Also known as: windshield wipers, hanging windshield wipers, hanging leg wipers, bar windshield wipers, toes-to-bar wipers

What is Windscreen Wipers?

Windscreen Wipers is a hard hanging core exercise where you hang from a pull-up bar and sweep your legs side-to-side using obliques and lats. It primarily targets the core, shoulders and forearms and requires strong grip and shoulder stability for strict control.

How to Do Windscreen Wipers

  1. Set grip: Use a shoulder-width overhand grip on the pull-up bar with thumbs wrapped; confirm solid grip before loading to protect wrists and forearms.
  2. Engage lats and core: Pull slightly down through the shoulders, retract scapula and brace your anterior core to stabilize the spine and hips.
  3. Lift legs to bar: With straight or slightly bent knees, use core strength to raise toes toward the bar until hips approach 90 degrees.
  4. Initiate side sweep: Exhale and move legs side-to-side, driving the motion from obliques while keeping legs together and avoiding hip rotation.
  5. Control descent: Slowly lower legs to one side if limited by mobility, keeping hips neutral and grip secure to avoid swinging or twisting.
  6. Reset and repeat: Return legs to center under control, reset scapula if needed, breathe steadily and perform reps with strict tempo and no momentum.

Muscle Groups

Core, Shoulders, Forearm

Description

Hang from a bar, pulling down with your lats and engaging your shoulders.

Squeeze your anterior core to bring your toes up toward the bar.

Maintain control from your obliques and move your legs side-to-side, trying to keep them together.

Since you might not be that flexible or haven't performed this in a while, lower your legs to one side as far as you can without twisting your hips or losing your grip.
Movement Group: Core
Equipment: Pull-Up Bar

Progressions and Regressions

None

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of Windscreen Wipers?

Windscreen Wipers build anti-rotational core strength with strong oblique activation, improve shoulder stability and lat engagement, and develop grip and forearm strength while enhancing body control and hip mobility when done with strict form.

What common mistakes should I avoid when doing Windscreen Wipers?

Avoid swinging with momentum, twisting the hips, bending the legs excessively, failing to retract the scapula, or using a weak grip. These errors reduce effectiveness and increase shoulder or lower-back injury risk.

How can I progress or regress Windscreen Wipers?

Regress to hanging knee raises or tuck variations and use resistance bands for assistance. Progress by extending legs, increasing range of motion, using single-leg variations, or adding time under tension and controlled negatives.