Reps Only exercise

Side-Lying Hip Abduction form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

Side-lying hip abduction involves raising the top leg toward the ceiling while lying on one side, isolating the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip. Lifters use it to strengthen the hip abductors that stabilize the pelvis during squats, lunges, and running, and it is a staple in rehabilitation and warm-up programs targeting knee valgus and lateral hip weakness.

Side-Lying Hip Abduction illustration

How to do Side-Lying Hip Abduction

  1. 1Lie on your side with your body in a straight line, bottom arm supporting your head and top hand resting on the floor in front of your chest.
  2. 2Keep both legs straight and roll your top hip slightly forward so it stacks over the bottom hip.
  3. 3Exhale as you lift the top leg toward the ceiling, leading with the heel and keeping the toes pointing forward, not up.
  4. 4Raise the leg to roughly 45 degrees without hiking your hip toward your ribs or rolling backward.
  5. 5Inhale as you lower the leg slowly back to the start, keeping tension in the outer hip, and switch sides after all reps.

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Track Side-Lying Hip Abduction in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.