Hang from a bar and sweep your legs in a controlled arc from side to side, emphasizing oblique and rectus abdominis engagement.
How to do the Hanging Windshield Wiper#
- Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand or mixed grip and hang with your arms straight and body long.
- Brace your core and bring your legs together, then lift them until they are roughly perpendicular to your torso.
- Keep your hips steady and rotate your legs to one side in a controlled arc, leading with your hips and not your feet.
- Reverse the motion to sweep your legs across to the opposite side, maintaining the same arc and control.
- Return to the center position before starting the next rep and breathe steadily throughout the movement.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Obliques (External & Internal Obliques)
- Secondary: Hip flexors (Iliopsoas (Hip Flexors)), Lats (Latissimus Dorsi), Forearms (Forearm Flexors & Extensors (incl. Brachioradialis)), Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius)
Common mistakes#
- Using momentum or swinging the torso to move the legs.
- Bending the knees excessively so the legs do not move as a single unit.
- Allowing the shoulders to shrug or collapse during the hang.
- Moving too quickly and sacrificing control through the arc.
