Exercise guide
Hip - Extension
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Hips
- Lower legs
The bodyweight hip extension isolates the gluteus maximus and hamstrings, improving posterior chain strength and hip stability through a controlled unilateral movement.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Start on all fours in a quadruped position with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Engage your core to create a flat, neutral spine from head to tailbone.
- Distribute your weight evenly between your hands and the stationary knee.
How to do it
- Keeping your working knee bent at a 90-degree angle, exhale and lift your heel toward the ceiling by extending the hip.
- Squeeze your glute at the top of the movement, ensuring your lower back does not arch or dip.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the knee back toward the floor with a 2-second eccentric tempo.
- Complete the desired repetitions on one leg before switching to the other side.
Form checklist
- Keep your hips square to the floor; do not let the pelvis rotate or tilt.
- Maintain a braced core to prevent the lower back from rounding or arching.
- Keep your neck neutral by looking at the floor slightly ahead of your hands.
- Drive the movement through the heel rather than the toes.
Pro tips
- Pause for one second at the peak of the contraction to maximize gluteal fiber recruitment.
- Imagine you are trying to leave a footprint on the ceiling to ensure the force is coming from hip extension rather than leg swinging.
Make it harder
- Perform the movement with a straight leg to increase the lever arm and hamstring tension.
- Add a 3-second isometric hold at the top of every repetition.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the hip - extension work?
- The hip - extension primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings, and also works the adductors and obliques as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the hip - extension?
- The hip - extension requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the hip - extension good for beginners?
- The hip - extension is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
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