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Windmills

Standing windmills spread the feet wide, extend the arms into a T, and rotate the trunk so one hand reaches the opposite foot while the other points at the ceiling. Maddy uses them to train rotation and hamstring length together — a combination almost nothing else in a bodyweight session covers. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Obliques Abs · rectus abdominis Deep core · transverse abdominis

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength3 × 5-6 slow reps per side60-90 s
Muscle3 × 9-12 alternating reps60 s
Endurance2 × 18-24 alternating reps30-45 s

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Intermediate

Intermediate; flexibility sets your depth, but rotation quality is the pass-fail criterion at any depth.

Proper form — 5 cues

  1. Set the feet wider than shoulders with toes forward and knees soft.
  2. Extend both arms into a firm T before any rotation begins.
  3. Rotate from the trunk to send one hand toward the opposite shin or foot.
  4. Let the other arm rise until it points at the ceiling — eyes follow the top hand.
  5. Return to the tall T completely before rotating the other way.

Breathing: Exhale as you rotate down toward the foot, inhale as you return to the tall T.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Slumping the chest toward the floor instead of rotating.. The slump is a forward fold in disguise — the spine rounds, the obliques never rotate, and the drill loses its purpose. Fix: Lead with the top shoulder rolling open toward the ceiling; if you can see your top hand, you are rotating.
Bouncing at the bottom to slap the foot.. The bounce yanks the hamstrings at speed and turns a control drill into momentum swinging. Fix: Touch the shin instead of the foot and slow the rhythm — depth is earned as the hamstrings release over sessions.
Locking the knees to look stricter.. Hard-locked knees force the rotation demand into the lower back, which is built for far less of it. Fix: Keep a soft micro-bend and share the movement between hips and trunk.

Common questions

Are windmills a stretch or a strength exercise?

Both, in useful proportions. Each rep takes the hamstrings and trunk rotators through a long range — the stretch component — while the obliques and hips control the descent and drive the return, which is genuine strengthening. That dual role is why they appear in warm-ups before lifting and inside core blocks as a working movement. The tempo decides which role dominates.

I can't reach my foot — am I doing windmills wrong?

Not at all; reach is a flexibility snapshot, not the standard. Touch the shin or knee with a flat, rotated back rather than straining for the foot with a rounded one. The quality bar is rotation — top shoulder stacked, eyes on the raised hand — and that is achievable at every flexibility level. The floor gets closer over weeks by itself.

Windmills vs Russian twists for obliques?

Russian twists rotate a flexed, seated trunk quickly through short range; windmills rotate a long, standing body slowly through a big arc with the hamstrings involved. The standing version carries over more directly to sport and daily movement and doubles as mobility work. Twists concentrate burn faster. Maddy defaults to windmills for movement quality and uses twists as an optional finisher.

Related exercises

Boat Hold Side TwistObliques Side Plank Reach ThroughObliques · Deep lower back Alternate Leg in and TwistObliques Russian TwistObliques Dumbbell Russian TwistObliques

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