Floor Wipers (Complete How To Guide)

Floor Wipers are a core stability and strength exercise that challenges the abs, obliques, and hip flexors while also engaging the chest and shoulders to stabilize the barbell.

Lying on your back with a loaded barbell held overhead, you raise your legs and move them side to side like windshield wipers, forcing your core to resist rotation and control the load.

Primary Muscles Worked: Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Hip Flexors
Secondary Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Chest, Lower Back (stabilization)
Equipment Needed: Barbell with Weight Plates

How To Do Floor Wipers

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Lie flat on your back holding a barbell at arm’s length directly over your chest (like a bench press lockout).
- Keep your legs together and extended straight out on the floor.
- Brace your core and keep your lower back pressed into the ground.
Execution:
- Raise your legs up until your feet are roughly 6 inches off the floor.
- Lift your legs up to one side, bringing your feet to one side of the bar (or to a plate if you have them loaded on the bar).
- Reverse the motion, lowering your legs back to the start, then raise them to the opposite side.
- Continue alternating sides while keeping the barbell steady overhead.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Keep the barbell stable, don’t let it wobble or drift.
- Move your legs under control, avoid swinging with momentum.
- Keep your shoulders and upper back pressed into the floor.

Key Benefits

Strengthens abs and obliques with rotational control.
Improves shoulder stability under load.
Great accessory for both core development and barbell stability.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option:
- Perform without a barbell, keeping arms extended overhead.
- Bend your knees instead of keeping legs straight to reduce leverage.
Harder Option:
- Increase barbell weight for more upper-body stabilization demand.
- Slow down the eccentric phase (lowering the legs).
- Pause briefly at the bottom of each side.

Common Mistakes

Letting the Barbell Drift: Keep arms locked and bar steady over your chest.
Swinging the Legs: Move with controlled motion to keep tension on the core.
Overarching the Lower Back: Keep ribs down and abs braced to protect the spine.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Core Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps per side.
For Endurance: 2–3 sets of 10–12 reps per side with lighter barbell load.
As a Finisher: Time-based sets (30–45 seconds of continuous reps).

Floor Windshield Wiper Alternatives

If you can’t do Floor Windshield Wipers, because they’re a little too difficult or you don’t have the proper equipment, here are a few alternatives that you can try to substitute in their place.

Suitcase Crunches

If you don’t have a barbell or just aren’t ready for Floor Windshield Wipers yet, Suitcase Crunches are a great alternative.

Suitcase Crunches are pretty close to the same movement, but without the bar. Sit on the ground with your legs extended straight out, six inches off the ground, and your torso leaning back at about a 45-degree angle.

Now, drive your knees and chest together (like closing a suitcase) and then extend back out. Keep your back and feet off the ground throughout the exercise.

Cross Body Mountain Climbers

Most of us probably did Mountain Climbers at some point in gym class growing up. Cross Body Mountain Climbers ramp up the ab involvement big time. From a pushup position drive one knee up, cross-body, to the opposite elbow.

Alternate back and forth until all reps are completed. You might be surprised just how much these can light your abs on fire.