How to Do an Abdominal Twist

Do you have poor posture? Are you a victim of nagging lower back pain? Do you often feel fatigued performing normal daily activities? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you may be neglecting your abdominal muscles. What’s the importance of training your abdominal muscles?For one, a strong midsection will relieve pressure off of the back and decrease the likelihood of pain or injury, two problems that only increase with age. Furthermore, working out your abdomen will provide the stability, support, and strength that will keep your entire body mobilized and ready to engage in various daily activities. A great abdominal exercise is the trunk twist, which primarily targets the obliques, but also hits the overall midsection, as well. Working these muscles will aid in maintaining good posture and building total body strength.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Barbell/Broom/Towel

1. Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet planted firmly on the ground. Your feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart.

2. Grab a barbell, resistance tube, or pole and place it behind your neck. Rest it on you’re the back of your shoulders.

3. Twist at the waist in a slow and controlled manner. Keep your abdominal muscles tightened throughout the movement, and avoid using your legs or hips to aid in the twist. This is considered one repetition.

4. Rotate your torso to the opposite side.

5. Complete three sets of ten repetitions for each side.

Tips & Warnings

• Abdominal twists can either be performed sitting down or standing.

• If you do not have access to a barbell or resistance tube, you can substitute a broom, a towel, or simply use your own body weight to perform the twist.

• Since trunk twists are a low-intensity exercise, try performing them as a warm up to your actual abdominal workout. To increase the intensity, add weight to the barbell.

• Do not increase the speed of your twists until you have learned the proper technique and form.

• Keep your abdominals tensed throughout the twist, as the primary goal of this exercise is to strengthen your core and learn stabilization through rotation.

• If a beginner to this and other abdominal exercises, don’t stress about a full rotation – perform the twists at your own pace and experiment with your range of motion.

• Swinging side to side in a fast manner will increase the risk of a serious back injury.