Dumbbell Standing Windmill

AbdominalsDumbbellIntermediate

The Dumbbell Standing Windmill is an effective exercise for improving core stability and shoulder mobility.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Raise the dumbbell overhead with your arm fully extended.
  3. Rotate your torso towards the side of the dumbbell while bending at the hips, reaching your free hand towards the ground.
  4. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching sides.

How to perform the Dumbbell Standing Windmill

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Standing Windmill using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Dumbbell Standing Windmill

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