The Windmill exercise is the perfect movement to share with your clients. Typically, it will be programmed as a warm-up, mobility drill, or tertiary activity to compliment your primary lifts. It’s hard to categorize because it doesn’t fit comfortably in any movement category. That is why prospective lifters may write it off altogether. However, that’s what makes it so versatile. The Windmill exercise is dependent on full-body coordination and strength, areas that new clients will struggle with at the beginning of training.

Where there is a struggle, there is a learning opportunity. Hence the reason I like to use the Windmill as an assessment tool. I can use it as an introductory screen to identify mobility restrictions with my clients. Specifically, it screens for overhead ability, shoulder flexion and rotation, thoracic rotation, and hip hinging ability. These are some movement categories fundamental to the weight room. When learned, they will transfer to athletic performance.

I think it’s fair to attribute the growth of this movement to the Kettlebell master, Pavel Tsatsoline. Perhaps this wasn’t his intended use, but regardless a credit to him for his teachings.

What is the Purpose of the Windmill?

The exercise is specific to total body coordination. It is a multiplanar movement, meaning the body works through multiple planes of motion, including the frontal and transverse planes. It works the muscles of the core, obliques, and trunk.

Although typically done with a kettlebell or dumbell, the Windmill requires significant mobility, so better to start with your body weight and progress to external loading.

“The Windmill should be simultaneous hip hinging and spine rotation”

-Pavel Tsatsoline

How to Perform the Windmill?

1. Start with a staggered stance (back foot in line with the heels). Feet should be shoulder-to-hip width apart, depending on your body proportions. You may point to toes slightly outward to aid the movement.
2. Extend the opposite arm (to the forward leg) overhead. It doesn’t matter which side you start with, but you’d do well to pay attention to the “weaker” side. Turn your head to keep your eyes locked on the overhead hand.
3. Slightly bend the front knee. Hinge your hips backward as you slowly lean the bottom arm towards the floor. You should be actively rotating your torso in the process.
4. Reach the bottom arm to the front heel, or as far as your mobility allows. The bottom arm should be in line with the top hand. Your eyes should continue to engage the overhead arm.
5. Reverse the movement back to the starting position. Keep your hips hinged and gradually rotate the torso and overhead shoulder back to standing. Repeat 3-5 times.

Tip: Don’t perform this movement to failure. Focus on how it feels and the overall technique. Because it’s part of a screening process, we want to mitigate any fatigue and strictly focus on the mechanics.

As the coach, I’ll always allow my client to struggle a bit. That is to avoid complicated cueing to see how they negotiate their body positioning. It may take a couple of reps before they feel comfortable. Afterward, I can deliver my cues to help them improve. From there, I can sufficiently measure their mobility restrictions.

Practical Application

The Windmill is practical as a warm-up, tertiary exercise, or cool-down. For our sake, we’ll focus on the beginning of the workout. You will be fresh and alert, devoid of accumulated fatigue. The Windmill operates as a teaching tool. Meaning you will practice it at the beginning. You won’t load it heavy or take it to failure like other strength exercises. That comes later. Think of it like movement preparation. Specifically to engrain motor patterns that you’ll use in the subsequent workout. Once you master the movement and overcome any specific mobility limitations, you can consider loading it with weight.

To reiterate, I will have my clients perform this exercise at the beginning of the workout for movement preparation or at the end as a total body accessory pattern. I’ll employ 1-4 sets and 4-8 reps per side. Once mastered, you can adjust the intensity, sets, repetitions, and frequency to bolster your progress. Then you can eventually progress to the Turkish Get-Up.