Windmills.

Description: An exercise that targets the obliques and other muscles.

Motions trained: Torso flexion with twist.

Main muscles used: Oblique abdominals
Other muscles: Lower back and hamstrings

How to do it:

The basic motion is described here. Put the weight on your shoulder with the hip under it for support. Press it straight overhead and keep your arm locked as you go over, always watching the weight. Once at the bottom, think of pushing the weight up as you rise.

How to work up to it: Follow the instructions in the bodyweight only version. Start with very light weights just to learn the structure.

Ramping it up: Try to touch the floor. To add more weight safely, start by holding a heavier bell in the lower hand only. Then split the load between upper and lower hand. So you might start with 25 lbs. in the lower hand, then after this feels comfortable, do 10 lbs above and 15 lbs. below. Eventually, work until you can do 25 lbs. above. Then add more weight below, repeating the process of shifting more weight to the upper hand. You can also do this with only an upper weight, keeping a weight near the front foot so at the bottom you can grab it and do a curl, if you fancy that.

Do's and don'ts: Do keep your weight over the rear foot. Do watch the bell -- this little trick cuts out most bad habits automatically, but the full list of don'ts is:

Do not lean back since you might fall.
Do not let the bell move behind you: Keep the bell in the front of your body at all times.
Do not bend your arm, since this will act like a shock absorber and take all the weight off of you.

Practice in front of a mirror is a good idea at least initially.

Comments: A really great exercise. Note that this is a really hard one to classify. In actuality, it is a type of deadlift with a twist, but when there is a high bell it becomes a rotator cuff exercise as well. If you have rotator cuff problems, you should do this, but heed the advice that the bell always stays in front of your body.