The hip twist exercise is an abdominal-strengthening exercise that originally was performed as a movement in Pilates. This exercise is performed at a variety of leg heights to target various areas of your abdomen. Keep your abdominal muscles tightened throughout this exercise for maximum results that will show off your waistline.
Implementation
To perform the hip twist, sit on the floor or on an exercise mat with your legs straightened in front of you. Lean back and place your palms on the floor and lift your straightened legs in the air. Keeping your abdomen tightened, slowly move your legs in a circle toward the left for a full set, then reverse the direction and move your legs in a circle to the right.
Repetitions
The number of repetitions you perform depends on your fitness level and the results you want to achieve. Typically, the more repetitions you perform, the greater impact the exercise will have on strengthening your abdominal muscles. Begin performing three sets of 10 rotations in each direction, then increase the amount of sets as you physically progress.
Sets
Sets can be increased during this exercise by performing rotations to the left and right at different leg heights. Begin with your feet two to three feet off the ground and perform three sets of 10 repetitions in each direction at this height. As you progress and are able to complete more sets in a workout, lower your legs 6 inches and perform three more sets of 10 repetitions in each direction. For an advanced workout with the hip twist, perform three additional sets of 10 repetitions after lowering your feet 6 more inches, for a total of nine sets.
Frequency
The frequency in which you perform hip twists depends on the number of times you want to strengthen this muscle group, as well as whether you use other abdominal-strengthening exercises on other days of the week. For best results, couple this exercise with at least two other abdominal-strengthening exercises, as well as exercises for every major muscle group in your body, at least twice a week.
Member Comments