How many reps of the thoracic windmill should a beginner do?

5 to 6 slow reps per side is enough to start, done as part of a warm-up before pressing or rotational work. Add reps gradually and let the range of motion grow over sessions rather than forcing more reach right away.

How do you make the thoracic windmill easier or harder?

Make it easier by bending the knees to less than ninety degrees or stopping the arm sweep partway before it reaches the floor. Make it harder by straightening the legs a bit more, holding a light weight in the moving hand, or pausing for a few breaths once the hand reaches the floor.

What is the thoracic windmill good for, and when should you skip it?

It opens up mid-back rotation and stretches the chest and front shoulder at the same time, which helps anyone who sits hunched most of the day or trains rotational sports. Skip forcing the range if you feel a pinch in the shoulder rather than a stretch, since that usually means the joint, not the mid-back, is where the movement is being pulled from.

Beginner

Thoracic Windmill

The thoracic windmill unlocks rotation where most people need it most, the mid-back, while gently stretching the chest and front of the shoulder. Lying on your side with the knees anchored, you sweep the top arm across the body in a big arc until it reaches the floor behind you. Trapping the legs keeps the lumbar spine quiet so the rotation happens where it should.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs, Chest
Type: Functional, Stretching
Browse by muscle: Abdominal External Oblique, Erector Spinae
Browse by movement: Mobility Drill

How to do it

1
Lie on your side with knees stacked and bent to ninety degrees.
2
Stretch both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height.
3
Keep the knees pinned together and pressed toward the floor.
4
Sweep the top arm up and over in a wide arc toward the far side.
5
Follow the hand with your eyes and let the chest open toward the ceiling.
6
Reach the floor if you can, then trace the arm back and repeat before switching sides.

Tips

Keep the knees down so the twist comes from the ribs, not the low back.
Move at the pace of your breath, exhaling as you open.
Only rotate as far as the shoulder and mid-back allow without pain.

Variations

Common mistakes

The top knee lifts off the bottom one as the arm sweeps open, letting the hips rotate along with the chest instead of staying anchored.
The arm rushes straight from start to finish in one fast swing, skipping the wide, traced arc the rotation is supposed to follow.
The eyes stay fixed on the ceiling instead of tracking the moving hand, so the upper back never gets the visual cue to keep rotating.
The bottom arm creeps in off the floor toward the body instead of staying stretched out at shoulder height, taking away the anchor the rotation needs.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the thoracic windmill should a beginner do?: 5 to 6 slow reps per side is enough to start, done as part of a warm-up before pressing or rotational work. Add reps gradually and let the range of motion grow over sessions rather than forcing more reach right away.
How do you make the thoracic windmill easier or harder?: Make it easier by bending the knees to less than ninety degrees or stopping the arm sweep partway before it reaches the floor. Make it harder by straightening the legs a bit more, holding a light weight in the moving hand, or pausing for a few breaths once the hand reaches the floor.
What is the thoracic windmill good for, and when should you skip it?: It opens up mid-back rotation and stretches the chest and front shoulder at the same time, which helps anyone who sits hunched most of the day or trains rotational sports. Skip forcing the range if you feel a pinch in the shoulder rather than a stretch, since that usually means the joint, not the mid-back, is where the movement is being pulled from.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Abs exercises