Cable Russian twist on a stability ball
Exercise details
- Target muscles: Internal and External Obliques
- Synergists: Psoas Major, Quadratus Lumborum, Iliocastalis Lumborum, Iliocastalis Thoracis
- Other potential synergists: Hip External Rotators (see comments)
- Mechanics: Isolation
- Force: Pull
Starting position
- Holding a stirrup in your left hand, sit on a stability ball, with the cable machine on your left side.
- Place your right hand over your left hand.
- Roll down the ball until it is under your back.
- Spread your legs and plant the soles of your feet firmly on the ground.
- Raise your hips until they are level with your torso.
- Straighten your elbows and raise your arms so that they are over your chest, perpendicular to your torso.
- Keeping your hips still and facing upward, allow the resistance in the cable to rotate your torso to the left side, towards the pulley.
Execution
- Exhale as you slowly rotate your torso towards the right side as much as possible, pulling the cable in an arc-like motion.
- Hold for a count of two.
- Inhale as you slowly rotate your torso back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
- Repeat the exercise on your opposite side, holding the stirrup in your right hand.
Comments and tips
- The cable Russian twist on a stability ball is a great exercise for strengthening your obliques and the rotational movement pattern of your spine, making it important for functional fitness.
- Try to keep your hips still and facing upward throughout the exercise.
- The hip external rotators of the leg closest to the pulley will act as synergists if the hips are not kept still and facing upward. Although this is acceptable, there will be less emphasis on the obliques and psoas major in the core.
- For other exercises that target the obliques, see the seated cable twist, the cable down-up twist and the dumbbell Russian twist on stability ball.
Cable Russian twist on a stability ball video
The demonstration of the cable Russian twist on a stability ball in this video is not optimal. It can be improved by rotating fully from one side to the other.
