Legs Raised Weighted Russian Twist
In SetGrip: Weighted Russian Twist (Legs Raised)
- Secondary muscles
- Obliques, Hip Flexors
- Body part
- Core
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Lifting your feet off the floor changes the ordinary Weighted Russian Twist more than it looks: balancing on your sit bones forces the hip flexors and abs to hold the V position while the obliques rotate the load. Expect to use less weight than the feet-down version and to lose the position before the obliques tire.
How to do the Legs Raised Weighted Russian Twist
- Sit on the ground with your knees bent and feet lifted off the ground, keeping your legs together.
- Hold the weight with both hands in front of your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- Lean back slightly to engage your core muscles.
- Twist your torso to the right, bringing the weight towards the ground on your right side.
- Pause for a moment, then twist your torso to the left, bringing the weight towards the ground on your left side.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Pivot on the back foot and let the hips turn with the shoulders so the rotation is shared across the whole body.
Muscles worked
Primary
Abs · Core
The obliques rotate the torso and resist the return, and you should feel the side of the waist tighten on each side as you turn.
Secondary
- Obliques — The obliques are the prime movers, with the internal and external obliques on opposite sides working together to turn the trunk.
- Hip Flexors
Common mistakes
- Twisting from the lower back — the rotation should come from the mid back and hips; keep the lower back neutral and let the hips turn with you on standing variations.
- Using the arms to swing — on cable and band rotations the arms stay locked out in front of you and the torso does the turning.
- Rushing the reps — control the return and pause briefly at the end range on each side instead of bouncing back and forth.
- Loading barbell twists heavy — gravity barely resists rotation, so keep barbell twists light and controlled, and use a cable or band when you want real rotational load.
Where it fits in a workout
Rotations work at the end of a session with the other core work, or as a warm-up before throws and rotational sports. Superset cable rotations with a cable side bend or pull-through on the same stack.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.