Standing Hip Horizontal Rotation

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Place your hands on your hips or extend them to the sides for balance.
3. Engage your core and maintain an upright, neutral spine with your gaze forward.

How to do it

1. Lift one foot slightly off the ground and rotate your hip inward, driving your knee across the midline of your body while keeping your torso stable.
2. Exhale as you rotate, focusing on squeezing your adductors and obliques at the end of the range of motion.
3. Inhale as you return the leg to the starting position using a slow, controlled tempo.
4. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, alternating legs for the duration of the set.

Form checklist

• Keep your torso facing forward; do not let your shoulders rotate with your hips.
• Maintain a slight bend in the standing leg to ensure a stable base.
• Ensure the rotation comes from the hip joint rather than just swinging the lower leg.
• Keep your pelvis level and avoid hiking the hip of the moving leg.

Pro tips

• Visualize pulling your inner thigh toward your opposite hip to maximize adductor engagement.
• Slow down the tempo to a 2-second concentric and 2-second eccentric phase to increase time under tension for the obliques.

Make it harder

• Perform the movement while standing on an unstable surface, such as a foam pad, to increase balance demands.
• Hold the peak contraction for 3 seconds at the end of the internal rotation to further challenge the deep core.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the standing hip horizontal rotation work?

The standing hip horizontal rotation primarily targets the adductors and obliques, and also works the glutes and hip flexors as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the standing hip horizontal rotation?

The standing hip horizontal rotation requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the standing hip horizontal rotation good for beginners?

Yes. The standing hip horizontal rotation is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

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