Windmills
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the glutes.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Windmills
- Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the sides and your legs straight. This will be your starting position.
- Lift one leg and quickly cross it over your body, attempting to touch the ground near the opposite hand.
- Return to the starting position, and repeat with the opposite leg. Continue to alternate for 10-20 repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Windmills
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Iliotibial Tract-SMR
An intermediate isolation mobility exercise that works the glutes, using a foam roller.
-
2
Piriformis-SMR
An intermediate isolation mobility exercise that works the glutes, using a foam roller.
-
3
IT Band and Glute Stretch
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the glutes.
-
4
Hip Circles (prone)
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the glutes, needing no equipment.
-
5
Lying Crossover
An advanced mobility exercise that works the glutes, needing no equipment.
-
6
Lying Glute
An advanced mobility exercise that works the glutes, needing no equipment.
-
7
One Knee To Chest
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the glutes.
-
8
Seated Glute
An advanced mobility exercise that works the glutes, needing no equipment.
-
9
Standing Hip Circles
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the glutes, needing no equipment.
-
10
Knee Across The Body
A beginner mobility exercise that works the glutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do windmills work?
Windmills primarily works the glutes. The hamstrings and lower back assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for windmills?
The source dataset does not record equipment for windmills. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Windmills: is it suitable for beginners?
Windmills is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of windmills?
Iliotibial Tract-SMR, Piriformis-SMR, IT Band and Glute Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log windmills in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the glutes on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
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