How to Do Russian Twists the Right Way for a Stronger Core
If you’re chasing visible abs, you’ve got a buffet of options to get there. While most people agree your diet is the heavy hitter, for a truly defined midsection, you also need exercises that do more than just target the six-pack muscles. Among the hundreds of core moves out there, including crunches, leg raises, and planks, the Russian twist often lands on most people’s “avoid at all costs” list.
Maybe it’s because it looks easy until it isn’t, or because it’s been vilified as a back-buster. Although there’s some truth to both, when done correctly, it targets more than just the front of your midsection. It fires up your entire torso, leaving you with strength and definition.
Below, Nike and Session trainer Cole Francum and Tonal Coach Tim Landicho, CSCS, NASM-CES, PN1, break down how to do Russian twists the right way, the muscles they target, plus the benefits and the “don’t say I didn’t warn you” risks.
Related: 50 Best Abs Exercises to Carve Your Core
Russian Twists Safety Tips
Control the Range of Motion and Speed
Many people focus on getting their hands or the weight all the way to the floor as they twist, but Francum says that’s not the point. The real goal is to maintain control throughout the cross-body twist. “While there are power benefits to twisting quickly across the body, anyone concerned about lower back pain should start with a controlled tempo to build up their rotation and core strength,” he says.
Stay Long Through the Spine
“Oftentimes, people will round through the back (especially if using a weight that’s too heavy), leading to excessive stress through the lumbar spine (lower back),” says Landicho. Focus on engaging your core and maintaining an upright chest. This will help to protect your lower back and let your core do all the work.
Brace Your Core
Most lower back issues during this movement come from not properly bracing your core. To fix this, draw your belly button in toward your spine and maintain that tension through every twist, keeping your midsection locked in and protected.
Beth Bischoff
How to Do Russian Twists
- Sit on the floor with knees bent and heels hooked into the ground.
- Get tall through the spine and slowly lean back as far as you’re able while still maintaining a good spinal position (if you start to round or collapse, you’ve gone too far).
- Extend your arms out in front of you with palms clasped together.
- Maintaining the leaned back angle with a long spine, slowly rotate the arms and chest to one side without losing position, focusing on a slow tempo.
- Slowly bring it back to the center and repeat on the other side. Once you come back to the center from both sides, that’s 1 rep.
What Muscles Do Russian Twists Work?
Russian twists zero in on the obliques, those side-of-the-torso muscles everyone’s after. But they don’t stop there. They also engage muscles like "the rectus abdominis (your 'six-pack' muscles), which work to maintain spinal stability, the transverse abdominis (deep core stabilizer), and the hip flexors, which engage to maintain the leaned-back position," Landicho says. "When performed with feet lifted off the ground, you'll also get additional work from the spinal erectors (lower back muscles) to maintain proper spinal positioning throughout the movement.”
Related: How to Do Hanging Leg Raises for Rock-Solid Abs
Pros (and Cons) of the Russian Twist
When done right, Russian twists can do wonders for your core. Unlike crunches, which mostly target the rectus abdominis (AKA your six-pack), Russian twists hit the obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis (deep core), hip flexors, and spinal erectors. That means not only a more defined midsection, but a stronger, more stable torso overall.
But with all that benefit comes a caveat. Russian twists get a bad rap for lower back pain. And while that can happen, it's usually from moving too fast, failing to brace your core, or adding weight that compromises form. So, before you add weight, make sure you have your form down pat.