Exercise Guide

Weighted Russian Twist

A Russian twist holding a dumbbell or plate. Loads the rotation, which is what makes the obliques work rather than just move.

BeginnerStrengthPullIsolation
Form
Weighted Russian Twist - Start position
Start
Weighted Russian Twist - Mid position
Mid
Weighted Russian Twist - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Core

Equipment

Dumbbell

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Pull

Mechanic

Isolation

Secondary Muscles

Shoulders
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Sit on the floor with your knees bent, leaning back to about 45 degrees.

  2. 2

    Hold a dumbbell or plate at your chest with both hands.

  3. 3

    Rotate your torso to touch the weight down beside one hip.

  4. 4

    Rotate through to the other side, keeping your chest up.

Tips
  • Turn your shoulders, not just your arms - swinging the weight side to side does nothing.
  • Lift your feet off the floor to make it harder before you reach for more weight.
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