Medicine Ball Twist

Teaching points

• Sit on the floor with the knees together and slightly bent
  
  
• Hold a medicine ball in both hands in front of you with the elbows slightly bent
  
  
• Lean back to take the strain off the back muscles
  
  
• Twist from side to side, ensuring you are moving from your waist, not your shoulders!
  
  
• This exercise is sometimes also known as a russian twist

Variations & progressions

• Lean back further and lift the feet off the floor (as shown) so you are balancing on your buttocks to progress the exercise and add core stability training

Muscles worked

• Internal Obliques
  
  
• External Obliques

Alternative exercises

• Twisting crunch
  
  
• Sitting twist using resistance band
  
  
• Standing twist using resistance band
  
  
• Side bend

Related injuries

• Lower back pain
  
  
• Abdominal strain