| When most people think ab training, they don't think explosive rotational movements...they think crunches or sit-ups.. But YOU'RE not most people, are you! Because you know (or at least you will in a second!) that powerful, rotational movements against resistance are the REAL key to developing a tight, strong core that not only looks great but gives you serious improvements in functional strength. And I'm not talking "functional" like standing on a Bosu ball on one leg catching bean bags "functional." I'm talking throw harder, run faster, jump higher NOW type of "functional." Basically, the kind of functional you actually WANT. That's where the Cable Gripping Trunk Twist exercise comes in... This is not your standard twisting exercise where you use little light weights or even no weight at all. You are going working against resistance and eventually working your way up to substantial resistance.
WHY YOU NEED ROTATIONAL TRAINING:
First off, from an aesthetic point of view, if you want a flat stomach or tighter waist, you NEED exercises that work in with a rotational movement (assuming your bodyfat levels are low enough - direct ab training won't burn abdominal fat away). Think of it this way...if somebody handed you some elastic bandage and told you to wrap yourself so that it made your waist smaller, how would you wrap it? Would you loop it over your shoulder and between your legs up and down your body? NO! You'd immediately wrap it AROUND your waist and cinch it up tight. So now comes the question...why would your "six pack" abs (the rectus abdominus) be the muscle to work if you want a tighter waist and flat stomach? This sheet of muscle runs vertically on your body, just like throwing that elastic bandage over your shoulder and through your legs. You need to work the muscles that wrap AROUND the waist - the transversus abdominus and the obliques (internal and external). THESE are the muscles that tighten the waist and flatten the stomach area. It's still a good idea (if your goal is a six-pack) to keep in some specific training for the frontal ab muscles, but to really make the waist smaller and the stomach flat, rotational training is what you need. Second, rotation is CRITICAL to pretty much ALL sports and related movements. Look at ANY throw or strike or hit or swing or kick or punch or stride...notice any rotational component there? The rotational muscles of the abs are the KEY to transferring force through the midsection.
HOW TO DO IT:
Naturally, if this is you... | 
