Audio for Dumbbell Windmill Video
Let’s move onto the Windmill. This is a quite interesting exercise. It’s good for your mobility, especially on the hamstrings and the back of the thighs, and also, your stability and strength of your shoulder. It also works into the core muscles, as well. I’m sure you’re going to feel these exercises once you’ve given them a go.
Feet want to be double shoulder-with apart, first of all. Here’s an important thing to remember: Turn both feet 45 degrees to the left, to start with. The left hand is going to be on the inside thigh, right hand is going to be overhead. From here, we’re going to push our weight on my hips, back onto my right heel. That’s very important; the weight is on the back heel, here. All I’m going to simply do is let gravity take its course as this dumbbell goes down a straight line towards the floor. At the same time, I look at the top of the dumbbell. If you can reach the floor, that’s good. If you can’t reach the floor, please don’t force it and end up pulling a muscle. Just go down as far as you possibly can.
From here, I drive back up, pushing the hips through and into the center. That’s one repetition. Let’s go again. Dumbbell is on the inner thigh. Let gravity take it down. Eyes up at the top dumbbell, don’t forget that. Come back up. Let’s do one more. Dumbbell goes down, front leg stays straight, look up at that top dumbbell, drive back up.
Just a few points to note: Make sure you push that hip out. That’s one of the most common mistakes; people don’t push the hip out and put the weight on the back leg. Second thing: Try and keep that front leg straight. If you’ve got a lack of mobility and flexibility in that hamstring, then that leg is going to want to bend. That’s the reason why as we come down, we only go down as far as we can. You may just go to here, and then you drive back up again.
With time, that flexibility will increase, and eventually, you’ll be able to get down to the floor. Please don’t bang the dumbbell on the floor; it should just kiss the floor, or just hover a couple of millimeters above the floor. You’re going to perform 10 repetitions on each side. It’s a groovy exercise. It’s going to take some practice, but I think you’re going to enjoy it. Best of luck.