If you like
strengthen your heart y
speed up metabolism, you have a lot of basic moves at your disposal. But there’s one you might not think of right away: the
exercise of russian twist. Movement can be an efficient way to exercise your core, although there are a few tips to keep in mind if you’re a beginner.
Simply put, the Russian twist is a
basic movement in which you sit on the ground,
lean your torso back at an angle and
you lift your feet off the ground before
twist the torso from side to side. You can do the exercise with just your body weight or also add
external resistance (either in medicine ball, kettlebell, or dumbbell form) to make it more challenging.
What muscles does the Russian twist work?
Although it is a basic exercise, the Russian twist is more than just engaging the
ABS or the
recto abdominal, the muscles that run vertically along the front of the abdomen. When you hold that flexed position, like at the top of your abs, you’re working those rectus abdominis muscles.
However, your
obliques (the muscles along the sides of your abdomen, often known as the lateral abs) and your
intercostals (the muscles between your ribs) have to be activated during rotation. You also need the
deeper core muscles, which help with stabilization, are activated along with the hip flexors. Because yes, there are many more muscles involved than you think.
Couple doing sports/PEXELS
How do you do Russian twists right?
sit with the
knees bent in front of youlos
flexed feet and the
heels on the ground. Hold your hands in front of his chest and
lean your torso back until you feel your abdominal muscles contract.
Slowly rotate your torso from right to left and repeat. Remember to keep your
tight core (and breathe!) at all times.
The Russian twist exercise is a great move for
strengthen los
rotation muscles y
improve stabilization. And that’s something that can help you throughout everyday life, as well as during your workouts. If done correctly, they can be a safe addition to your main routine.
But there are some
security considerations which you should consider first. Mainly, you have to make sure that you do the right
technique throughout the exercise. You have to keep your spine neutral. Many people tend to slouch forward at the shoulders or round the upper back. You must
stand tall Throughout the movement, keep your neck long and your shoulders back, which will help you keep your back flat.
Another problem with the Russian twist has to do with the
excessive rotation. When the movement is done effectively, the rotation should come only from the
thoracic spine or from the ribcage upwards. But some people end up creating a lower turnover in the
lumbar spine when they perform the movement, which does not have as much natural rotational capacity as the T-spine. This is what can lead to
overload the lower back.
Russian twists for beginners
Due to the great importance of doing the Russian twists with the proper technique, it is considered a
basic but more advanced exercise. If you’re a beginner, you may want to focus on more beginner-friendly core exercises first. For example, this
core strength training for beginners will teach you how to activate your abs, which is an important step to take
master before starting with more dynamic core movements.
Couple in sportswear/PEXELS
After you’ve mastered the traditional basic moves, you can progress to some
rotating or twisting abdominals. Then you can be prepared for some modifications of the Russian twist. First, start with just your
body weight. Can
add resistance external when you become familiar with the movement.
When you’ve just started, it’s a good idea to keep the
feet on the ground instead of high. You can also start by making
all twists on one side. Then, once you feel more comfortable with the movement, you can rotate from side to side. You yourself will realize your progress. If you want to make the Russian twist more challenging, you can always
add weight to movement, such as with a dumbbell or medicine ball.
Rise los
pies off the ground and keep the
longer arms (instead of being attached to the sides or attached to the chest) can also increase the difficulty.
