Kettlebell Windmills exercise: Muscle worked, Health Benefits, How to do?
What are Kettlebell windmills?
The windmill is a complex kettlebell exercise that utilizes the whole body but emphasizes strength and stability in the obliques (sides of the torso), glutes, and shoulder muscles. You will also improve strength throughout your core muscles and improve flexibility in the hamstrings.
This exercise is mostly used in Cross Fit and boot camp-style workouts and can be combined done with traditional strength training exercises. This is an advanced exercise that should be performed by those with reasonable stability, strength, and flexibility.
Which muscles are used to perform windmill exercise?
- Internal and external Obliques (sides of the torso)
- Back extensors
- Gluteal muscles
- Scapular muscles
- Shoulder muscles
Health Benefits of the Kettlebell Windmill exercise.
- Helps to improve the strength of oblique, glute, and shoulder muscles.
- Helps to improve daily activities movement like picking objects from the ground.
- This exercise used fewer pieces of equipment.
- This exercise has better glucose control.
- Helps to strengthen the abdominal and core muscles.
- Helps to improve the hamstring flexibility and hip hinge.
- Helps to improve shoulder stability.
- Helps to reduce daily back discomfort.
- This is good for glute developing movement.
How to Do a Kettlebell Windmill?
If you are doing this first time then use a smaller kettlebell or not use any weight.
- For this exercise, you have to stand slightly more than hip-feet width apart. toes pointing outward to allow a greater range of movement.
- Hold the kettlebell with your left hand and extend the left arm over your head. your left palm should be faced forward direction.
- Straighten the right arm down in front of your right thigh with your palm facing forward.at this point, your arm looks like a windmill.
- Hip hinge to lower the upper body down to the right side.
- Your right hand will stay facing forward while it slides down near the front of your right leg towards your feet. keep your left arm stable and fully extended overhead.
- At the lower position your trunk will be tipped to the right but slightly rotated on the left side.
- If you do this properly, then you feel your weight shifted towards the left hip , Reverse the movement by lifting the body while keeping a strong and straight trunk.
- Keep the weight steady and elevated over the left shoulder.
- Now return to the initial position and do again.
There have different Variations of the Kettlebell Windmill.
Body weight Windmill
- This is the easiest variation of windmill exercise. in this you do not need any equipment for the exercise only you need is your weight. You will still get benefits from the exercise.
- For this exercise, you have to stand slightly more than shoulder-feet width apart. now raise your left arm towards the ceilings overhead .then tilt your hip forward. now slowly slide down your right hand towards the right foot with trunk bending.
- If you do this properly then you feel your weight is shifted towards the right side. Now slowly move your hand upward by extending the trunk.
Dumbbell Windmill
- If you do not have a kettlebell, then you can also perform the windmill exercise with a dumbbell.
- The balance challenge will change by changing the weight is centered directly over your wrist rather than behind it.
- Follow the same movement as you do for the basic kettlebell windmill.
Heavy Kettlebell Windmill
- This is already an advanced movement exercise, if you want to make this exercise harder then add some extra weight.
- If you feel you will not control the movement and not tighten the core muscles and strong torso then decrease the weight.
- Do the same movement as the basic kettlebell swing.
Kettlebell Windmill Press
- This version adds a press to the windmill. Once you are in the windmill position, slowly and with control, lower the kettlebell by bending your elbow toward your side.
- Once your elbow is fully bent, press the kettlebell back up until your arm is locked out.
- Then reverse the movement as you would with the basic kettlebell windmill, lifting the body while keeping a strong straight spine. Return to the initial position and do again.
This Common Mistakes happen while doing windmill exercises. You should avoid these mistakes to get more benefits from this exercise.
Too Little Rotation
If you tilt your pelvis to the side without doing a rotation, then you won’t be able to get low enough to reap full benefits. you only did the right amount of rotation to monitor your hand placement during the lowering phase.
Too Much Rotation
If you are doing more trunk rotation, your upper limb may move out of the position, you may increase the risk of injury. Too much rotation is a sign that you will be rotating your upper body then the full trunk. For notice this mistake you have to monitor the movement of your upper arm when you move.
Your upper hand shouldn’t be behind the shoulder when your lower hand is near the foot. As you lower the body downward, only allow normal chest rotation so that the kettlebell stays directly over your shoulder. your back should be straight and the core muscles are engaged, it will help to ensure that you do not twist from the waist, but move the trunk as a whole instead.
Overextending the Shoulder
To prevent this mistake you have to notice shoulder position when the body is lower down to the side. Your chest and should be in a flat line.
Bent Knees
If your flexibility is less then you may flex one or both legs simultaneously during this exercise to get the lower hand closer to the floor. But bending too much decreases the workload and the flexibility benefits you may gain. that’s why your knees should be soft.
Safety and Precautions
- Before doing this exercise you should comfortably perform a hip-hinge exercise with perfect form. Learning proper hip-hinge techniques will help you to learn how to contract the core muscles rather than the lower back when bending forward from the hip joint.
- Engage core muscles properly is an essential skill when doing more advanced exercises like the windmill. which involve hinges from the hips with rotation. you have to do a few hip hinges before the move to windmill exercise during your workout. This may help you to warm up the lower back and prevent injury.
When did you not do this exercise?
- If you feel any pain or discomfort during this exercise then stop immediately and consult your physical therapist.
- If you have back pain.
- If any leg or arm bone is fractured.
- If you have recently undergone any surgery.
