Standing Russian Twists with Dumbbells

Standing Russian Twists

In this post I will explain the concept of the Russian Twists and how it can be used to increase your flexibility and improve your overall fitness level. In brief, the Russian twist is an exercise in which you sit with your legs extended and twist your upper body side to side. 

Standing Russian Twists enables you to do this exercise while standing in shallow water. This version gives almost the same benefits as if performed in seated position. These variations of Russian twists can be done either on land or in water.

In this post I will explain how to do this exercise using aqua dumbbells. Those hand floats will maximize the muscle groups involved and make the movement more challenging.

​Starting Position:

Starting Position:
​Stand in shallow water and hold a pair of aqua dumbbells with both hands. Bend your arms by your sides. The recommended water level should be at your chest, so you can benefit from the buoyancy of the water and get the most out of your workout.

Action:
​Twist your upper body to the right side by rotating your torso, so that your arms move together to one side at a time. When you reach the end of the rotation, push the dumbbells together as deep as you can. Then bend your arms, twist on the other side and repeat the same action. Don’t attempt to rotate too far. Keep it to a comfortable degree.
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Breathing:
​Keep your breathing steady throughout the exercise. If you are doing this exercise fast, breathe in when you rotate your torso to the one side and breathe out when you rotate to the other. If you are doing a slow, more focused motion, inhale in starting position and exhale as you rotate your body.

​Worked Muscles:

​Obliques and rectus abdominis are the primary muscles used in this exercise. Your back muscles also assist in the movement. The rotation of the torso will put a lot of pressure on those muscles. Arm extension on both sides will activate your arm and shoulder muscles. So if you are looking for an upper-body workout, you should give this one a try.

​benefits:

This is a great oblique workout. It is easy to perform and doesn't require any swimming skills. You can even do it without equipment. In addition, it increases torso flexibility and gets your heart rate up. 

​Variations:

​1. To increase the difficulty for your core muscles, keep your arms extended straight in front of you while twisting. 

2. To challenge your core even more, do a slight forward crunch simultaneously as you rotate your torso. 

 3. Alternate your arm movement from right to left and vice versa. Extend your right arm to the left side and your left arm to the right side. 

4. Use a noodle instead of dumbbells. Or if you don't have any floats, push the water with your hands. 

5. Perform Russian Twists without arms. Rotate your torso side to side with your arms tucked in front of your chest.