How to do a Decline Russian Twists
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Decline Russian Twists
Decline Bench
Workouts with Decline Russian Twists
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Decline Russian Twists is a variation on the standard Russian Twists. This compound exercise targets your obliques and core. By performing the exercise on a decline bench, you increase the range of motion and tension on your core muscles. This added difficulty makes it excellent for those looking to further challenge their core stability and strength.
- Adjust the decline bench to the desired angle and secure your legs to the bench.
- Grasp a plate in both hands and hold it a few inches away from your torso.
- Engage your core and slowly lean back into the starting position such that your torso is roughly perpendicular to the bench.
- Slowly twist to one side while keeping the plate roughly the same distance from your torso.
- Reverse the motion and slowly twist to the opposite side.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your shoulders back, chest up and core engaged throughout the exercise.
- You should feel this exercise in your abdominals and obliques.
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Alternative Exercises to Decline Russian Twists
1. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,954 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
- Beginner
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2. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 917 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
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- Ab Crunch Machine
3. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 792 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
- Beginner
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4. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 688 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
- Beginner
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5. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 659 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
- Beginner
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6. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 636 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
- Beginner
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7. Decline Sit Up
77.6 mSCORESWAPPED 472 TIMESDecline Sit Up is a variation on the more common Sit Up. By laying back on a decline bench, you can keep more tension on your abdominals at the top of the movement. This is a great exercise for adding a bit more of a challenge to your Sit Ups.
- Intermediate
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8. Vertical Knee Raise
92 mSCORESWAPPED 445 TIMESVertical Knee Raise is a bodyweight core exercise that involves suspending yourself, and then engaging your core to raise your knees towards your chest. By keeping your torso upright, and raising your knees, this exercise is a bit better for building functional, real world strength.
- Beginner
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- Vertical Bench (Vertical Knee Raise)
9. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 436 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.
- Beginner
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10. Medicine Ball Russian Twist
79.7 mSCORESWAPPED 436 TIMESMedicine Ball Russian Twist is a weighted variation of Russian Twist. By holding a medicine ball in both hands, you can add resistance to this usually bodyweight exercise. While the weight usually isn't much, it forces you to engage your core both to move, and to stop the medicine ball as you rotate. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Russian Twists a bit more challenging.
- Beginner
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