Rotational Movements and 5 Core Exercises

Rotational exercises, although common in athletics, are one of those movements easily forgotten for the average trainee.  Pushing, pulling and squatting, in forward and reverse, is how we do things.  Most things in life ARE in forward or reverse, and there are far more of those exercises to choose from.  And of the rotational exercises, are they even worth doing?  There are a lot of “core” exercises out there that aren’t worth the sweat and the question you should always ask is “what is the risk/benefit?”

A quick note on “core” exercises before we begin.  They’re over-rated.  Most people that are overly concerned about “core” exercises have been misled by savvy marketing.  Usually the folks that ask me about them are simply looking to lose weight in the mid-section. Let me just say that if you are overweight, the majority of “core training” you do should integrate the core not isolate it.  You’ll drop fat faster with compound exercises.  Don’t think just because something is deemed “for the core” its going to help you lose weight faster than squats, pushes, pulls and intense cardio.  Keep the core exercises in their proper place and always stack them up against the Risk: Benefit ratio.

The Risk : Benefit ratio

Every exercise you do should has a Risk : Benefit ratio (R:B) and you should know what it is.  If you don’t know why you’re doing an exercise, or how it can hurt you, then you should have a trainer who can give you the answer.  Otherwise proceed with ANY exercise at your own peril.  

The reason I always talk about squatting, pushing and pulling with every workout is because these exercises have a good R:B.  They are easy to do and do not require advanced techniques which gives them a lower risk potential.  They also have many variations and the ability to work the entire body which is huge benefit!  Rotational Movements do not have as good a R:B.  Any exercise that involves moving the spine must be done with care, especially rotations, so keep that in mind when choosing an exercise:

Twists

Standing or sitting, twisting is pretty easy and adaptable movement.  You can adjust speed, tension and/or resistance with little effort.  I use it for posture and range of motion with my seniors; it has virtually no risk when done slow and with bodyweight only.  Our bodies were meant to move that way but few things in life require twisting in both directions equally and through the spines full range of motion.  There is certainly benefit in twisting, but doing them with any external resistance is sketchy at best.  Sure, you could hold a medicine ball or attach bands/tubing to something, but you’ll hit a ceiling with this exercise fairly quickly.  I don’t see much use in doing these beyond bodyweight so I’d give twists A in risk and a C in benefit.  

Twisting sit-ups

I’m not a fan of sit ups in general.  Most people get enough spinal flexion and hip shortening when they sit at work or on the computer and reinforcing that is not a good idea.  Spinal experts like Stuart McGill will also caution you on combining flexion and rotation so twisting sit ups have a higher risk potential.  The benefit?  Let’s be honest, have we ever seen twisting sit ups done that wasn’t because a Rocky movie?  I just can’t see us ever having to move that way against resistance in real life.  The twisting sit-up gets a poor risk : benefit ratio… D’s in both categories.

Mace Swinging

The first time I swung a mace club I realized that I had actually done it before throwing the hammer in the Scottish Highland Games.  The olympic hammer throw is very similar except there’s a spin.  There’s something very visceral about swinging a mace and you can feel it everywhere.  A very powerful movement and great for those who are ready for it but it requires a base level of strength and coordination.  Of course the risk in mace swinging is getting owned by it.  Or letting it fly.  Potentially a very dangerous to you and those around you.  I would give it an A in benefit but a C- in risk.

Russian Twists

Performed with the end of a barbell in the corner of a device like Sorinex’s Landmine, this is a relatively safe exercise that could even be performed with a brookstick.  I wouldn’t hesitate to allow all but the most unstable and decrepit senior citizen to try it, but why they would do it escapes me.  I’m not convinced of the benefits of this exercise, but to honest, I haven’t much experience with this exercise and I know little about it.  If anybody reading this does, let me know what you think.   Risk C+ : Benefit ?

Turkish Get Up

The TGU is full body exercise that has rotational components.  This is a good example of the integrated core exercise I mentioned earlier.  The focus of the TGU is on movement and symmetry and is one of those exercises that almost everybody should do or at least be working to do.  Most seniors would not be able to do this movement because simply getting up off of the ground is hard for them, but if they started this exercise when they were younger they’d still be able to do it!  The TGU is a complex exercise that can be broken down into smaller pieces so if the full get-up is not appropriate there may still be alternatives.  Risk B : Benefit A

Summary

It’s obvious the need for rotational movements in training athletes since most sports require such a movement - throwing, swinging, etc.  The need is not always to strengthen those movements but sometimes to counteract it.  To reach peak performance and lasting longevity, the athlete has to be especially careful with asymmetries, but shouldn’t regular people be interested in performance and longevity as well?  Regular people with regular lives have one-sided things that jack them up too, and their need for “rotational core exercises” is just as great.  Everyone should have some rotational exercises in their program even if its just twisting in a chair or stretching on a swiss ball, but if you want to take it to the next level its a not-so-simple progression.  Rotations have a higher risk : benefit ratio than most exercises and you really have to weigh the pros and cons of performing them.  Proceed with caution or see a corrective exercise specialist for help determining your needs.