My fitness goals and habits change pretty regularly but no matter what my next goal is, having a strong core will make things easier.
If I want to lift heavier in the gym this year, a strong core will benefit my form and allow me to push harder. If I want to improve my marathon time, I’ll need a strong core to build a strong foundation.
Eager to expand the standard abs and core exercises I know all too well, I decided to challenge myself to master a new move. After a little bit of social media scrolling through the best ab workouts, I discovered cycling Russian twists and committed to completing 70 of them every day for a week.
What muscles do cycling Russian twists work?
Not to be confused with the traditional Russian twist, the cycling Russian twist adds...well, you probably guessed it...a twist to the exercise by incorporating a cycling motion with your legs.
It's a core exercise that targets the obliques (the muscles that run along the sides of your torso), rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles) and the hip flexors.
How to do cycling Russian twists
How To: Bicycle Russian Twists - YouTube
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet lifted a few inches off the ground. Lean back slightly to engage your core.
- Hold your hands together or use a weight for added resistance, such as a light version of one of the best kettlebells.
- Twist your torso to the right and bring your left elbow toward your right knee while extending your left leg out.
- Now twist to the left, bringing your right elbow toward your left knee while extending your right leg out.
- Keep alternating sides for the desired number of reps.
- Avoid arching your back as best you can and think about engaging your core throughout the whole movement.
Here’s what happened when I did 70 cycling Russian twists everyday for a week.
It took discipline
As a fitness writer, I'm no stranger to challenges like this, where you repeat the same exercise until you hit a certain goal.
So I well know that, unlike dynamic workouts such as a HIIT routine or a Pilates class that mix up movements, sticking to one exercise and doing it over and over again can feel monotonous and, yes, even unmotivating.
That said, it turned out to be a great way to test both my body and my mind and instill some discipline in me. By the 30th rep, my body (AKA my abs) was asking me for a break. Similarly, my brain was telling me to stop.
This is a feeling I am used to from training to run longer distance events like the marathon. Running a marathon and completing 70 cycling Russian twists are vastly different activities but they both require you to show up and keep going until the very end, even when it feels uncomfortable.
It made me think more about my posture
I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, which often leads to slouching. After a few days of focusing on my core throughout this challenge, I found myself sitting up straighter without even thinking about it. The extra awareness of my core muscles seemed to translate into better posture throughout the day.
Will this last beyond this challenge? I can't make any promises but it has made me think more about the way I hold my body up throughout the day and how holding a better posture will become easier, the stronger my core gets.
I enjoyed how easy it was to pick up
Adding a new exercise to my routine was a welcome change. I'm a creature of habit so it's good for me to switch things up and learn new exercises. Cycling Russian twists aren't exactly ground-breaking but it felt good learning the form of a new move and it's a great challenging move to add to future ab workouts.
Plus, it fit easily into my day, whether I did it post-run or while catching up on Netflix.
No visible six-pack yet, but it fired up my core
Shock — after a week, my abs didn’t look any different. This is to be expected; healthy and sustainable physical changes take longer. But, my abs certainly felt like they were being worked hard, and for me, that's a sure sign of building strength.
Verdict
Doing 70 cycling Russian twists every day for a week proved to be a pretty hardcore way to target my core.
The exercise helped me feel more tuned in to my obliques and wider core, it challenged my discipline levels (mentally and physically), and made me think more about my posture.
However, you don't need to do 70 of the same exercise to get results. It's good to incorporate a variety of exercises into your core training to target different muscle groups, prevent boredom, and stay motivated.
More from Tom's Guide
- I’m using these 4 moves to keep my hips strong and injury free in my 2025 running routine
- No gym? Use this 30-minute walking workout instead to build a stronger upper body and core and boost your metabolism
- Forget sit-ups — these fitness trainers ranked 22 abs exercises and this is the top bodyweight move to build a stronger core
English (US) ·