The main muscle group listed for this exercise.
Seated Barbell Twist
Seated Barbell Twist is a beginner-friendly core exercise performed with a barbell.
The equipment listed for this variation.
The recorded setup and movement complexity.
Core
No secondary muscle group is listed for this variation.
Strength
Movement pattern: core. This is an isolation exercise.
Beginner
This level reflects the setup and movement complexity recorded for this exercise.
How to do Seated Barbell Twist
- Start out by sitting at the end of a flat bench with a barbell placed on top of your thighs. Your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other.
- Grip the bar with your palms facing down and make sure your hands are wider than shoulder width apart from each other. Begin to lift the barbell up over your head until your arms are fully extended.
- Now lower the barbell behind your head until it is resting along the base of your neck. This is the starting position.
- While keeping your feet and head stationary, move your waist from side to side so that your oblique muscles feel the contraction. Only move from side to side as far as your waist will allow you to go. Stretching or moving too far can cause an injury to occur. Tip: Use a slow and controlled motion.
- Remember to breathe out while twisting your body to the side and in when moving back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Workout templates that use this exercise.
If you want to see this movement inside a more complete training session, start here.
30-Minute Fat Loss Workout
A shorter full-body session designed to keep you moving and make consistency easier on busy days.
View workoutBeginner Full Body Workout
A simple full-body workout that teaches the basic movement patterns without burying beginners in volume.
View workoutBeginner Gym Workout
A beginner-friendly gym session built around stable machines and simple cable patterns.
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Ab Crunch Machine is an intermediate-level core exercise performed with a resistance machine.
View exerciseRelated calculators for this exercise.
Use these calculators when you want to connect the exercise itself to calories, protein, strength targets, or training volume.
Common questions about Seated Barbell Twist.
What muscles does Seated Barbell Twist work?
Seated Barbell Twist primarily trains the core.
Is Seated Barbell Twist beginner-friendly?
Yes. It is listed as beginner-friendly.
What equipment do I need for Seated Barbell Twist?
This variation uses a barbell.
Track this exercise for free in Logbook.
Once the movement is in your plan, use Logbook to record sets, reps, load, and progress without guessing what happened last week.