Side Lying Leg Raise
The side-lying hip abduction, or side-lying leg raise, is a floor exercise in which you lie on your side and lift your straight top leg up and away from the other leg. It trains the gluteus medius and the other muscles at the side of the hip that move the leg outwards and hold the pelvis level when you stand on one leg.
Also called: Side Leg Raise, Lying Hip Abduction, Lateral Leg Raise, Side-Lying Abduction · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: push
Step by step
- Lie on your side with your hips and shoulders stacked vertically, your bottom arm under your head and your top hand on the floor in front of you for balance.
- Bend your bottom knee slightly for a stable base and keep your top leg straight, in line with your body or very slightly behind it.
- Point the toes of your top leg forwards, so your kneecap faces forwards rather than up at the ceiling.
- Brace your trunk gently and lift your top leg towards the ceiling, leading with your heel, until just before your pelvis starts to tip or roll.
- Pause for a moment at the top without letting your hips roll backwards.
- Bring the leg back down slowly until it is just above the bottom leg, keeping tension in the side of your hip.
- Complete all reps on one side, then turn over and repeat on the other leg.
- Lead with your heel, toes pointing forwards
- Hips stacked, pelvis still
- Lift only as high as the pelvis stays put
- Slow on the way down
- Top leg straight and in line with your body
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Prime mover | C |
| Gluteus maximus: upper (superior) | Secondary | C |
| Hip flexors: tensor fasciae latae (TFL) | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hips rolling backwards as the leg lifts
Fix: Stack your hips vertically and lift only as high as they stay still.
Toes turning up to the ceiling
Fix: Point your toes forwards and lead the lift with your heel.
Leg drifting in front of the body
Fix: Keep the top leg in line with your body or very slightly behind it.
Hitching the hip towards the ribs
Fix: Keep your waist long and let only the leg move.
Dropping the leg quickly
Fix: Bring the leg down slowly and keep it just above the bottom leg.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitnessSport performanceEndurance
- Muscle activity — In an EMG study of 12 common glute exercises, side-lying hip abduction produced the highest gluteus medius activity. Activity is not growth, and there is no direct research on this exercise and muscle size.
- Reps and effort — Research finds lighter loads with higher reps favour local muscular endurance, and growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Common practice is sets of about 12–20 slow reps per leg.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Squats, lunges and single-leg work also train the side of the hip.
- Rotation — An EMG study of side-lying variations found plain abduction the most focused on the gluteus medius, while adding outward rotation of the hip brought in more of the gluteus maximus.
- Progression — Many lifters progress by adding an ankle weight or moving to a band or cable, because bodyweight alone gives a fixed load.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the side lying leg raise in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.