Supine Twist Stretch with a Weight

The supine twist takes the torso through rotation while you lie on your back, which combines a mobility demand on the thoracic spine with genuine work for the obliques. Holding a weight or a medicine ball with both arms extended above the chest lengthens the lever considerably, so the muscles that control the rotation are loaded rather than simply guiding an empty movement. Lowering the weight toward the floor beside one hip and bringing it back to the centre is a controlled eccentric on one side and a concentric on the other. The detail that matters is the shoulders: keeping both of them in contact with the floor forces the rotation to happen in the trunk rather than in the shoulder girdle. Move slowly and stop before the far shoulder lifts. Keep the knees stacked and let them stay put as the arms travel, since letting the legs fall to the opposite side turns the movement into a passive stretch rather than controlled rotation.