Exercise
Lying Hip Lift (On Stability Ball)
How to Perform - Lying Hip Lift (On Stability Ball)
- Position a stability ball under your feet and lie on your back with arms at your sides, palms facing down to stabilize your body.
- Place your heels on top of the ball with legs extended, keeping feet hip-width apart and toes pointing upward.
- Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine while maintaining a neutral position in your lower back.
- Exhale as you press through your heels and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
- At the top position, squeeze your glutes tightly while keeping your core engaged and shoulders firmly on the ground.
- Inhale as you slowly lower your hips back toward the floor in a controlled manner, stopping just before your lower back touches the ground.
- Maintain tension in your hamstrings and glutes throughout the movement, preventing the ball from rolling away.
- Complete the prescribed number of repetitions while focusing on a full range of motion and controlled movement speed.
Important information
- Keep your neck relaxed and head on the floor throughout the exercise to avoid unnecessary strain.
- If the exercise feels too challenging, place the ball closer to your body; for more difficulty, move the ball further away from your body.
- Make sure your hips rise high enough to create a straight line from shoulders to heels, but avoid hyperextending your back.
- For enhanced stability, place your arms slightly away from your body with palms pressing into the floor.
Primary Muscles
Muscle Groups
Mechanic
Risk Areas
Built for progress
Take the guesswork out of training
Create personalized AI-powered workout plans that evolve with you. Train smarter, track every rep, and keep moving forward, one workout at a time.
The Lying Hip Lift on a stability ball offers a challenging intermediate-level movement that effectively targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This exercise primarily engages your glutes and hamstrings while requiring significant core activation to maintain proper positioning throughout the movement. The unstable nature of the stability ball intensifies the workout, forcing your body to recruit additional stabilizer muscles that might remain dormant during similar exercises performed on stable surfaces.
Popular among bodybuilders for its ability to sculpt and define the posterior chain, this exercise also serves as an excellent rehabilitation option for those recovering from lower back injuries when performed with proper form and appropriate resistance. The controlled movement pattern helps strengthen the muscles supporting the spine without placing excessive stress on the vertebral column itself.
The beauty of the Lying Hip Lift lies in its versatility - it can be seamlessly incorporated into strength-focused routines or core-centric workouts depending on your specific fitness goals. By adjusting foot positioning and range of motion, you can shift emphasis between different muscle groups while maintaining the overall benefits of the exercise. Many fitness enthusiasts appreciate how this movement creates a mind-muscle connection with the glutes that's difficult to achieve with other exercises.
As you progress with this exercise, you'll likely notice improvements in hip mobility, core stability, and overall lower body strength. These adaptations translate well to everyday movements and athletic performance. The exercise promotes balanced muscular development, addressing common imbalances caused by prolonged sitting and sedentary lifestyles that can lead to lower back pain and reduced athletic performance.
Remember that while the stability ball adds an element of challenge, it also requires greater body awareness and control. This mindfulness aspect makes the Lying Hip Lift not just a physical exercise but also an opportunity to develop greater proprioception and kinesthetic awareness - valuable attributes for both serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.
FAQ - Lying Hip Lift (On Stability Ball)
This exercise primarily targets your glutes and hamstrings while requiring significant core activation for stability. Your lower back, hip flexors, and abdominal muscles also work as important stabilizers throughout the movement.
When performed with proper form, this exercise can actually benefit those with lower back problems by strengthening supporting muscles without compressing the spine. Start with minimal range of motion and progress gradually, stopping immediately if you feel any pain rather than muscle fatigue.
The most common mistakes include rounding your lower back, rotating your hips instead of keeping them square, rushing through the movement, and not hinging properly at the hips. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine, moving with control, and keeping your standing knee slightly soft rather than locked.
For an easier version, place your feet wider apart on the ball or position the ball closer to your body. To increase difficulty, try performing the movement with one leg raised, holding a weight across your hips, or increasing time under tension by slowing down the movement.
Include this exercise 2-3 times per week with at least 24-48 hours of recovery between sessions targeting the same muscle groups. Start with 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions, focusing on quality movement rather than quantity.
