Floor wipers are a traditional weight training exercise for the abdominal muscles that has become increasingly popular since the movie "300," when fitness trainer Mark Twight used this exercise to develop the midsections of the actors. Floor wipers are an advanced exercise that should only be attempted if you have a strong midsection and no history of back problems.
Performing Floor Wipers
Correct performance is essential if you are going to get the most from this exercise and minimize your risk of injury. Lie on your back and press a loaded barbell to arms' length. Twight used 135 pounds with the actors in "300" but you should adjust the load to suit your fitness level. Starting with your legs extended and heels on the floor, keep your knees straight and lift your legs so that your feet touch the far left end of your barbell. Lower your feet back towards the floor but stop just short of touching your heels down. Lift your legs again and touch the right hand side of the barbell. Continue alternating sides for the duration of your set.
Variations
You can make this already challenging exercise even harder by making a few changes. Instead of using a single barbell try using two dumbbells. Using dumbbells requires greater balance and shoulder stability. To increase the involvement of your upper-body pushing muscles, perform one repetition of chest presses between leg lifts. You can also make this exercise harder by wearing ankle weights and performing it while lying on an exercise bench instead of the floor.
Muscle and Joint Actions
Floor wipers are predominately an ab exercise but the complex nature of this movement means that it uses a lot of other muscles as well. Lifting your legs uses your rectus abdominus and hip flexor muscles, while rotating your feet out to the ends of the bar uses your obliques or waist muscles. Holding the barbell at arms length targets your pectoralis major or chest muscles along with your deltoids or shoulder muscles and serratus anterior muscles which are located on your upper ribs. Your triceps, the muscles at the back of your upper arms, also work very hard to keep your elbows extended.
Caution
Holding a weight over your chest is risky and, if you should drop the weight, can result in serious injury. For this reason it is a good idea to have a spotter on hand to take the weight from you if you get into difficulty. Lifting and lowering your legs places a lot of stress on your lower back so this exercise is not suitable if you suffer from back problems.
References
- Gym Jones: The 300 Workout
- "Awesome Abs: The Gut Busting Selection for Men & Women"; Paul Chek; 1997
- "Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout" Pat Manocchia; 2009
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