Weighted Side Pancake Twist

The Weighted Side Pancake Twist is a great mobility drill to strengthen and stretch the oblique muscles. It is important that the athlete has already developed sufficient groin mobility. If not, go back to a bent hurdler variation.

• Type Of Exercise: Mobility
• Muscles: Hips, Hamstrings, Abdominals, Shoulders, Trapezius
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Equipment: Dumbbell, Yoga Block

Weighted Side Pancake Twist

1. Start sitting upright in a seated straddle on the floor with straight knees.
2. Extend a light weight overhead, shrug your shoulders to your ears, and lock your elbows.
3. Leading with the weight, lean to your side over your left leg.
4. Keep your torso facing forward and shoulders fully open (biceps behind your ears).
5. Lower down until you feel a strong stretch in your right oblique.
6. Stretch your torso long across your leg rather than hunching; try to get your bottom shoulder to your knee.
7. Also be sure keep both glutes in contact with the floor throughout.
8. Now twist your torso 90-degrees so that you are facing your left leg (not forward) and pause momentarily before twisting back to the side pancake position.
9. Alternate between the side and face down pancake positions for reps.
10. Stay low, extend long across your leg, and keep the weight fully extended throughout the set.
11. Switch sides and perform an equal number of pancake twists over your right leg.

• Exercise: Weighted Side Pancake
• Type of Exercise: Flexibility
• Muscles: Hips, Hamstrings, Abdominals, Shoulders, Trapezius
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Equipment: Dumbbell, Yoga Block

• Exercise: Weighted Pancake Side to Side
• Type of Exercise: Mobility
• Muscles: Hips, Hamstrings, Abdominals, Shoulders, Trapezius
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Equipment: Dumbbell, Yoga Block