The Russian twist is a simple

abdominal exercise Abdominal exercises are a type of strength exercise that affect the abdominal muscles (colloquially known as the stomach muscles or "abs"). Human abdominal consist of four muscles which are the rectus abdomens, internal oblique, external oblique, a ...

for working the core, shoulders, and hips. It is typically performed in repetitive sets and tones the core muscles via a twisting motion focused around the abdomen. The exercise can help build strength in the upper torso, which may help in sports such as tennis, swimming, baseball and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, track & field, hockey, golf, lacrosse, or boxing. There are also many variations of the Russian twist that can be used to intensify a workout routine.

Technique

To perform the Russian twist one sits on the

floor A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load ...

and bends both knees while feet are kept together and held slightly above the ground (or put under a stable surface). Ideally, the torso is kept straight with the back kept off the ground at a 45-degree angle with arms held together away from the body in a straight fashion and hands kept locked together like a ball or one can hold a weight to increase the difficulty. Next, the arms should be swung from one side to another in a twisting motion, with each swing to a side counting as one repetition. The slower one moves the arms from side to side, the harder the exercise becomes, working the abdomen that much better. When moving one's arms during the exercise, it is crucial to not stop between repetitions or else one will lose the effect of working the abdomen. As with all exercise, consistent breathing in and out during the exercise is important as one must ensure proper oxygen flow. There are also other variants of this exercise such as using a

stability ball An exercise ball is a ball constructed of soft elastic, typically in 5 diameters of 10-centimeter increments, from 35 centimeters (14 inches) to 85 centimeters (34 inches), and filled with air. The air pressure is changed by removing a valve ste ...

or with a barbell standing up.

Mason twist

The Mason twist is a more advanced version of the Russian twist. It is performed in the same manner, except the legs are straight and the feet are held off the ground (in the V-sit position) for the duration of the exercise.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Twist Physical exercise Bodyweight exercises