Obliques · Isolation movement

Weighted Russian Twist

An isolation exercise for the obliques, with the abs working too. You need dumbbells.

Primary muscle

Obliques

Secondary muscles

Abs

Equipment

Dumbbell

Difficulty

Beginner

How to perform the Weighted Russian Twist

Sit with knees bent and torso leaned back to about forty-five degrees, holding a dumbbell or plate close to the chest.
Loaded rotation is where fast, jerky reps cause trouble, so keep the tempo controlled rather than whipping the weight around.
Brace the core hard, then rotate the trunk from the ribcage to move the weight to the outside of one hip.
Lead the rotation with the torso and let the arms carry the load, keeping it near the body rather than reaching it far out.
Turn back through center and rotate smoothly to the other hip, pausing briefly at each end under control.
Keep the weight moderate and the spine long. As soon as the movement becomes a fast, jerky swing, the load is too heavy.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

•Whipping the weight around fast, which loads the lower back abruptly at each end of the twist.
•Reaching the load far out from the body, greatly increasing the leverage on the lower back.
•Rounding the back in the leaned-back position while adding load, a poor combination for the discs.
•Going too heavy so the movement turns into a jerky swing instead of controlled rotation.