Sitting Windshield Wipers

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Sit on the long edge of a flat bench with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
2. Grip the edges of the bench behind your hips to provide stability and lean your torso back at a 45-degree angle.
3. Lift your legs off the floor, squeezing your feet and knees together to engage the adductors.

How to do it

1. Inhale and slowly rotate your legs to one side in a controlled arc, keeping your legs straight and your torso as still as possible.
2. Exhale forcefully as you use your obliques to sweep your legs back through the center and over to the opposite side.
3. Maintain a steady, rhythmic tempo, ensuring the movement is driven by the core rather than momentum.
4. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Form checklist

• Keep your chest lifted and avoid rounding your lower back into the bench.
• Ensure your legs remain fully extended and glued together throughout the entire set.
• Limit torso rotation; the movement should primarily occur from the waist down.
• Keep your shoulders retracted and down, away from your ears.

Pro tips

• Actively squeeze your inner thighs together to maximize adductor recruitment and create a more stable 'lever' with your legs.
• Focus on the 'mind-muscle connection' by imagining your obliques pulling your hips toward your ribcage at the peak of each lateral arc.

Make it harder

• Hold a light medicine ball or dumbbell between your feet to increase the rotational load.
• Slow down the eccentric phase (the descent to the side) to a 3-second count to increase time under tension.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sitting windshield wipers work?

The sitting windshield wipers primarily targets the abs, adductors, and obliques, and also works the hamstrings and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the sitting windshield wipers?

The sitting windshield wipers requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the sitting windshield wipers good for beginners?

The sitting windshield wipers is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Front Plank To Toe TapIntermediate · abs, adductors, erector spinae, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• Kneeling Forward Hip CirclesBeginner · abs, adductors, erector spinae, glutes, hip flexors, and obliques
• Lying Alternate Butterfly AbductionBeginner · abs, adductors, and obliques
• Lying Criss Cross LegsBeginner · abs, adductors, and obliques