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Russian Twist

Russian Twist trains 2 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Obliques 85%, Abs 40%.

Accessory Level: Beginner Bodyweight Pull Easy on the lower backEasy on the kneesNo load on the spineEasy on the shoulders

Russian Twist - Start position
Start position
Russian Twist - Finish position
Finish position

How to do it

  1. Sit on the floor with knees bent, lean back slightly.
  2. Hold your hands together or hold a weight at chest level.
  3. Rotate your torso to one side, then the other.
  4. Keep your core braced throughout.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

How it compares

Compared with the Cable Crunch, it loads Obliques 55 points higher, Abs 50 points lower. It needs Bodyweight where the other uses Cable machine. Compared with the Lying Windshield Wipers, it loads Abs 30 points lower, Obliques 5 points higher.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Obliques

Related guides

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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