Half Wipers (bent leg)
- Target muscle
- Obliques
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Waist
- Type
- Strength
Half wipers (bent leg) is a bodyweight rotational core exercise that targets the obliques. Lying on your back with knees bent, you rotate your legs side to side under control, training your waist to resist and produce rotation while your shoulders stay pinned to the floor. The bent-leg position shortens the lever, making it a more accessible entry point to the windshield-wiper movement.
How to do the Half Wipers (bent leg)
- 1Lie flat on your back with your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, palms down, to anchor your upper body.
- 2Lift your feet and bend your knees to roughly 90 degrees, stacking your knees over your hips.
- 3Brace your core and press your lower back gently toward the floor to set a stable starting position.
- 4Keeping your knees together and bent, slowly lower both legs to one side, stopping partway down before they reach the floor.
- 5Pause briefly when you feel your obliques engage, keeping both shoulder blades flat on the floor.
- 6Use your obliques to pull your knees back to the centered, stacked position under control.
- 7Lower your legs to the opposite side to the same partial range, then return to center to complete one full cycle.
- 8Continue alternating sides for your target reps, then lower your feet to finish.
Form tips
- Keep both shoulders and arms pressed into the floor throughout — the rotation should come from your waist, not from your upper body rolling.
- Move slowly in both directions; a controlled tempo keeps tension on the obliques instead of letting momentum swing your legs.
- Maintain the 90-degree knee bend the whole set so the lever stays short and manageable.
- Only rotate as far as you can while keeping your lower back stable and your shoulders down, then build range over time.
- Exhale as you pull back to center to help your core brace harder through the working phase.
Common mistakes
- Letting your shoulders peel off the floor as your legs lower, which turns the movement into a roll and takes tension off the obliques.
- Dropping the legs quickly and using momentum instead of muscular control, which reduces the training effect and stresses the lower back.
- Straightening the knees mid-rep, which lengthens the lever beyond what this bent-leg version is meant to train.
- Arching the lower back away from the floor, which removes the core brace and puts the lumbar spine at risk.
- Rotating too far too soon, losing position rather than working within a controlled partial range.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles do half wipers (bent leg) work?
They primarily target the obliques, the muscles along the sides of your waist that control and resist rotation. The rest of your core works to keep your spine stable as your legs move side to side.
Are half wipers (bent leg) good for beginners?
Yes. The bent-knee position and the partial range of motion make this an accessible entry point to windshield wipers, letting you build rotational core strength before progressing to a larger range or straight legs.
Why do I keep this a half range instead of touching the floor?
Stopping partway keeps constant tension on the obliques and protects your lower back. Lowering all the way often lets momentum take over and pulls your shoulders off the floor, so the half range is more controlled and effective.
How many sets and reps should I do?
A sensible starting point is 2–3 sets of 8–12 controlled cycles per side. Add reps or increase your range only once you can keep your shoulders flat and your movement slow throughout.
What is a good progression from half wipers (bent leg)?
Once the bent-leg version feels controlled, you can increase the range toward a full windshield wiper or progress to straight-leg wipers, which lengthen the lever and increase the demand on your obliques.
