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Russian twist

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Muscles worked

High load
Obliques
Low load
Abs and Core

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Sit with the knees bent and the chest tall, leaning back to a comfortable angle. Rotate from the ribcage side to side, moving the torso rather than just the hands. Keep the spine long and the chest up — slumping and whipping a heavy weight around loads the lower back for very little benefit.

Form cues

  • Rotate from the ribcage
  • Chest stays tall

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

Lower back

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Harder variants