17 Exercises That Start With W

Are you looking for a list of exercises that can help you improve your strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination?

Do you want to discover new ways to challenge your muscles, burn more calories, and feel energized throughout the day?

This article lays out 17 dynamic ‘W’ exercises designed to target multiple areas of your body.

By integrating these exercises into your regimen, we aim to help you overcome any training hurdles and push towards peak performance.

1. Wall Sit

Ready to tackle your lower body workout with a simple move?

The wall sit is a powerhouse for those leg muscles, providing a range of benefits without any equipment needed.

How To Do

Stand with your back against a wall, feet about a foot from it, lower down until your knees are at a 90-degree angle, and hold for as long as you can.

This is an isometric exercise, which means you don’t have to move, you just have to hold it.

Muscles Worked

The wall sit mainly targets your quadriceps, but it also works your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core. This exercise is great for building lower body strength and endurance.

When doing wall sits, it’s important to maintain control and resistance throughout the exercise. Take your time and focus on maintaining proper form to get the most out of this exercise.

Incorporating wall sits into your routine can help you build lower body strength and endurance, challenge your core stability, and improve your overall athletic performance.

2. Wrist Curls

Wrist curls are a staple exercise for fortifying your forearms. They specifically target and enhance your grip strength, which is crucial for other weightlifting moves.

How To Do

• To perform wrist curls, you’ll need a barbell or dumbbells with an appropriate weight.
• Start by sitting on a bench and holding the barbell with an underhand grip, your hands shoulder – width apart.
• Rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists hanging over the knees.
• Begin by slowly curling the weight towards you, focusing on moving only your wrists.
• Squeeze at the top of the movement to maximize engagement in the forearm muscles.
• Gently lower the weight back down to complete one repetition.

Muscles Worked

Wrist curls mainly work the wrist flexors and extensors, but also the forearms and the grip strength. They are a great exercise to improve wrist mobility and flexibility, and to prevent wrist injuries and pain.

In conclusion, wrist curls are a great exercise to improve your wrist strength, mobility, and flexibility.

They can be done with different types of equipment and have many benefits for your overall arm strength and control.

3. W Raise

The W raise is a dynamic exercise that homes in on your shoulder muscles. Perfecting this move can enhance your upper body strength and mobility.

How To Do

• Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a light dumbbell in each hand.
• Lean forward slightly, bending at the hips, and keep your back straight.
• Lift your arms up to the sides while keeping elbows bent, forming a ‘W’ shape.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift, engaging the rotator cuff and deltoids.
• Hold the position briefly at the top of the movement before bringing your arms down slowly.

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily targets muscles in the upper back including the rhomboids and traps. It also works out your lower back, glutes, core, hips, and legs to support your body during the movement.

Strengthening these muscles can lead to improved posture and reduced risk of shoulder injuries.

By improving range of motion through W raises, you also enhance functional mobility for daily activities or other sports.

The W raise is particularly beneficial for those who perform repetitive motions or sit for long periods as it counteracts common muscle imbalances.

4. Wide Grip Pull Up

Harness your upper body strength with wide grip pull-ups, a powerful exercise to sculpt your back and arms.

Here’s how you can achieve a broader, more muscular upper body through this effective workout.

How To Do

• Begin by gripping the pull-up bar with hands wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring your grip is firm.
• Hang with your arms fully extended, feet off the ground, and legs straight or crossed for stability.
• Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down towards your ribs until your chin is above the bar.
• Engage your core throughout the movement to stabilize your body and prevent swinging.
• Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with control to complete one rep.

Muscles Worked

Wide grip pull-ups primarily work the latissimus dorsi, the largest muscle in the back, but they also engage the biceps, forearms, traps, and core.

By targeting the outer part of the lats, wide grip pull-ups can help create a V-shaped torso.

5. Wall Push-Up

This exercise is a great option for anyone who wants to work their chest, triceps, shoulders, and core without putting too much stress on their joints or risking injury.

How To Do

• Start by facing a wall, standing a little more than arm’s length away, feet shoulder – width apart.
• Place your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height and width.
• Lean forward, bending your elbows as you lower your upper body toward the wall in a controlled movement.
• Keep your feet firmly on the ground and your back straight as if you were standing upright.
• Push off with your hands to return to the starting position, fully extending your arms without locking your elbows.

Muscles Worked

The wall push-up primarily targets the chest muscles, also known as the pectoralis major and minor.

These muscles are responsible for adducting, flexing, and horizontally abducting the arm at the shoulder joint. They also assist in stabilizing the shoulder blade and rotating the arm inward.

In addition to the chest, the wall push-up also works the triceps, which are located at the back of the upper arm and extend the elbow joint.

The shoulders, including the deltoids and the rotator cuff muscles, are also involved in the movement, as they help stabilize and move the arm in different planes.

6. Woodchoppers

Woodchoppers are a great exercise to improve your core strength and stability, enhance rotational power and mobility, and burn calories and fat.

They can be done with different types of equipment, such as a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a cable, or a medicine ball.

How To Do

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, gripping a dumbbell with both hands.
• Begin from a squatting position, holding the weight next to one knee.
• Explosively stand up and rotate your torso, lifting the dumbbell diagonally across your body until it’s above your opposite shoulder.
• Your eyes should follow the movement of the weight to maintain balance and form.
• Engage your oblique muscles to control the motion as you return to the starting position.

Muscles Worked

Woodchoppers mainly work the obliques, but also the rectus abdominis, the transverse abdominis, the lower back, and the hips.

By twisting your torso, you engage your obliques, which are the muscles on the sides of your waist that help you rotate your torso.

The lower back and hips are also involved in the movement, as they help you maintain your balance and stability.

7. Wiper Planks

Wiper Planks turn up the heat on your core workout by challenging your muscle coordination.

You will engage not just your abdominal muscles but also your quads and glutes for a truly full-body exercise.

How To Do

• Begin in a classic plank position: place hands directly under shoulders and extend legs back, balancing on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your body straight as an arrow, avoiding any sagging in the hips or arching in the back.
• Now imagine wiping a window with your lower body: rotate at the waist to swing your legs side to side while maintaining a strong upper body posture.
• Your toes should be pointed, brushing lightly against the floor as they move from side to side like windshield wipers.

Muscles Worked

Wiper planks mainly work your core, but they also engage other muscles, such as the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders.

By rotating your hips, you challenge your obliques and lower abs, while keeping your body in a straight line helps strengthen your entire core.

8. Wide Grip Push-Up

Ready to challenge your upper body like never before? The Wide Grip Push-Up is an explosive exercise that targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps, delivering a powerful boost to your strength-training routine with every rep.

How To Do

• Start in a push-up position with your hands positioned wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor.
• Your feet should be hip-width apart and your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor, keeping your elbows flared out.
• Push yourself back to the starting position and repeat.

Muscles Worked

The wide grip push-up primarily targets the chest, but it also works the triceps, shoulders, and core. By placing your hands wider than shoulder-width apart, you engage the outer part of your chest, creating a fuller look.

9. Wall Tricep Push-Up

Switching gears from the wide grip push-up, let’s focus on targeting your triceps with a bodyweight exercise that packs a punch: the wall tricep push-up.

This move challenges your arm muscles, especially those pesky triceps, and can be a game changer for your upper body strength training routine.

How To Do

• Start by facing a wall with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Place your hands on the wall at chest level, slightly narrower than shoulder – width to emphasize tricep engagement.
• Lean forward until your nose almost touches the wall, keeping your body in a straight line—think of it as planking against the wall.
• Push back by extending your arms and activating those triceps to return to the starting position.

Muscles Worked

Wall tricep push-ups mainly work the triceps, which are the muscles at the back of your upper arm. However, they also engage the chest, shoulders, and core muscles.

10. Windshield Wiper

The windshield wiper exercise is a dynamic move that fires up your core and improves flexibility. Performing it correctly can yield impressive results for your midsection, enhancing both strength and stability.

How To Do

• Begin by lying flat on your back with your arms extended out to the sides for support.
• Keep your legs together and lift them up towards the ceiling until they’re perpendicular to the floor.
• With control, rotate your legs from side to side in an arc, similar to a car’s windshield wipers.
• Engage your abdominal muscles to keep the motion smooth and prevent your legs from touching the ground as you ‘wipe’ from side to side.
• Make sure you breathe steadily throughout the exercise, exhaling as you drop your legs to each side.

Muscles Worked

The windshield wiper mainly works your obliques, which are the muscles that run along the sides of your abdomen. Additionally, it also engages your rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, lower back, and hips.

11. Wide Grip Pulldown

Ready to power up your upper body? The wide grip pulldown is a stellar move that works wonders on your back and arm muscles, particularly the latissimus dorsi.

How To Do

• Begin by adjusting the machine’s knee pad to secure your lower body.
• Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s wider than shoulder – width apart.
• Sit down and anchor your thighs under the pads.
• Lean back slightly and puff out your chest, ready for action.
• Pull the bar down towards your chest, drawing your shoulder blades together.
• Take care not to jerk or use momentum; control is key.
• Slowly release back to starting position, feeling the stretch in your lats.

Muscles Worked

The wide grip pulldown mainly targets the latissimus dorsi, but also works the biceps, forearms, traps, and core.

12. Wenning Wrist Flicks

Moving from the wide grip pulldown, we shift our focus to smaller yet significant muscles with Wenning Wrist Flicks.

These exercises target critical areas often overlooked in strength training.

How To Do

• Begin by sitting on a bench; place your forearms securely on your thighs with your palms facing up.
• Hold a light kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand, using a neutral grip.
• Rapidly flick your wrists upward, keeping the rest of your arm still, as if you’re gently tossing the weights towards the ceiling.
• Perform these flicks for several repetitions to experience full engagement of the wrist flexors.

Muscles Worked

Main muscles worked during this exercise include the forearm flexors and extensors, contributing to improved wrist strength.

Enhanced grip strength is another benefit as this movement simulates motions used in daily activities and other sports.

13. Wide Grip Bench Press

The Wide Grip Bench Press expands your upper body strength training by focusing on different muscles.

This variation of the bench press emphasizes chest development and offers a fresh challenge to seasoned lifters.

How To Do

• Begin by lying flat on a bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
• Grasp the barbell with your hands wider than shoulder – width apart; this is what makes it a “wide grip.”
• With control, un – rack the weight and hold the bar directly over your chest, keeping your arms straight.
• Slowly lower the bar to your mid – chest while maintaining a steady breath.
• Exhale as you press the bar back up to the starting position, engaging your chest and arm muscles.

Muscles Worked

The primary muscle group worked is the pectoralis major, which includes the sternal (lower) and clavicular (upper) head.

Secondary muscles engaged are the triceps brachii, which assist in extending your elbows during the lift.

Your anterior deltoids (front shoulders) also contribute to stabilizing and pressing movements.

14. Wall Handstand Push Up

The wall handstand push-up combines an inverted position with a vertical pushing motion, providing a full upper body workout.

It’s a bodyweight exercise that requires no equipment but delivers significant strength training results.

How To Do

• Begin by facing away from the wall and getting into a handstand position with your feet touching the wall for balance.
• Your hands should be placed on the ground shoulder-width apart, fingers spread wide for stability.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower your head toward the floor, keeping your body straight and core engaged.
• Press through your palms to extend your arms and lift your body back to the starting position.
• Advanced variations include wearing a weighted vest or changing hand positions for increased difficulty.

Muscles Worked

Targeted muscles include deltoids, pectorals, triceps brachii, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi. Regular practice can lead to enhanced shoulder press strength without needing weights or machinery.

The challenge of maintaining an inverted position also works out the core, contributing to improved core strength.

15. Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are a powerhouse move for targeting your lower body and ramping up your overall fitness. With each step, you’re sculpting stronger legs and building a more stable core.

How To Do

• Stand with your feet together, you can hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
• Take a large step forward with your right leg, bending your knee to a 90-degree angle.
• Keep your left leg straight and push off your right heel to bring your left leg forward.
• Repeat the same motion with your left leg, alternating legs as you walk forward for the required distance or rep count.

Muscles Worked

Walking lunges mainly work the quadriceps, but they also engage the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core.

By performing walking lunges regularly, you can improve your lower body strength and endurance.

16. Wide Stance Squat Jumps

Wide stance squat jumps target your lower body muscles like a champ. Including them in your fitness routine could seriously rev up your power and sports performance.

This is an excellent way to increase your lower body strength and power, improve your cardiovascular fitness and agility, and tone your inner and outer thighs.

How To Do

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out.
• Lower into a deep squat, keeping your knees in line with your toes, your back flat, and your weight on your heels.
• Then, explode up and jump as high as you can, landing softly and immediately going into the next squat.
• Repeat for the required time or rep count.

Muscles Worked

As mentioned earlier, the main muscle worked by Wide Stance Squat Jumps is the glutes. However, this exercise also targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core.

17. Weighted Russian Twists

Weighted Russian twists work out your core. They challenge your balance, strengthen your obliques, and boost overall stability.

This exercise can be done with different types of equipment, such as a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a medicine ball, or a plate, making it a versatile addition to your workout routine.

How To Do

• Grab a weight like a dumbbell or medicine ball while sitting on the ground.
• Bend your knees with feet flat, and lean back slightly to engage the abs.
• Hold the weight with both hands in front of you, keeping the arms slightly bent.
• Twist your torso to one side, bringing the weight towards the floor beside you.
• Now twist to the opposite side, moving in a controlled manner.
• Keep your legs still and focus on moving only your upper body.

Muscles Worked

Weighted Russian twists mainly target the obliques, which are the muscles that run along the sides of your waist and help you rotate your torso.

However, this exercise also works other core muscles, such as the rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” muscle), the transverse abdominis (the deep muscle that supports your spine), the lower back, and the hips.

Conclusion

So, you have just learned about 17 exercises that start with W. You now have a variety of exercises to choose from that target different muscle groups and offer different benefits to your health and fitness.

By incorporating these exercises into your workout routine, you can improve your strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance.

You can also challenge yourself by trying different variations and levels of difficulty.

So why wait? Lace up those sneakers, pick an exercise or two from the list, and welcome an awesome workout into your day.