Seated Barbell Twist

Setup

1. 01Sit on a bench with an empty or light bar placed across the upper traps.
2. 02Hold the bar wide with both hands and sit tall with feet planted wide.
3. 03Set the chest up and brace the trunk lightly.
4. 04Keep the hips square to the front for the whole set.

Execution

1. 01Rotate the shoulders and bar slowly to one side.
2. 02Turn as far as the mid-back allows without the hips joining in.
3. 03Pause briefly at end range, staying tall.
4. 04Rotate back through center to the other side with the same control.

Checkpoints

• -Rotation is smooth and deliberate, never a swinging bounce.
• -The hips and knees stay pointed forward.
• -Posture stays tall; the trunk does not slump as reps accumulate.
• -The bar stays level across the shoulders through every rep.

Common mistakes

• -Whipping the bar side to side with momentum.
• -Using a loaded bar; speed under load is what makes this movement risky.
• -Letting the hips rotate with the shoulders, erasing the training effect.
• -Slumping forward and twisting through the lower back.