Side Lying Outward Knee Kick
Strengthen your glutes and hips with the Side Lying Outward Knee Kick. This bodyweight exercise improves hip abduction and stability, crucial for daily
Description
This is a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the glutes and to a lesser degree also targets the quads and hamstrings.
How to Do Side Lying Outward Knee Kick
- 1Setup
Lie on your side with your bottom arm extended overhead or bent supporting your head, and your top hand on the floor in front of your chest for stability.
- 2Setup
Bend both knees to a 90-degree angle, stacking your hips and knees directly on top of each other, ensuring your feet are aligned with your spine.
- 3
Keeping your feet together and core engaged, lift your top knee towards the ceiling, rotating at the hip to open it as far as comfortable without rocking your torso.
- 4
Extend your top leg straight out to the side, maintaining the height of your knee and actively squeezing your glutes.
- 5
Bend your knee back to the open position, then slowly lower your knee back to the starting stacked position with control.
Tips
- Keep your hips stacked and avoid rolling your top hip backward to ensure optimal glute activation throughout the entire exercise.
- Focus on a slow and controlled movement, especially during the lowering phase, to maximize time under tension and muscle engagement.
- Actively engage your core to stabilize your torso and prevent any unwanted rocking or swaying during the outward kick.
- Dorsiflex your top foot (pull toes towards shin) when extending the leg to better engage the quadriceps and maintain control.
Common Mistakes
- ×Rolling the top hip backward disengages the glutes; instead, keep your hips stacked and only lift your knee as high as possible without rolling.
- ×Using momentum to kick the leg reduces muscle engagement; perform each phase of the movement slowly and deliberately to maximize control.
- ×Failing to fully extend the leg limits muscle activation; ensure a complete extension to maximize glute and quad engagement.
Variations
Bent knee Lying Twist
Strengthen your core and target obliques and glutes with the bent knee lying twist.
Bent Leg Side Kick (kneeling)
Strengthen your gluteus medius with the kneeling bent leg side kick. This bodyweight exercise targets hip abduction, improving stability and strength.
Kneeling Side Leg to Kick
Strengthen your glutes and hips with the kneeling side leg to kick. This dynamic bodyweight exercise improves hip abduction and extension, boosting lower
Lying Side to Side Knee
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