How to do the Russian Twist (With Medicine Ball)
CoreAbsBodyweightIntermediate
The Russian Twist with a medicine ball is one of the most effective tools for building rotational core strength that transfers to athletics, daily movement, and a sharper midsection. Master this movement and you build not just abs, but a core that actually performs.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
AbdominalsObliques
Secondary
Hip flexorsLower back
Step-by-step
- Sit on the floor, knees bent at 45 degrees, heels lightly touching the ground, and lean back until your torso is at roughly a 45-degree angle with the floor while holding the medicine ball at chest level.
- Brace your core hard and lift your feet slightly off the ground to increase the stability demand on your abs and hip flexors.
- Drive the medicine ball deliberately from side to side by rotating through your entire torso, not just your arms, tapping the ball lightly to the floor beside each hip.
- Maintain a tall, neutral spine throughout each rep and exhale forcefully at each rotation to maximize abdominal engagement.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the arms instead of rotating the torso — focus on initiating every twist from your ribcage and obliques, letting the arms follow rather than lead.
- Rounding the lower back and collapsing the spine — keep your chest tall and imagine holding a tennis ball under your chin to preserve a neutral position throughout.
- Moving too fast and losing control of the ball — slow the tempo down to a 2-second rotation each side so the muscles, not momentum, are doing the work.
Pro tip — At the end of each rotation, pause for one full second with the ball just above the floor and actively squeeze your oblique on the working side before returning — this eliminates momentum and doubles time under tension where it matters most.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps
Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.
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