Floor wipers are an abdominal workout that targets the front and side of your abdominal muscles. Since they exercise your front abdominals and obliques, they are an effective compound movement that can save you time by working two muscle groups at once. There are several floor wiper variations you can use to vary your workouts, including the traditional version, leg wipers and "300" floor wipers.
Basic Floor Wipers
Ideal for beginners, the basic floor wiper exercise requires no weights or resistance bands. You simply lie flat on the floor with your legs straight out. The proper technique is to basically use your upper back to "wipe the floor" as you swing side to side. The side to side movement really exercises the obliques, and by lifting your shoulders slightly off the floor, you also exercise the front abdominals. An easy way to do this exercise is to reach with your right hand toward your right knee, and then your left hand to your left knee as you move from side to side.
Leg Wipers
Leg wipers also target the obliques and lower abdominal muscles; the hip flexor muscles just above your quadriceps are also strengthened. The proper technique here is to lie flat on your back with your legs extended straight out. Fan out your arms to use as support, and lift your legs up without bending your knees. Keep your legs together and move them side to side in a "wiping" motion. Use a slow, controlled motion and vary the height of your legs to target the abs from different angles.
"300" Floor Wipers
This exercise is called "300" floor wipers because it was reportedly used by the actors to get ripped abs for the "300" movie released in 2006. This is an advanced technique that should only be used by advanced lifters. It works much the same as the leg wipers movement with the main difference being that you hold a barbell with weights as you shift your legs from side to side. Personal trainers at CrossFit Excellence in Lake Oswego, Oregon suggest doing 40 of these floor wipers holding 135 lbs. on the barbell, and then doing a second set of 40 reps with 95 lbs. on the barbell. You can adjust the weight as needed.
Sets/Reps/Frequency
Like other muscles in your body, your abdominal muscles need adequate rest between workouts to get stronger. This may vary from person to person, based on several factors, including age, gender and fitness level. Beginners can start by doing two to four sets of floor wipers once or twice per week. The ideal number of repetitions is anywhere from 10 to 20, depending upon your fitness level. As the exercise becomes easier, increase the number of sets per workout or add another workout to your ab workout regimen per week; just be sure to have at least a day of rest between each workout.
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