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Standing Pelvic Tilt

A standing motor-control drill that teaches anterior and posterior pelvic tilt, building the lumbopelvic awareness that underpins bracing in hinges and squats.

BackBodyweightPelvic control
GoLightWeight mediastanding-pelvic-tilt

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Deep core

Secondary

GlutesSpinal erectorsRectus abdominis

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Pelvic control

Setup

  1. 01Stand with feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. 02Place your hands on the hip bones to feel the pelvis move.
  3. 03Stack ribs over pelvis in a relaxed neutral posture.
  4. 04Keep the upper body quiet; only the pelvis should move.

Execution

  1. 01Exhale and tuck the pelvis under, squeezing the glutes and flattening the lower back.
  2. 02Hold the posterior tilt for 1 to 2 seconds.
  3. 03Inhale and tilt the pelvis forward, letting the lower back arch slightly.
  4. 04Cycle slowly between the two positions, finishing each set in neutral.

Checkpoints

  • -Movement comes from the pelvis, not from bending the knees or leaning the torso.
  • -Glutes visibly engage on the posterior tilt.
  • -The range is smooth and pain free at both ends.
  • -You can stop in neutral on demand.

Common mistakes

  • -Moving the whole torso instead of isolating the pelvis.
  • -Forcing an extreme arch that pinches the lower back.
  • -Rushing the reps without feeling either end position.
  • -Holding the breath instead of syncing breath with the tilt.

Programming notes

  • -Use 1 to 2 sets of 10 to 15 slow reps in a warm-up.
  • -Valuable before deadlifts and squats to rehearse finding neutral.
  • -Progress to holding a light brace in neutral for 10 to 20 seconds.

Related exercises

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