Exercise Of the Week: Standing Russian Twist

Traditional Russian twist is a great exercise for core strength but are not without faults however.
The move can put undue pressure on the neck, back, and spine. The mid back region typically tends to slouch during the twisting action, and the back muscles are pulled into an unwanted stretch while baring load - especially as individual begins to become fatigued during a set.

If you have ever experienced issues as mentioned above,  there's a better way: The standing Russian Twist. Having the spine positioned properly over the hips in a standing position creates fewer pressures on the back, and encourages good posture and proper movement. It also allows the back muscles to contribute for a more complete core workout.


WORKS
Abs, obliques, shoulders.

TIPS
Add this exercise to your core routine or at the end of a typical workout. Work your way up to a 5kg weight as you muscle up.

How To Perform Standing Russian Twist

• Grab a weight with both hands in front of your chest, with your arms straight.

• Without dropping your arms and with your knees slightly bent, swivel on your left foot and twist the chest, shoulders and head as far as you can to the left.

• Then reverse direction: swivel on your right foot and twist  all the way to the right. That is 1 repetition.

• Stay tall, and keep the feet firmly planted. Perform sets of  10 rotations in each direction.