Core · Bodyweight
Straight Leg Wipers
How to do the straight leg wipers, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with arms out wide for support and legs raised straight toward the ceiling. Brace your core and lower the straight legs to one side like a windshield wiper, stopping before your shoulders lift, then control them back to center and over to the other side. Keeping the legs straight maximizes the load on the obliques and lower abs.
- 1Obliques and lower abs controlling the legs side to side
- 2A braced core keeping both shoulders pinned
- 3A slow, owned path through center
Common mistakes
- Dropping the legs fast and using momentum
- Letting the opposite shoulder peel off the floor
- Bending the knees to make it easier than intended
Muscles worked
The straight leg wipers mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the hip flexors, lower back, and upper abs assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the straight leg 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 June 2026.