Floor Wiper

Floor Wiper trains the obliques and abdominals by sweeping both raised legs from side to side while the shoulders remain supported.

Primary muscle

Abs

Primary musclesInternal and external obliques, Rectus abdominis

Secondary musclesTransverse abdominis, Iliopsoas, Hip adductors

Equipment

Bodyweight

How to perform Floor Wiper

Follow the sequence in order, paying attention to the starting position, movement path, and finish described in each step.

Lie on the back with the arms spread for support and raise the straight or softly bent legs above the hips.
Brace the abdomen and keep both shoulders pressed into the floor.
Lower both legs together toward one side through the largest range that keeps the opposite shoulder down.
Use the obliques to sweep the legs back through the centre and toward the other side without using momentum.
Continue alternating evenly and shorten the range if the lower back arches or the shoulders lift.

Bend the knees or use a smaller range as soon as the lower back starts to lift or arch.

Pause between repetitions and initiate with the abdominals instead of momentum.

Keep the head, shoulders, and upper back supported while the legs move.

Lower the legs slowly. The lowering part of the repetition still trains the muscles.

Lower back arching: Bend the knees or use a smaller range as soon as the lower back starts to lift or arch.
Shoulders losing support: Keep the head, shoulders, and upper back supported while the legs move.
Stop when the exercise produces sharp, catching, radiating, or increasing joint pain rather than the expected muscular effort.
Alternative Bent-Knee Raise: Bend the knees to make the raise easier while keeping the hips and ribs still.

Place Floor Wiper after the main compound lifts, in a focused core block, or beside an exercise that does not require a fresh trunk.

Use two to four times per week while accounting for trunk work already supplied by squats, hinges, carries, and overhead lifting.

Goal	Sets	Reps or time	Rest	Effort and execution
Control / technique	2–3	5–8 reps	45–75 sec	Stop well before position changes
Strength / endurance	2–4	8–15 reps	60–90 sec	Stop while 1–3 good-form reps are still possible

Use Floor Wiper after Deadlifts or Barbell Back Squats so abdominal fatigue does not affect the main lift.
Pair it with Bird Dog or Cable Pallof Press for a focused core block.

Scale the movement