Still doing side bends? Let us put you onto a similar-looking, but totally different exercise: kettlebell windmills. Unlike side bends, which primarily hit the obliques , windmills take the range of motion further down your body. To initiate the movement, you hinge at the hips and lower your torso toward the floor, engaging your obliques, abs, glutes , and hamstrings. Holding the kettlebell overhead adds an upper-body component, too, involving your shoulders and lats in the mix.

Kettlebell windmills are also a test of functional core strength, challenging you to keep your torso stable as you deliberately move through a greater range of motion with weight overhead. The rotational movement encourages thoracic spine mobility, which is important for maintaining good posture, while the hip hinge mimics everyday movements like bending down to pick something up off the ground.…