper: A core exercise that primarily targets the obliques performed lying on your back and moving the lower body sideways, like a windshield wiper.

How to perform Russian Twists:

  • Starting Position: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet either flat or lifted off the floor. Lean back slightly to create a V-shape with your torso and thighs, balancing yourself on your glutes.
  • Execution: Twist your torso on one side, bringing your hands toward the floor beside your hip. Then, twist to the opposite side in a controlled motion, alternating sides with each rep.
  • Repetition: Repeat the alternation for your desired number of repetitions.

Breathing Technique:

Proper breathing is crucial for maximizing performance and maintaining stamina throughout the exercise. Experiment with what you're comfortable with and let you perform your best. For starters, you can try the following:

  • Inhale: Inhale at the starting position.
  • Exhale: Exhale at the end position of each side.
  • Movement Purpose: The purpose of the exercise is to challenge and contract the obliques, not necessarily what your arms are doing. So, focus on your torso's movement and what's happening on your core instead of your arms.
  • Scapular Engagement: Maintain scapular depression and protraction throughout the exercise for optimal performance.
  • Pelvic Position: Maintain a posterior pelvic tilt for optimal performance.
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    Additional Information:

    Ways to make it easier:

    • Decreasing the Range of Motion - partial reps, only go as far as you can handle
    • Doing it with your feet on the ground
    • Regressing to an easier variation/exercise

    Ways to make it harder:

    • Playing with the Tempo & adding an Isometric phase (pause/hold)
    • Adding resistance - hold a dumbbell, medicine ball, or plate to increase resistance and challenge your core more.
    • Progressing to a harder variation/exercise