What is a Russian twist?

The Russian twist is an abdominal exercise designed to strengthen the central abdominal muscles as well as also the obliques, or side abdominal muscles. Performing this exercise involves only the use of a weight, dumbbell or medicine ball.

To do the Russian twist, the performer must sit on the floor with the hips and knees bent at 90 degrees. Holding the weight straight out in front of him and keeping the back straight, the performer explosively twists the torso to the left, and then reverses the motion to the right. This process is repeated as many times as desired, though typically three sets of eight to 12 repetitions are recommended.