Russian Twist Chop

The Russian Twist Chop is an effective core exercise that targets your obliques and improves rotational strength.

  1. Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.
  2. Lean back slightly while keeping your back straight.
  3. Hold a weight with both hands and twist your torso to one side, then to the other.
  4. Engage your core throughout the movement.

How to perform the Russian Twist Chop

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Russian Twist Chop using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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