Cable Oblique Twist - Mojoh Gym Coaching & Training Tips

KEY AREAS: Obliques, Core, Shoulders, Upper Back and a little Arms.

START POSITION: This is a tricky exercise to perfect, and it is often wrongly taught. The height setting of the cable is important, as is the position of the feet, head, arms and legs.

The start position for this exercise is best learned by watching someone else – Technique for Cable Oblique Twist

My video above shows a variation of the exercise (which I call gunshots) – but please note I do actually have the cable setting a bit too high. It should be somewhere between shoulder height and just below hip height – depending on the type of the exercise you are doing.

This is a tricky start position to get into, and therefore you should begin to learn this exercise using a very light weight setting. The cable height setting should be no higher than the top of your chest, and the extended cable should be either horizontal or climbing upwards and outwards as you turn your back on the cable machine. Clasp the handle with both hands overlapped as shown.
Then shuffle sideways away from the machine, so that the closest foot is at least 30 cm from the machine. This will depend on how tall you are, and how long your
arms are.

NOTES:

Once the technique is mastered, the Oblique Cable Twist will bring enormous benefits.

Technique for Cable Oblique Twist

Including Cable Oblique Twist into your ABS workout will accelerate the attainment of a 6-pack. Why? Because the oblique muscles have quite a large size – running as one mass on both sides of the body from just under the chest down to the waist. The obliques are often overlooked when people become obsessed with building their central abdominal muscles.

Larger muscle mass in your body will accelerate fat loss and help to get your body in shape. And yes! More muscle in one part of your body will actually help to burn off excess flab in other parts of your body! This is why it is important to work hard on larger muscles such as Quads, Glutes and Chest.

Professional boxers must work very hard on their Obliques because they effectively form thick body armour around the sides of the rib cage. A low hooked punch to the side of your rib cage when your obliques are underdeveloped will easily break a rib.

Beginners should use low weights and high reps until they are confident the technique has been mastered. I always recommend this approach for all exercises in the Mojoh Method. Add weights later as required.

The key to getting the correct stance for the Oblique Cable Twist is to find the best position for your feet – this should mean that during the whole twist motion your feet remain planted in the same position and they do not move. It is best to keep the legs quite straight but not to lock out the knees.

Another key to correct form is to fix your eyes onto the end of the cable grip (in your hands) and follow it by twisting your body and turning your head at the same time. At the outside edge of the motion the cable will make contract with your arm quite tightly – this is normal.

Note that the grip handle is actiually being held vertically – correct again.

Control the movement as you swing back nd lower the weight back down – if it crashes back to it’s stack then you need to shuffle sideways a little more. If the weights crash at the top of the machine when your arms are fully extended then you need to shuffle back toward the machine a little more.

Focus on getting this technique highly polished with low weights, and add a very short pause to the outward position. Then you will really feel the obliques doing lots of work, and it will feel pretty good.

But get the technique wrong and you will not only look like a plonker but you risk hurting yourself badly. Please take it slow, and don’t be in a hurry to be the next
Arnold Schwarzenegger.