Exercise guide
Wide Leg Leaning Forward
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Lower legs
- Shoulders
- Upper legs
This wide-stance hinge variation targets the hamstrings and glutes while emphasizing the adductors and hip mobility. It is an effective functional movement for building posterior chain flexibility and eccentric control.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand with your feet significantly wider than shoulder-width apart, with toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
- Maintain a soft bend in your knees to protect the joints and engage the hamstrings.
- Place your hands on your hips or extend them out to the sides for balance.
- Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades back to set a neutral spine.
How to do it
- Inhale and hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes back toward the wall behind you while keeping your chest up.
- Lower your torso until it is nearly parallel to the floor or until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pause for one second at the bottom of the movement to emphasize the stretch.
- Exhale and drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes to return to a standing position.
Form checklist
- Keep your back flat and avoid rounding your lumbar spine.
- Ensure your weight stays distributed through your heels and mid-foot, not your toes.
- Keep your neck neutral by looking at a spot on the floor a few feet in front of you.
- Do not allow your knees to cave inward; keep them tracking in line with your toes.
Pro tips
- Think about 'spreading the floor' with your feet to increase tension in the glutes and outer hips.
- Focus on the mind-muscle connection by consciously squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Make it harder
- Perform the movement with your hands behind your head (prisoner style) to increase the lever length and challenge your erector spinae.
- Slow down the eccentric phase to a 4-second count to increase time under tension.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the wide leg leaning forward work?
- The wide leg leaning forward primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings, and also works the abs, erector spinae, and obliques as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the wide leg leaning forward?
- The wide leg leaning forward requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the wide leg leaning forward good for beginners?
- The wide leg leaning forward is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Around The World Superman HoldIntermediate · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius
- Barbell Clean PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell Deadlift 360 DegreesIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell Full CleanAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius