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Exercise 1774 · REF WL4EmxJ

Side Bridge Hip Abduction exercise animation

Side Bridge Hip Abduction

Category
Upper Legs
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Abductors

Holding a side plank while lifting the top leg combines two demands at once — obliques and shoulder stabilizing the bridge, glute medius doing the actual hip abduction against gravity. It's a favorite in hip and knee rehab programs because a weak glute medius is a common culprit behind knee tracking issues. Keep the hips stacked and avoid rocking backward as the leg lifts; that's usually momentum doing the work instead of the muscle.

How to Do the Side Bridge Hip Abduction

  1. Lie on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other.
  2. Prop yourself up on your forearm, keeping your elbow directly below your shoulder.
  3. Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your feet.
  4. While keeping your core engaged, lift your top leg as high as possible without rotating your hips.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then lower your leg back down.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Muscles Worked

The Side Bridge Hip Abduction primarily targets the Abductors, with Glutes as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Obliques.

More Upper Legs Exercises

All Fours Squad Stretch All Fours Squad Stretch Body Weight · Quads Arms Apart Circular Toe Touch (male) Arms Apart Circular Toe Touch (male) Body Weight · Glutes Assisted Lying Glutes Stretch Assisted Lying Glutes Stretch Assisted · Glutes Assisted Lying Gluteus And Piriformis Stretch Assisted Lying Gluteus And Piriformis Stretch Assisted · Glutes Assisted Prone Hamstring Assisted Prone Hamstring Assisted · Hamstrings Assisted Prone Lying Quads Stretch Assisted Prone Lying Quads Stretch Assisted · Quads

More Abductors Exercises

Lever Seated Hip Abduction Lever Seated Hip Abduction Leverage Machine · Abductors Resistance Band Seated Hip Abduction Resistance Band Seated Hip Abduction Resistance Band · Abductors Side Hip Abduction Side Hip Abduction Body Weight · Abductors Straight Leg Outer Hip Abductor Straight Leg Outer Hip Abductor Body Weight · Abductors

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same abductors with different equipment.

Lever Seated Hip Abduction Lever Seated Hip Abduction Leverage Machine · Abductors Resistance Band Seated Hip Abduction Resistance Band Seated Hip Abduction Resistance Band · Abductors

FAQ

What muscles does the Side Bridge Hip Abduction work?
The Side Bridge Hip Abduction primarily targets the abductors, with the glutes and obliques assisting.
What equipment do I need for the Side Bridge Hip Abduction?
The Side Bridge Hip Abduction is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the Side Bridge Hip Abduction?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Lever Seated Hip Abduction targets the same abductors using leverage machine instead.