The twist movement pattern is a torso rotation, training this movement pattern is all about developing strong core muscles.   Your core muscles keep your torso stable and upright and protect your internal organs. 

Over the last couple of decades “core training” has received a lot of attention and while there is no doubt that having a strong core is important for posture and to improve your performance in any exercise, the ways we are being told to train our core muscles are simply not the best ways to do it. Performing 100 situps, v-snaps,  crunches and laying leg raisers are really effective for some doms in your abdominals the next day but they are not functional movements and are not good for your spine.  So what is the best way to develop a strong core? By performing compound exercises with good technique.

In order to determine which exercises are the best for working your core muscles it is important to understand how these muscles work. You have anterior and posterior core muscles. Your anterior or front core muscles compress the abdomen acting as stabilisers for your trunk/torso , this is why you can get strong core muscles from squatting heavy with proper technique or doing pushups with good technique, all these muscles including the rectus abdominis (the six pack muscle) are being activated to stabilise your body.

 Your rectus abdominis can also bend / flex the spine, so the movement produced during a crunch, is in fact a rectus abdominis movement. The issue with crunches, is not that they do not target the intended muscle group, the issue is that it is not a functional way to move and can have a negative effect on your posture, and place a strain on your spine. As there are effective ways to train your abdominal muscles which are functional and do not place this strain on the spine it is a good idea to consider giving crunches the flick.

Your posterior core muscles or back core muscles are responsible for extending the spine as well as stabilising your torso. As with the anterior core muscles, the best way to work your posterior core is to do exercises with good posture as these muscles are put to work by maintaining a neutral spine. 

If you want to develop a strong core while protecting your spine, choose functional compound exercises and ensure you maintain good posture. Studies show these exercises tend to be even more effective than the traditional more isolated exercises like sit ups, or hyperextensions for strengthening your core muscles. If you want to specifically work the twist movement pattern, including an exercise like the cable woodchop enables you to work this movement without putting a strain on your spine.