Core · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Low Windmill
How to do the dumbbell low windmill, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and toes turned out a little, holding a dumbbell at your shoulder in the rack position rather than overhead. Shift your weight to the opposite leg, hinge at your hips, and slide your free hand down your inner thigh toward your shin while keeping your eyes on the dumbbell. Drive through your hips to stand back up, then switch sides.
- 1Obliques and hamstrings stretching as you hinge to the side
- 2Eyes tracking the weight while your torso rotates open
- 3Core bracing to control the descent and return
Common mistakes
- Do not round your back or let the straight-side knee collapse
- Avoid letting the racked dumbbell drift forward
- Do not rush, move slowly to keep your balance
Muscles worked
The dumbbell low windmill mainly works the obliques, with the upper abs, forearms, lower abs, glutes, hamstrings, and side delts assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell low windmill for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.