Twist and Shout and Let It All Out

Now that summer is upon us and the dreaded bikini season, I have see a resurgence of blog posts and articles about exercise. As a kinesiologist (one whom studies the human body in movement) I must urge you to THINK before YOU DO! 

There are tons and tons of exercises out there. But what many don't realize is that it was terribly important to build your body up to doing the "fun" ones. Here is an example: 

Common name: Russian Twist
Other names: Mason Twist (popular by the Tone It Up Bikini Series program)

How it is done:
There are many variations to accommodate the novice to the expert but the primary steps are here

Who should NOT do this:

• Mommies newly cleared for exercise
• Novice exercises
• Even some intermediate exercisers
• If you don't do REAL core work (aka planks, posture exercises)
• If you have a history of back pain....even minor back pain
• If you have a curved back (i.e. early onset scoliosis, kyphosis or lordosis)

What can happen if you jump into this exercise without building yourself up...a herniated disc.

aka: "ruptured", "bulging", "prolapsed"

Anyone looking to add this to their routines should start with these exercises first:

  

Supermans                               Bird-dogs    

bridge level 1                           bridge level 2   

Then you can begin progressions:

1. standing w/ bands attached to something (doorknob, banister, table leg, etc.)

Here are some pics I found from Exercise-Training-At-Home

2. on exercise ball (2a. no weights, 2b. with weights)

3. on the floor (3a. no weights, 3b. small weights)

Here some other ways to challenge you without weights:

Watch your posture 

If you look like this (with a curved lower back) you're in trouble. If you can't maintain the posture holding in place more than 15 seconds you need to go back to the core exercises I showed above.

 

Poor twist with rounded back (left) vs. Great twist with straight back (right)

Keep in mind there are MANY core and stabilizing exercises out there that can prepare you for the Russian Twist. I merely mentioned three. For more ideas head over to the Exercise Library section of the ACE Fitness website.


Sources: The previous photos have been provided by the Women's Health, The Spine Center at UVA, American Council on Exercise, Fitness-training-at-home.com, www.fitnessconnoisseur.com and Bodybuilding.com.

Disclaimer: The statements mention above have been accumulated over the last ten years on college courses, individual research, and hands on experience in the fitness industry. My words are intended to help guide and protect you from harm and are not the only ways to prepare you for this expert level of exercise. Doing this exercise without proper training ahead of time may not lead to immediate injury and therefore if you choose to perform it you are at your own risk. I assume no responsibility for any possible injury for any of the exercises mentioned above and they should always be attempted in front of a trained professional when done for the first time. If you have any suspicion of having a herniated disc you are urged to seek contact your physician or orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. Herniated discs can lead to long term pain that can not be helped with medication.