Standing Side Leg Raise

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or lightly touching a wall for balance.
2. Shift your weight onto your standing leg, keeping a very slight bend in the knee to avoid locking the joint.
3. Engage your core and stand tall, ensuring your shoulders are stacked directly over your hips.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift your working leg out to the side, keeping the leg straight and the foot flexed.
2. Lift the leg only as high as you can without tilting your torso to the opposite side, typically around 30 to 45 degrees.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower the leg back toward the starting position under control, stopping just before the foot touches the floor.

Form checklist

• Keep your toes pointed forward or slightly inward to ensure the gluteus medius is doing the work.
• Maintain a perfectly upright torso; do not lean to the side to cheat the range of motion.
• Keep your core braced to prevent the lower back from arching or the pelvis from tilting.
• Ensure the movement is slow and controlled, avoiding the use of momentum.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing' your heel away from your body rather than just lifting the foot to maximize lateral glute engagement.
• Hold the peak contraction at the top for one second to intensify the mind-muscle connection with the outer hip.

Make it harder

• Place a mini-resistance band around your ankles or just above your knees to increase the load.
• Perform the movement while standing on an unstable surface, like a foam pad, to challenge the stabilizers of the standing leg.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the standing side leg raise work?

The standing side leg raise primarily targets the glutes and obliques, and also works the quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the standing side leg raise?

The standing side leg raise requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the standing side leg raise good for beginners?

Yes. The standing side leg raise is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

Related exercises

• 90 To 90Beginner · abs, glutes, obliques, and quadriceps
• 90 To 90 SwitchIntermediate · abs, glutes, obliques, and quadriceps
• Ardha Matsyendrasana Yoga PoseIntermediate · abs, glutes, obliques, and trapezius
• Back Leg Lift JackBeginner · abs, glutes, hamstrings, and obliques