Core · Compound

Kettlebell Windmill

A total-body stabilization exercise that targets the obliques, shoulders, and hips while improving flexibility. Holding a kettlebell locked overhead while the torso folds toward the floor demands shoulder stability, oblique strength, and hip mobility all at once. It is an advanced movement best learned with no weight at all, then loaded slowly and patiently.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Advanced Kettlebell Compound Core
kettlebell-windmill-poster
  • Level Advanced
  • Equipment Kettlebell
  • Primary Muscles Abs, Hamstrings, Obliques, Side Delts
  • Movement Compound Core

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Kettlebell Windmill

  1. Press a kettlebell overhead with one arm and lock it out.
  2. Turn both feet about 45 degrees away from the loaded side.
  3. Keep your eyes on the kettlebell throughout.
  4. Push the loaded-side hip out and hinge, sliding your free hand down the inside of the front leg.
  5. Lower as far as mobility allows while the top arm stays vertical.
  6. Reverse the movement to stand tall, and switch sides after the set.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

core
Primary muscles
Abs Obliques
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings Side Delts

Do This

Form Cues

  • Turn the feet roughly 45 degrees away from the loaded arm.
  • Keep your eyes on the kettlebell for the whole rep.
  • Push the hip of the loaded side out as the torso lowers.
  • The top arm is a pillar: locked, vertical, and stacked over your shoulder from the first inch to the last.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Bending the spine sideways instead of hinging at the hip.
  • Letting the loaded arm drift out of the vertical line.
  • Loading it heavy before the movement pattern is solid.
  • Loading it before the empty-handed version is smooth, which turns a mobility builder into a tweaked back.

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Variations & Related Exercises

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Trains the same muscles