Execution form
- EquipmentBand
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 25 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
- One side at a time
How to do the Clamshell
Set up. Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent and a mini band around your thighs just above the knees. Rest your head on your arm.
- Keeping your feet together, open the top knee against the band.
- Pause at the top.
- Close under control.
- Finish the set and switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep the hips stacked.
- Keep the feet touching.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Rolling the hips back to open the knee further.
- Using a band too heavy to control.
Muscles worked
Main target: Abductors. The hip abductors sit on the outside of the hip. They move the leg out to the side and keep the knee over the foot under a load.
On the way: Glutes.
Its other side: Adductors, in the inner and outer hip pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Clamshell, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Adductor Machine Superset partner: it trains the other side of the inner and outer hip pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Reverse Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the quads.
- Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the hamstrings.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Clamshell first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Clamshell 3 × 10 to 25 reps
- Adductor Machine 3 × 12 to 25 reps
- Reverse Nordic Curl 3 × 5 to 12 reps
- Nordic Curl 3 × 3 to 10 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Side-Lying Leg Raise
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Cable Hip Abduction
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Hip Abduction.
Other variations of the Hip Abduction: Banded Lateral Walk, Side-Lying Leg Raise and Cable Hip Abduction.
Its variations: Fire Hydrant.
Do before it: Clamshell (glutes switched on) and Banded Lateral Walk (glutes switched on).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Clamshell is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Clamshell?
Set up: Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent and a mini band around your thighs just above the knees. Rest your head on your arm. Steps: 1. Keeping your feet together, open the top knee against the band. 2. Pause at the top. 3. Close under control. 4. Finish the set and switch sides. Form cues: Keep the hips stacked. Keep the feet touching. Move slowly. Common mistakes: Rolling the hips back to open the knee further. Using a band too heavy to control.
What muscles does the Clamshell work?
It trains the abductors as its main target and works the glutes on the way.
What can I do instead of the Clamshell?
At home: Side-Lying Leg Raise. In a gym: Cable Hip Abduction. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Clamshell with?
Good partners in the same workout are Adductor Machine, Reverse Nordic Curl and Nordic Curl.