- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 25 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
- One side at a time
Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
First cueKeep the hips level.
How to do the Fire Hydrant
Set up. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Keeping the knee bent, lift one leg out to the side.
- Pause at the top.
- Lower under control.
- Finish the set and switch legs.
Form cues
- Keep the hips level.
- Keep the stomach braced.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Leaning the body away to lift higher.
- Rushing the reps.
Muscles worked
Main target: Glutes. The glutes are the three muscles of the buttock. They extend the hip, standing up out of a squat or finishing a hinge, and keep the pelvis level on one leg.
On the way: Abductors.
Its other side: Quads, in the knees and hips pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Fire Hydrant, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Leg Extension Superset partner: it trains the other side of the knees and hips pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the hamstrings.
- Single-Leg Calf Raise Same legs session: it trains the calves.
- Monster Walk Often left out: it trains the abductors, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
5 movements, the Fire Hydrant 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.
- Fire Hydrant 3 × 10 to 25 reps
- Leg Extension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Nordic Curl 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Single-Leg Calf Raise 3 × 8 to 25 reps
- Monster Walk 3 × 10 to 25 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Curtsy Lunge
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Glute Kickback Machine
Machine
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: Clamshell.
Do before it: Clamshell (glutes switched on) and Banded Lateral Walk (glutes switched on).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Fire Hydrant 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 Fire Hydrant?
Set up: Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Steps: 1. Keeping the knee bent, lift one leg out to the side. 2. Pause at the top. 3. Lower under control. 4. Finish the set and switch legs. Form cues: Keep the hips level. Keep the stomach braced. Move slowly. Common mistakes: Leaning the body away to lift higher. Rushing the reps.
What muscles does the Fire Hydrant work?
It trains the glutes as its main target and works the abductors on the way.
What can I do instead of the Fire Hydrant?
At home: Curtsy Lunge. In a gym: Glute Kickback Machine. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Fire Hydrant with?
Good partners in the same workout are Leg Extension, Nordic Curl, Single-Leg Calf Raise and Monster Walk.