How to do a Russian Twist

Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About Russian Twist

Sets Logged
3,639,147
Popularity Rank
47th
Difficulty
Beginner
Abs Strength
100 mSCORE 2nd
Equipment Required
    Bodyweight-only

Target muscles worked

Primary Muscles
Abs
Secondary Muscles
Lower Back, Shoulders

Instructions for Proper Form

Russian 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.

  1. Sit in an upright position with your knees bent and feet off the floor underneath a stable object.
  2. Hold onto a weighted apparatus or clasp your hands in front of your chest with your elbows slightly flexed.
  3. Extend your hips to angle your torso 45 degrees from the floor.
  4. Rotate your shoulders to the right while keeping your weighted apparatus or your hands in the middle of your chest.
  5. Once you have rotated far enough to touch the weighted apparatus or your hands to the floor by your side, rotate your shoulders to the left to again touch the floor.
  6. Keep the movement controlled as you return to the starting position.

Tips & FAQs

  • Do Russian twists make your waist smaller?

    Russian twists can help strengthen and tone the muscles around your waist, particularly the obliques, but they do not directly make your waist smaller. Waist size reduction primarily depends on overall fat loss, which is achieved through a combination of a healthy diet, cardio exercises, and full-body strength training. Russian twists can contribute to a more defined and toned appearance as part of a comprehensive fitness regimen.

  • Which core muscles do Russian twist work?

    Russian twists primarily work the obliques, which are the muscles on the sides of your abdomen. They also engage the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscles), the transverse abdominis (deep core muscles), and the lower back muscles to a lesser extent. Additionally, Russian twists can involve the hip flexors and upper back muscles for stability and balance during the movement.

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 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.

  • beginner
    8
    reps
    15
    lbs
    1 Rep Max
    20
    lbs
  • intermediate
    8
    reps
    20
    lbs
    25
    lbs
  • advanced
    8
    reps
    22.5
    lbs
    30
    lbs

Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

How is this calculated?

Alternative Exercises to Russian Twist

Filter By

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  2. 2. Ab Crunch Machine

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  3. 3. Scissor Kick

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  4. 4. Plank

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  5. 5. Sit Up

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    93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 3,542 TIMES

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  6. 6. Leg Raise

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  7. 7. Bicycle Crunch

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  8. 8. Vertical Knee Raise

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    Vertical 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.

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  9. 9. Leg Pull-In

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