Windshield Wipers

CoreBar

An advanced hanging or lying movement where the legs, held together and raised, sweep side to side like a windshield wiper, combining trunk flexion strength with heavy rotational and oblique demand.

Demo: General gymnastics demo

Sets

3

Reps

6-8 per side

Rest

1:15

Contraindications

Only attempt after mastering hanging straight leg raises and toes-to-bar with strict control.

Setup

Hang from a pull-up bar with the legs raised to at least horizontal (or lie on the floor with legs raised to vertical for the lying variant).

Execution

  1. 1Brace the core hard before initiating the sweep
  2. 2Rotate the hips and legs together to one side, keeping the legs raised and together
  3. 3Control the sweep across to the other side without letting the legs drop
  4. 4Keep the upper body and grip stable throughout
  5. 5Continue alternating sides for the set

Key cues

  • Legs sweep as one unit, stay together
  • Keep the legs from dropping in height during the sweep
  • Control the rotation, don't let momentum take over
  • Upper body stays quiet and stable

Common faults

  • Legs dropping significantly in height during the sweep
  • Using momentum instead of controlled rotation
  • Losing grip and shoulder stability
  • Legs separating instead of staying together as one unit

Tweaks

  • Perform the lying variation as a regression from hanging
  • Reduce the range of the sweep initially
  • Bend the knees for an easier regression

Regressions

Hanging Straight Leg Raise

Muscles

Primary: Rectus Abdominis, Obliques

Secondary: Hip Flexors, Grip/Forearms

Notes

FLEXION + ROTATION hybrid, difficulty 5, elite-level movement.

Sources

Attribution: Gymnastics Strength Training (GST) canon