When building a fitness programme, it's important to understand the body in its multiple planes of movement. That is to say, the directions in which we function and can produce force.
These functional movement patterns are the foundations to the way we move in our daily lives, and come in the form of 7 key patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, twist, and gait.
A well-rounded and healthy fitness programme will include all of these patterns. In this series, I examine each of these patterns on their own. This post will look at the twist pattern.
What is the 'TWist' Pattern?
Like the hinge, twisting is a pattern we perform often, but perhaps don't realise we're doing it half the time.
Twisting involves rotating the top and bottom halves of the body in opposite directions. To achieve this, either the shoulders rotate independently of the hips, vice versa, or they both rotate at the same time but in opposite directions.
When performing the twist pattern, the primary muscles usually engaged are:
The core muscles (primarily side and front)
How can I train the TWIST pattern?
Here are some examples of twisting exercises:
Trunk rotations
Sit up with twist
Medicine ball twists
Russian twists
Windshield wipers
Woodchoppers
Wall ball throws
WHAT's the best twist exercise?
A personal favourite of mine is the woodchopper exercise. Using a cable machine, the ability to control the amount of weight being moved during the exercise makes this suitable for just about any experience level. Wall ball throws are also a great twisting exercise, plus they're very fun (who doesn't like throwing a ball at a wall??).
For absolute beginners or individuals that struggle with the twisting motion, some simple trunk rotations using only body weight may be the most suitable twisting exercise. Sit ups with a twist are also a good alternative if gym equipment is unavailable.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. The information I provide on this website is based on my personal experience and my experience as a Personal Trainer. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. In addition, the information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website. Never rely on information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice.
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