This is a great exercise to target the guts, specifically the obliques, but you must be diligent about the form. You can perform this exercise with a cable machine set on the lowest anchor point or use resistance bands with a low tie-off.
- Begin with your resistance band tied off low; squat down with your upper body rotated 90 degrees to face your anchor.
- Rotate up at a 45 degree angle and around 180 degrees as you exhale.
- Rotate back around and down following the same path ending up facing your anchor in a squat position.
- Repeat to fatigue and switch sides; your resistance should be such that you hit failure between 10-12 reps on your first set and fewer on your subsequent sets. Perform 2-3 sets per side.
Modifications and Tips
- This is an exercise for a cable machine or resistance bands, NOT dumbbells. Doing this exercise with weights (dumbbells) is not effective because the resistance needs to be on a horizontal plane, not a vertical plane.
- Tie off on a low anchor where your bands will not slide up, and hold on to both handles of one or more bands. If two handles is too much resistance, place your band around your anchor and slide one handle through the other, creating tension so it won’t slide up as you turn.
- If you have a door attachment that came with your bands, anchor it on the hinge side of the door so that it can’t slide up.