Shape_USA-January-February_2017

SHAPE.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 145

Windshield
wiper
Lying faceup, swipe
your legs together
left and right in a
180 - degree arc. The
glitch is that women
tend to recruit their
legs and hip flexors
to do this exercise.
“When you release your
grip on those wrong
muscles to engage the
right ones—in
this case your core—
you can access your
full range of mobility
and strength, and
suddenly this move-
ment becomes so
much more accessi-
ble and effective for
shaping your body,”
Widerstrom says.
Your three-step plan:

1

Teach your body to

move, brake, and

change directions flu-

idly with a barbell twist.

Stand with feet together,

with an empty barbell

(or a broomstick) racked

on your back across your

shoulder blades, lightly

gripping the bar with an

overhand grip, elbows

bent downward. Keep

the torso long and hips

square, then rotate

torso toward right until

you have no further

range of motion toward

your right side. Switch

sides; repeat. Do 2 to

3 sets of 1 0 to 12 reps,

alternating sides.

2

Move your legs as

one—but without

as much weight—with

bent-leg wipers. Lie

faceup on floor with

arms extended out to

sides and knees bent

over hips. Keeping legs

together at 9 0 degrees,

drop knees toward left,

letting your right hip

come off the floor, to

hover 1 inch above floor.

Lift knees to start, then

lower them toward right.

Do 2 to 3 sets of 1 0 to

12 reps, alternating sides.

3

Do single-leg wip-

ers to learn how to

control the movement

in its full range. Lie

faceup on floor with

arms extended out to

sides, right leg extended

upward and bent left

knee over hips. Keeping

knees together, drop

legs toward left to hover

1 inch above floor, letting

your right hip leave the

ground. Lift your legs

back the way they

came, then lower them

toward right. Do 2 to

3 sets of 1 0 to 12 reps,

alternating sides.

The perfect

windshield wiper

Lie faceup on floor

with arms extended

out to sides and legs

extended over hips.

With ribs pressing into

floor and legs together,

drop legs toward left

as your right hip lifts off

the floor, to hover 1 inch

above floor. Trace your

legs back to start, then

lower them toward

the right. “As your

legs reach away from

your core, your body

becomes very tight in

order to keep you sta-

ble and connected to

the floor,” Widerstrom

says. “Then when your

legs come back to

center, you feel a brief

release of tension.”