Anchor the loop, twist away, own the rotation.
Pivot from your core and let your back foot turn, do not just swing your arms.
Rotating away from a chest-height anchor loads your obliques and deep core through a full twisting arc, with the band pulling hardest just as you reach the end of the rotation. Standing tall means your core has to transfer force between your hips and shoulders rather than just crunching. It is one of the few ways to train rotation with real resistance outside a cable stack.
A Russian twist rotates against gravity, which barely resists rotation at all. Here the band pulls sideways against your twist the whole way, so your core does measurable work in both directions, twisting out and controlling the return.
Yes, keep them extended so they act as a lever, not a power source. If your elbows bend and your arms swing, you are doing a strange pull instead of a rotation. The turn comes from your torso and hips.
Ten to fifteen controlled reps per side works for most people. Finish all reps facing one way, then turn around and match them on the other side so both sides get equal work.
