Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Isometric Wipers: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Isometric wipers are a challenging bodyweight exercise that targets the pectorals while also engaging the shoulders, triceps, and core. The movement requires significant core strength and control as you move your legs side to side while keeping your upper body stable.

Primary muscles
Chest
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the isometric wipers
Front view: muscles worked by the isometric wipers. Primary: chest. Secondary: abs, triceps, obliques and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the isometric wipers. Primary: chest. Secondary: abs, triceps, obliques and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the isometric wipers

  1. Step 1: Start by lying flat on your back on a mat or bench.
  2. Step 2: Extend your arms straight out to the sides, perpendicular to your body.
  3. Step 3: Engage your core and lift both legs off the ground, keeping them together and straight.
  4. Step 4: Slowly lower your legs to one side, aiming to touch the ground with your feet while maintaining control.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment, then use your core to lift your legs back to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat the movement, this time lowering your legs to the opposite side.
  7. Step 7: Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the isometric wipers by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Isometric Wipers alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

See the best chest exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.