Exercise guide
Hip - Flexion
- Beginner
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Hips
- Lower legs
This exercise isolates the hip flexors and rectus femoris, improving hip mobility and stability while strengthening the muscles responsible for lifting the leg. It is a fundamental movement for improving gait, posture, and athletic performance.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
- Place your hands on your hips or hold onto a stable surface (like a wall or chair) for balance.
- Shift your weight onto your standing leg, keeping a micro-bend in that knee to avoid locking it.
How to do it
- Exhale as you lift your knee toward your chest, keeping your foot flexed (dorsiflexed).
- Lift until your thigh is at least parallel to the floor, ensuring your torso remains perfectly upright.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the leg back to the starting position with a controlled 2-second tempo.
- Perform all repetitions on one side before switching to the other leg.
Form checklist
- Keep your torso upright; do not lean back to compensate for the leg lift.
- Maintain a level pelvis and avoid 'hiking' the hip of the moving leg upward.
- Keep the standing leg glute squeezed to provide a stable base.
- Ensure the movement is driven by the hip, not by swinging the lower leg.
Pro tips
- Focus on the 'deep' sensation in the hip crease to ensure you are engaging the psoas and iliacus.
- Hold the peak contraction at the top for one second to maximize muscle fiber recruitment.
Make it harder
- Perform the movement with a straight leg (Straight Leg Raise) to increase the lever arm and difficulty.
- Slow down the lowering phase to 4 seconds to increase time under tension.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the hip - flexion work?
- The hip - flexion primarily targets the hip flexors and quadriceps, and also works the abs and glutes as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the hip - flexion?
- The hip - flexion requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the hip - flexion good for beginners?
- Yes. The hip - flexion is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
Related exercises
- Dumbbell Around Hip Hand To Hand Single Leg BalanIntermediate · adductors, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps
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- Low LungeBeginner · glutes, hip flexors, and quadriceps
- Rope Pull Side StepIntermediate · adductors, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps