Core · Bodyweight
Hanging Wipers
How to do the hanging wipers, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and engage your core. Keeping your legs together, raise them up in front of you to roughly 90°. From this position, rotate your legs to one side while keeping your torso stable, then sweep them across to the opposite side in a controlled motion. Continue alternating from side to side, moving slowly and maintaining tension in your abs and grip.
- 1Hang from the bar and engage your core to lift your legs horizontal
- 2Rotate your legs side to side like a windshield wiper to feel your obliques work
- 3Maintain a strong grip and control the movement
Common mistakes
- Don't swing uncontrollably, move slowly and deliberately
- Avoid bending your knees or dropping your hips
- Don't let go of the bar mid-rep, rest when you need to
Muscles worked
The hanging wipers mainly works the obliques, upper abs, and lower abs.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the hanging wipers 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 April 2026.