Gagne Cyclones

What You'll Need
A lower back extension machine, some weight if you please, and the desire to punish your obliques for their indiscretions.

Why You Should Be Doing This Exercise
What happens when you combine side bends with Russian twists? Absolute pain, or a great core exercise, depending on if you're doing them, or just enjoying the after-effects. Hard for this not to score high on the "Wow, that's tough" abs scale. Think you're ready? We do, so let's go.

Start
So, this may initially feel awkward. Instead of placing the backs of your feet on the foot roll bar, you'll put your legs together, and have the exterior of one ankle touching the bar. Which means you're now lying sideways on this machine.

Middle
If you've started with your right ankle touching the roll bar, then you want take your right arm and reach to your left side, all the while keeping your torso extended. So your hands should be by the ground to begin. Making sense? Take a look at the video to put the pieces together. Regardless, the move is to twist up so that your left side will eventually turn fully, and your hands which should be holding weight with your arms extended will now be pointing into the air. Tough, we know.

Finish
The movement can be a bit tricky in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it'll feel "right." The key is to remember that as you're twisting, you're moving upwards. Bearer of bad news time: Finishing a set means doing both sides, which means flipping over. Sorry. Tough, we know.

Key Don'ts
We readily acknowledge the complexity. You're essentially mimicking a cyclone with your upper body. That's not easy. Do what you can at first. Place emphasis on execution before you start to set rep goals. Don't bend your arms though as they should be extended throughout the exercise.