How to do a Medicine Ball Russian Twist
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Medicine Ball Russian Twist
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Medicine 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.
- Sit on the floor and grasp a medicine ball in both hands. Position the medicine ball in front of your chest.
- Lean back slightly and raise your heels a few inches off the ground.
- Engage your core to maintain stability throughout the movement.
- Slowly twist to one side and bring the medicine ball toward your hip.
- Slowly twist back to the starting position while bringing the medicine ball back to center.
- Alternate sides and repeat.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core engaged, shoulders back and chest up. Keep your heels off the ground.
- You should feel this exercise in your core.
Common Form Mistakes
Overusing Arms
Make sure you’re using your core to twist to each side rather than simply reaching to either side with your arms. This will make the exercise more effective.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Medicine Ball Russian Twist standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps10lbs1 Rep Max12.5lbs
- intermediate8reps12.5lbs15lbs
- advanced8reps12.5lbs15lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Medicine Ball Russian Twist
1. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,283 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.
2. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 909 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
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
3. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 538 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.
4. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 534 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.
5. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 393 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.
6. Vertical Knee Raise
92 mSCORESWAPPED 378 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.
7. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 375 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.
8. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 323 TIMESCable Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Unlike Crunches, this is a weighted exercise that does not have you laying on your back. Instead of using your bodyweight for resistance, you use a cable machine. This gives you more control over your resistance, as well as more control over the direction that resistance is coming from.