Russian Twist: the essential exercise for strengthening your obliques/abdominals!

TheRussian Twist is a classic abdominal exercise. Simple in appearance, it is nevertheless extremely effective for strengthening the obliquesandabdominal muscles.

This exercise is ideal if you want to improve your body control, strengthen your core, or sculpt a more athletic waistline.

But like many "simple" exercises, it is often performed incorrectly... and can quickly lose all its effectiveness.

👉 In this article, you will discover how to perform a Russian Twist correctly, the muscles involved, mistakes to avoid, and useful variations to help you progress.

Let's go 🔥

1. What is the Russian Twist?

The Russian Twist is a torso rotation exercise performed while sitting on the floor.

Sit down, lean back slightly, engage your core, then rotate your torso from right to left.

This is a perfect movement for working on trunk rotation, an essential element in weight training, running, combat sports, and everyday life.

It can be achieved:

• body weight,

• with a disk,

• with a kettlebell,

• or with a medicine ball.

2. Muscles used

The Russian Twist works several important muscles:

• Internal and external obliques (the ones that sculpt the waist)

• Grand droit (the "chocolate bar")

• Transverse (deep core strengthening and stability)

• Hip flexors

👉 Result: a complete workout that improves aesthetics as well as stability and athletic performance.

3. How to perform the Russian Twist correctly?

As always, the quality of execution makes all the difference.

The steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent.

2. Lean back slowly until you feel your core engage.

3. Keep your back straight, not rounded.

4. Lift a weight in front of you (optional).

5. Turn your upper body to one side, then to the other, without rushing.

6. Keep your gaze aligned with your hands.

Key points:

• Engage your transverse muscle before rotating.

• The rotation comes from the torso, not the arms.

• Avoid rapid movements: the goal is to control, not to go fast.

• If your lower back curves ➝ lift your chest slightly.

Tip: Opt for slow, clean rotations rather than 40 hastily performed repetitions.

4. Should you lift your feet?

We often see Russian Twists performed with the feet raised.

But is this really useful?

Feet on the ground: better control, less pressure on the lower back.
Perfect for learning the movement.

Feet raised: increased difficulty, greater efficiency. Only do this if you have mastered the technique perfectly.

If you lose your balance, if your back rounds, or if you "throw" your legs forward, put them back on the floor.

5. Common mistakes to avoid

Even advanced practitioners sometimes make these mistakes:

❌ Only rotate your arms
❌ Round your back (risk of lumbar injury)
❌ Go too fast and use momentum
❌ Lift too much weight too quickly
❌ Lean back too far

Remember: the Russian Twist is an exercise in control, not speed.

6. Useful variations for progressing

Once you've mastered the technique, you can add a little variety.

Here are four variations you can incorporate into your workouts: 

• Russian Twist with weights: ideal for strengthening the obliques with progressive resistance.
  
  
• Slow Russian Twist: very slow tempo = guaranteed burn 🔥
  
  
• Russian Twist with straight legs: advanced version to strengthen deep core muscles.
  
  
• Russian Twist with isometric pause: hold for 1 second on the right and left to improve stability.

FAQ: Russian Twist

Is the Russian Twist dangerous for your back?
➡️ No, if performed correctly and without rounding your lower back.

Should I use weights?
➡️ Not necessarily. Start with your body weight before adding weights, but weights allow you to add extra load and make the exercise more challenging. 

Does it burn belly fat?
➡️ No exercise "burns" fat locally. The Russian Twist strengthens your abs, but losing weight depends on your diet.

How many sessions per week?
➡️ Two to three times per week at the end of the session is perfect.

Conclusion

The Russian Twist is a highly effective exercise for strengthening your obliques and core.

Simple, versatile, and accessible, it can be easily integrated into any program, provided it is done correctly.

Work on it slowly, cleanly, vary the versions, and stay consistent: you'll quickly see the difference 💪

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Feel free to comment and share it if you did!

See you soon.

Eric Flag.