Bodyweight Russian Twist
Seated rotational core move twisting side to side — the most recognizable oblique exercise in any ab program.
How to do it
- Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat in front of you.
- Lean back until your torso is at about 45 degrees and brace your core hard.
- Lift your feet a few inches off the floor and balance on your sit bones, shins parallel to the floor.
- Clasp your hands in front of your chest and rotate your torso to one side under control.
- Lightly tap the floor beside your hip, feeling the oblique contract on that side.
- Smoothly rotate to the other side and tap, alternating for the prescribed reps without dropping your feet.
Key technique cue
Turn the ribs, not just the arms; keep the feet up.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Just swinging the arms side to side without rotating the torso — works the shoulders, not the core.
- ✕ Rounding the back instead of keeping a long spine, which loads the lower back.
- ✕ Dropping the feet to the floor every rep, which breaks constant core tension.
- ✕ Rushing the tempo instead of pausing on each side — turns a controlled twist into pure momentum.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the obliques and abs through a rotational pattern.
- ✓ Develops core endurance and rotational strength.
- ✓ Trains the core anywhere with no equipment.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Bodyweight Russian Twist
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Step 2
About the exercise
The bodyweight Russian twist is the most recognizable rotational core exercise in any ab program. Balancing on your glutes with your feet raised, you rotate the torso side to side under tension. It trains the obliques and abs through a rotational pattern the rest of a core program usually skips. Russian twists are a great fit for ab circuits, core finishers and training for rotational athletes. They scale endlessly with tempo, foot position or added load (a med ball or plate).
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