Kettlebell Technique Basics | The Windmill

Why do it?

The windmill is a fantastic exercise to build oblique strength and flexibility; it’s regarded more as a support exercise.

Proceed with caution with this exercise. Initially perform the exercise with no weight. You may hold up an object such as a bottle of water for reference. After you have good technique and adequate flexibility with no weight, add in a kettlebell in the low hand position. Once you are confident with this, progress to holding a kettlebell in the raised position but start with a very moderate weight. Providing you have done the ground work with the Turkish Get Up, then you should have adequate stability through the shoulder for this exercise.

How to do it

For the purpose of the explanation I will assume you are using a kettlebell in the high position..

1. Assuming you have the kettlebell in the left hand, Clean and press it above your head and lock out the arm completely.
2. Now, with your feet shoulder width apart, turn your feet to a 45 degree angle away from the kettlebell, so in this case turn them to your right.
3. Now you will need to ‘push out’ your hips to the left side. It’s important to think about displacing the hips as opposed to bending at the waist. Push your hips out and as you do so maintain eye contact with the kettlebell and run your free hand down your right thigh as a guide until it either touches the floor or your foot. Note that as you bend to the side, you will also bend slightly forward, this is perfectly fine. Your right leg may also bend slightly depending on your level of flexibility, this is also fine.
4. When you have touched the foot or floor, simply straighten up again trying to maintain tension as you do so. Focus hard as you do this exercise. It may not be overly functional in nature but it has great benefits as regards to your core, hamstrings and shoulder stability.
5. Breath in on the descent, hold tension at the bottom and exhale on the way back up.

The Windmil. Start, middle and end positions