Core · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Russian Twist
How to do the dumbbell russian twist, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Accessory
How to do it
Sit on the floor with knees bent, holding a weight plate or no weight. Lean back slightly and twist your torso to the left and right, tapping the weight on the floor beside your hips with each twist.
- 1Rotate your torso and feel your obliques and core working
- 2Keep your spine neutral and chest lifted
- 3Optionally lift your feet to increase the challenge and feel your hip flexors lightly engage
Common mistakes
- Avoid rounding your back or slouching
- Don't jerk through the twist, move smoothly
- Avoid leaning too far back which shifts the work to your hip flexors
Muscles worked
The dumbbell russian twist mainly works the obliques, upper abs, and lower abs.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Dumbbell Russian Twist strength standards
See how your dumbbell russian twist ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM10 lb
Silvere1RM20 lb
Golde1RM52.5 lb
Platinume1RM87.5 lb
Diamonde1RM107.5 lb
Champione1RM125 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the dumbbell russian twist for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed April 2026.