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The Windmill: The Hidden Key to Pain-Free Shoulders, Knees, and Backs

2024-12-17

Uncategorized, Foundational Programs, Moderate Training, Strenuous Training, Extreme Training

kettlebell training

When it comes to training progress, three problem areas stop most people in their tracks: backs, knees, and shoulders. The mistake? Treating them as separate issues. The reality is that our bodies are far more interconnected than we often realize, and this should completely change how we train.

The groundbreaking work of Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains, has revolutionized how we view movement. His “spiral line” concept shows how your right foot connects to your left shoulder through a precise sequence of muscles and fascia. What does this mean for you? Your back, knee, or shoulder pain may be the symptom—not the cause.

This interconnectedness is where functional fitness shines, and few exercises illustrate it better than the kettlebell windmill.

kettlebell windmill

The Windmill: Not Just Mobility—Functional Strength

Let’s bust some myths:

  • It’s NOT about stretching your shoulder.
  • It’s NOT a yoga triangle pose.
  • It’s FAR more than a mobility drill.

The windmill builds strength and reinforces natural movement patterns that align with Myers’ spiral line. By connecting your foot, hips, core, and shoulder, you can resolve dysfunction that leads to pain—while improving strength, mobility, and resilience.

A Frontal Plane Hip Hinge? Yes, Please!

Most strength programs only train in a single plane of motion (front-to-back). But real life and sports happen in three dimensions. The windmill trains the hip hinge in the frontal plane (side-to-side), improving strength, balance, and real-world carryover.

Physical therapist Jessica Bento demonstrates how to teach the windmill safely using tools like the Ultimate Sandbag. By learning core engagement first, you build the foundation for overhead strength while protecting your back.

Train Smarter, Move Better

Strength and movement don’t have to be separate. In fact, studies show that movement-based training outperforms conventional programs for both performance and injury prevention—like one study with firefighters that proved the power of functional fitness.

Thomas Myers himself reminds us:

“The fascial system is better trained by a wide variety of vectors—in angle, tempo, and load… Life rarely moves in straight lines, and your training shouldn’t either.”

The windmill perfectly embodies this idea. Variations like the low windmill or half-kneeling windmill allow you to safely progress your strength, improve movement quality, and address weaknesses before they become problems.

Three Levels to Pain-Free Performance

Ready to unlock the full potential of the windmill? The three-level approach in the video below will help you:

  1. Progress safely.
  2. Move with confidence.
  3. Build functional strength that carries over to everyday life.

If you’re ready to reduce pain, build resilience, and improve how you move, don’t overlook this classic—but highly underrated—drill.

Let the windmill transform the way you train, so you can move better, feel better, and live pain-free.

If you’re ready to take your training to the next level, join us for the upcoming Progressive Kettlebell Movement Online Masterclass. This program will teach you how to problem-solve, program, and progress your kettlebell training more effectively. Plus, you’ll earn 1.0 NASM CEUs, receive our PKM online swing course for FREE, and all for the early bird price of less than $17 a week! Can’t be that for education guaranteed to change how you train. Check it out HERE before our early bird ends!

Some of the same qualities we build in the windmill will also help build better get-ups like Cory Cripe shows…

 

 

 

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