10 Best Kettlebell Windmill Alternatives for Core Strength

Original Exercise: Kettlebell Windmill

Primary Muscle

Abs

Equipment

Kettlebell

Difficulty

Intermediate

Type

Compound

Secondary Muscles: Obliques, Shoulders

How to Perform Kettlebell Windmill

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in your right hand overhead.
2. Rotate your left foot outwards about 45 degrees and keep your right foot pointing forward.
3. Bend your torso to the left side, keeping your right arm extended overhead and your eyes on the kettlebell.
4. Lower your torso as far as you can while keeping your right arm straight and your left arm extended to the side.
5. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position by pushing through your right foot and engaging your obliques.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Best Kettlebell Windmill Alternatives

Best Match

1. Advanced Kettlebell Windmill

98.7% Match

Abs Kettlebell Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Clean and press a kettlebell overhead with one arm.
2. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Keep the non-working arm behind your back and turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell.
3. Lower yourself as far as possible.
4. Pause for a second and reverse the motion back to the starting position.

2. Double Kettlebell Windmill

93% Match

Abs Kettlebell Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Place a kettlebell in front of your front foot and clean and press a kettlebell overhead with your opposite arm. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrist as you do so, so that the palm faces forward.
2. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the locked out kettlebell.
3. Bending at the hip to one side, sticking your butt out, slowly lean until you can retrieve the kettlebell from the floor. Keep your eyes on the kettlebell that you hold over your head at all times.
4. Pause for a second after retrieving the kettlebell from the ground and reverse the motion back to the starting position.

3. Barbell Standing Ab Rollerout

84.2% Match

Abs Barbell Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with both hands in front of your thighs.
2. Engage your core and slowly roll the barbell down towards the ground, keeping your back straight and your arms extended.
3. Continue rolling the barbell forward until your body is fully extended and your hands are directly above your head.
4. Pause for a moment, then slowly roll the barbell back towards your thighs, maintaining control and keeping your core engaged.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

4. Cable Standing Lift

82% Match

Abs Cable Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the cable handle with both hands and position it at waist height.
3. Engage your core and maintain a straight back throughout the exercise.
4. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and lift the cable handle up towards your opposite shoulder, rotating your torso.
5. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the cable handle back to the starting position.

5. Barbell Side Bent V. 2

80.9% Match

Abs Barbell Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with both hands, palms facing down.
2. Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly bend your torso to the right side, lowering the barbell towards your right knee.
4. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the movement on the left side.

6. Barbell Rollerout

80.4% Match

Abs Barbell Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Kneel on the floor and hold a barbell with both hands, shoulder-width apart.
2. Roll the barbell forward, extending your arms and keeping your core engaged.
3. Continue rolling forward until your body is fully extended and your arms are overhead.
4. Pause for a moment, then slowly roll the barbell back towards your knees, maintaining control.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

7. Barbell Rollerout From Bench

80.4% Match

Abs Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Start by kneeling on the floor with a barbell placed on a bench in front of you.
2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, slowly roll the barbell forward, extending your arms in front of you.
4. Continue rolling the barbell forward until your body is fully extended and your arms are overhead.
5. Pause for a moment at the fully extended position, then slowly roll the barbell back towards your body, returning to the starting position.

8. Dumbbell Side Bend

80.1% Match

Abs Dumbbell Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand, letting it hang down by your side.
2. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, slowly bend sideways at the waist towards the opposite side of the dumbbell, lowering the weight as far as you comfortably can.
3. Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides and repeat.

9. Dumbbell Rotation Reverse Fly

76.1% Match

Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the floor.
4. Rotate your arms so that your palms are facing downwards.
5. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.

10. Cable Side Bend Crunch (bosu Ball)

74.7% Match

Abs Cable Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a cable handle in one hand.
2. Place the other hand on your hip.
3. Engage your core and slowly bend sideways towards the hand holding the cable, keeping your back straight.
4. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Why You Might Need a Kettlebell Windmill Alternative

You might substitute the kettlebell windmill for several reasons: shoulder pain with an overhead load, limited thoracic mobility, a sore low back, or lack of kettlebells. Biomechanically, the windmill demands strong anti‑lateral flexion from the obliques and eccentric control during the descent while requiring overhead shoulder stability. Alternatives let you isolate the same core functions with less compressive load or different leverage. For example, a Pallof press trains anti‑rotation under less shoulder demand—cue: press hands straight out and resist torso rotation to feel the obliques engage.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute based on your goal, injury history, and available equipment. If you want anti‑lateral flexion strength, pick suitcase or farmer carries and cue a tall posture with weight beside your hip to load the obliques isometrically. For anti‑rotation and transverse abdominis control, use Pallof presses—brace your core and push away without rotating. If you need shoulder-free core work, use side plank reaches and focus on hip stack and scapular stability to maximize oblique activation. Progress by increasing load, time under tension, or range of motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.