- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 25 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
- One side at a time
Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked, head resting on your arm.
First cueKeep the toes pointing forward.
How to do the Side-Lying Leg Raise
Set up. Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked, head resting on your arm.
- Lift the top leg up, keeping it straight and slightly behind your body.
- Pause at the top.
- Lower under control.
- Finish the set and switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep the toes pointing forward.
- Keep the hips stacked.
- Lift only as high as the hips stay still.
Common mistakes
- Rolling backward.
- Swinging the leg high.
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 Side-Lying Leg Raise, 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 Side-Lying Leg Raise 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.
- Side-Lying Leg Raise 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
Clamshell
Band
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, Clamshell and Cable Hip Abduction.
Do before it: Clamshell (glutes switched on) and Banded Lateral Walk (glutes switched on).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Side-Lying Leg Raise 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 Side-Lying Leg Raise?
Set up: Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked, head resting on your arm. Steps: 1. Lift the top leg up, keeping it straight and slightly behind your body. 2. Pause at the top. 3. Lower under control. 4. Finish the set and switch sides. Form cues: Keep the toes pointing forward. Keep the hips stacked. Lift only as high as the hips stay still. Common mistakes: Rolling backward. Swinging the leg high.
What muscles does the Side-Lying Leg Raise work?
It trains the abductors as its main target and works the glutes on the way.
What can I do instead of the Side-Lying Leg Raise?
At home: Clamshell. In a gym: Cable Hip Abduction. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Side-Lying Leg Raise with?
Good partners in the same workout are Adductor Machine, Reverse Nordic Curl and Nordic Curl.