The straight leg outer hip abductor is a bodyweight exercise performed lying on your side, targeting the hip abductor muscles. It helps strengthen the outer thighs and hips, and also engages the glutes and hamstrings.
Also Works
GlutesHamstrings
How to Perform
1
Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other.
2
Place your bottom arm under your head for support.
3
Engage your core and lift your top leg as high as possible without rotating your hips or leaning backward.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
Pro Tips
•Lift the top leg directly upward in the coronal plane without rotating the hip forward or backward.
•Keep the movement controlled with a 2-second lift and 2-second lower to maximize gluteus medius activation.
•Stack your hips vertically and engage your core to prevent rolling forward or backward.
Common Mistakes
•Rotating the hip forward and lifting the leg in front of the body, which recruits the hip flexors instead of the abductors.
•Using momentum to swing the leg up rather than lifting it with controlled muscle activation.
•Tilting the pelvis to create the illusion of greater range of motion.