Exercise Guide
Side-Lying Hip Abduction
Lying on your side and lifting the top leg straight up. The simplest direct glute medius exercise, and a common prescription for cranky hips and knees.
BeginnerStrengthPushIsolation
Form
Start
Mid
End
Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Details
Primary Muscle
Glutes
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Beginner
Category
Strength
Force
Push
Mechanic
Isolation
Secondary Muscles
Core
How to Perform
- 1
Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked, hips square.
- 2
Rest your head on your lower arm and place your top hand on the floor for balance.
- 3
Lift your top leg as high as it goes without your hips rolling backwards.
- 4
Lower under control and repeat, then switch sides.
Tips
- ★Turn the toes slightly down rather than up - it keeps the work on the glute instead of the hip flexor.
- ★Lie with your back against a wall to feel exactly when your hips start to roll.