Straight Leg Outer Hip Abductor

Setup

1. 01Lie on your side with hips and shoulders stacked vertically.
2. 02Straighten the top leg and keep the bottom leg slightly bent for balance.
3. 03Rest your head on the lower arm and place the top hand on the floor for support.
4. 04Point the top foot slightly down toward the floor to bias the glute medius.

Execution

1. 01Brace lightly so the pelvis does not roll backward.
2. 02Raise the straight top leg toward the ceiling to roughly 45 degrees.
3. 03Pause briefly at the top without hiking the hip.
4. 04Lower the leg under control back to the start.

Checkpoints

• -Pelvis stays stacked and does not roll open.
• -The leg lifts from the hip, not from a side bend of the trunk.
• -The top knee stays straight throughout.
• -Tempo is controlled on both the lift and the lowering.

Common mistakes

• -Rolling the hips backward to lift the leg higher.
• -Swinging the leg with momentum.
• -Letting the toes point up, shifting work to the hip flexors.
• -Hiking the hip toward the ribs instead of abducting the leg.