Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
Half Wipers (Bent Leg) is a controlled core exercise that builds strength and coordination by moving the legs side to side while staying stable on the floor.
Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
Muscles Worked: Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
Half Wipers (Bent Leg) mainly train your abs, with extra emphasis on the obliques because they work hard to move your legs side to side and then stop them from dropping too fast. Your deep midsection muscles also brace to keep your lower back from arching while your hips stay tucked. Because the knees are bent, the move is easier to control than straight-leg versions, so you can keep tension where you want it. You should feel your sides and lower abs doing the work, especially when you slow the lowering part and keep your ribs down.
Technique and form
How to perform the Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and feet lifted off the ground, stacking your knees directly over your hips.
- Extend your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height with your palms facing down for stability.
- Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine while maintaining a neutral lower back position against the floor.
- Keeping your knees together and bent at 90 degrees, slowly lower both knees to the right side as far as possible without lifting your shoulders off the floor.
- Exhale as you use your oblique muscles to pull your knees back to the center position, maintaining the 90-degree bend throughout the movement.
- Without pausing, continue the motion by lowering your bent knees to the left side while keeping your upper back and shoulders pressed firmly into the floor.
- Inhale during the lowering phase and exhale as you return to center, focusing on controlling the movement with your core rather than momentum.
- Repeat the full side-to-side motion at a controlled pace, ensuring your shoulder blades remain in contact with the ground throughout the entire exercise.
Important information
- Keep your shoulders pressed firmly into the ground throughout the entire exercise to isolate the core and protect your lower back.
- Modify the range of motion by not lowering your legs as far to the sides if you feel any strain in your lower back.
- Focus on quality of movement rather than speed, especially when first learning this exercise.
- If you experience any lower back discomfort, try placing your hands under your lower back for additional support.
Is the Half Wipers (Bent Leg) good for muscle growth?
Yes. Half Wipers (Bent Leg) can help build your midsection, especially your obliques, because they make your trunk move and resist movement at the same time. Core-focused work can raise trunk muscle demand when the goal is to challenge the midsection directly, which supports using exercises like this for targeted ab training.
- Strong oblique tension — The side-to-side leg path makes your obliques work hard to control rotation. That matters for muscle growth because the hardest part is not just moving your legs over, but stopping them and bringing them back under control.
- Bent knees keep tension on the target — Bending your knees shortens the lever, so you spend less effort just surviving the position and more effort actually training your abs. That makes it easier to use clean reps, longer sets, and better control than a full straight-leg wiper.
- Low equipment, easy overload — Since this is a bodyweight move, progression comes from slower lowering, more range, more reps, longer pauses, or cleaner form before you move to harder options. A good next step is the straight-leg version, while Oblique Crunches Floor can help you build the side-ab strength to improve it.
- Useful as direct core volume — Free-weight lifts can train the trunk, but direct core exercises still give you a simple way to add focused ab work without much fatigue to the rest of the body. Research on trunk muscle activity during different exercise styles shows exercise selection can change how much the trunk is challenged, including differences between stability ball and free-weight movements (Nuzzo et al., 2008).
Programming for muscle growth
Do 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps per side, or 10-20 total controlled reps, with 45-75 seconds rest. Train it 2-4 times per week after big lifts or at the end of an ab session. Use a 2-3 second lowering phase and stop each rep before your lower back lifts, because better control keeps tension on the abs instead of turning the set into a hip swing.
Alternative Exercises
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FAQ - Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
Half Wipers primarily target your entire core region, with emphasis on the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) and internal/external obliques during the rotational movement. Your transverse abdominis also engages isometrically throughout the exercise to stabilize your spine.
To make Half Wipers easier, reduce your range of motion or keep your legs higher toward the ceiling. For a greater challenge, extend your legs further (still maintaining the bend), add a small weight between your feet, or increase time under tension by slowing down each repetition.
The bent-leg variation is generally safer than straight-leg wipers as it reduces lumbar strain, but anyone with existing back problems should start cautiously. Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the floor throughout the movement and stop if you feel any pain beyond normal muscle fatigue.
The most common mistakes include rounding your lower back, rotating your hips instead of keeping them square, rushing through the movement, and not hinging properly at the hips. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine, moving with control, and keeping your standing knee slightly soft rather than locked.
Incorporate Half Wipers 2-3 times weekly within your core training, allowing at least 48 hours for recovery between sessions. Start with 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per side, focusing on quality movement rather than high repetition counts.
Scientific References
Trunk muscle activity during stability ball and free weight exercises.
Nuzzo JL, McCaulley GO, Cormie P et al. · Journal of strength and conditioning research (2008)
Sources are peer-reviewed academic publications from PubMed.
Half Wipers (Bent Leg)
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