Wipers
Wipers are a rotational core exercise performed on your back with the legs raised to vertical and swung side to side through a 180 degree arc, like a windshield wiper. They train the obliques and hip flexors and are the only rotational movement in the NSW core progression.
How to Perform It
Lie on your back with your legs extended straight and together and your arms outstretched away from the body. Lift the legs together until they are perpendicular to the ground, with the hips flexed to 90 degrees. Keeping that 90 degree hip angle, rotate the lower torso and pelvis to one side until the legs contact the ground. Rotate back through a 180 degree arc until the legs contact the ground on the other side. Keep swinging back and forth; each arc counts as one rep. The guide's key cue is to keep the upper back, both arms, and both shoulder blades in contact with the ground at all times so the rotation comes from the trunk, not the shoulders.
Why It Matters for BUD/S
Wipers add a rotational plane that the other five core exercises do not cover. The plank and side plank resist movement, the bridge and bird dog extend the hips and spine, and the superman lifts into extension. Wipers ask the obliques to control a heavy lever, the legs, as it rotates and to stop it before momentum takes over. That control transfers to the twisting demands of boat carries, log PT, and the alternating body roll of the combat sidestroke. Keeping the shoulder blades pinned also trains the upper back to stay anchored while the lower body moves, the same coordination that keeps a swimmer's stroke stable.
Where It Sits in the 26-Week Plan
Wipers are part of the core block on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The volume progression follows the same shape as the bridge and bird dog: 2 sets of 20 reps in weeks 1 through 6, 2 sets of 25 in weeks 7 through 11, 3 sets of 20 in weeks 12 through 16, 3 sets of 25 in weeks 17 through 21, and 3 sets of 30 reps in weeks 22 through 26. Each rep is a full arc from one side to the other, so a set of 30 is 30 arcs, not 30 touches per side. Work up to each block's numbers with the shoulders flat before adding speed.
Prescription by program week
| Weeks | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | 2 x 20 reps |
| 7-11 | 2 x 25 reps |
| 12-16 | 3 x 20 reps |
| 17-21 | 3 x 25 reps |
| 22-26 | 3 x 30 reps |
If a shoulder lifts off the floor as the legs come down, shorten the arc. Full range with pinned shoulders is the standard, not touching the ground at all costs.
Related Terms
Core exercises in the NSW preparation program target the trunk stabilizers — abdominals, obliques, lower back, and hip muscles — through a progressive rotation of planks, bridges, bird dogs, supermans, and side planks. These exercises build the trunk stability that supports every movement in BUD/S, from running to swimming to log PT.
The side plank is an isometric hold on one forearm and the edge of the feet that trains the obliques and the muscles along the side of the hip. The NSW guide prescribes it per side, so every set is performed twice, once on the left and once on the right.
Sit-ups are a core calisthenics exercise and one of the five scored events in the Physical Screening Test (PST). In the NSW preparation program, sit-up training follows the same progressive volume model as push-ups — daily targets scale based on the candidate's most recent PST max to maintain consistent overload.
The combat sidestroke (CSS) is a hybrid swimming technique developed for military applications that combines elements of sidestroke, freestyle, and breaststroke. It is the preferred stroke for the PST 500-yard swim and the primary swimming technique used throughout BUD/S training and NSW operations.
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