Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Push your knees out against the band. More stable hips are less prone to wear and tear and injuries. But, if you havent done much hip abduction/external rotation training before, youll be surprised just how demanding this exercise is. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: Which Is Best for Weight Loss? Here are the Steps to Performing Fire Hydrant: 1) Begin on all fours. Our team of experts include a board-certified physician, nutritionists, dietitians, certified personal trainers, strength training experts, and exercise specialists. Do the fire hydrant exercise as described above but with a booty band around your lower thighs or upper shins. In this article, we'll discuss the benefits of fire hydrant exercises and how to do them. But, by standing on one leg, your hip abductors and rotators have to get busy stopping your knees from dropping in while keeping your pelvis stable. Instead, focus on keeping that weight centered. In an effort to build a better butt, a lot of people are focusing all their training on the gluteus maximus muscle, which is your primary hip extender. You can make them more challenging by wearing ankle weights or using a resistance band. Get down on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees hip-width apart.2. These exercises will work similar muscles and add variety to your routine. This means that fire hydrants are suitable for most exercisers, even those with hip pain. Make sure your knee and hip remain aligned. But if you follow the cues and remain conscious of the muscles youre targeting,it will definitely increasemuscle strength and definition. Real talk: Fire hydrant is a weird name for a workout move. Glutes gone wild: Resistance band leg & booty workout [Video file]. However, make sure this movement comes from your hips and NOT your knees. Being in a quadruped position mimics your most foundational gait, the crawl. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. The single leg hip bridge (straight leg) is an advanced variation of the basic hip or glute bridge exercise. Having strong glutes also improves your posture, lowers your risk of injury, and reduces back and knee pain. Lift your left leg away from your body at 45 degrees. Before starting or modifying an exercise program, talk to your doctor first. No equipment required you can do fire hydrants anywhere and anytime, making them ideal for home workouts. Using a booty band means they also work your external hip rotators and abductors, albeit statically. Breast Cancer; IBD ; Migraine; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Rheumatoid Arthritis; Type 2 Diabetes; Sponsored Topics; Articles. Lower your leg to the starting position and repeat. Some variations also work the abdominal muscles, toning and strengthening your core. Pause with your leg raised for 1-2 seconds and then, smoothly and controlled, lower your leg back down. Well tell you how to do 12 easy exercises that you can, Practice these stretches and exercises, at home and at the office, to work out the muscle groups needed to maintain stability while standing, walking, Hip extension means youre opening, or lengthening, the front of your hip. Place one hand on a sturdy object for help, if needed. Standing fire hydrant Stand with your legs hip-width apart. Repeat with the other leg. This translates to better hip mobility and flexibility so you'll be able to perform more complex movements in this position like bird dog down the road. The fire hydrant exercise is a must for all levels. Squeeze your core. In this article, well discuss the benefits of fire hydrant exercises and how to do them. Side leg raises, like fire hydrants, work your glutes and engage your hips. How to fire hydrant exercise. Complete three sets of 10 reps on each side. You arent actually moving your hands, just applying that pressure to engage your lats and back. The fire hydrant exercise is primarily a glute builder, but it also works the core. Standing fire hydrant Stand with your legs hip-width apart. Here are 8 exercises to, If youre trying to target arms, chest, back, core, and legs, here are 12 bodyweight exercises you can do. 1. Read more. Improves hip mobility. Squeeze your glutes. Like fire hydrants, bent knee hip extensions should only move your hip. Fire hydrants target the gluteus medius and outer hip. Spread the mat and position your body on all fours; your knees and your palms on the floor with your back parallel to the ground. Thats why single-leg exercises like lunges and step-ups are such good butt builders. For proper form, your knees should be directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. If you need help staying balanced, place your hands on the back of a chair. Step 2: Keeping your hips square to the ground, foot flexed, and knee in a 90-degree angle, activate your hip and butt to lift the right knee out to the side as high as you can without. Keep your core and pelvis stable. Fire hydrants, also called quadruped hip abductions, are a type of bodyweight exercise. You can help fight the urge to shift and even add a challenge by picking up the opposite hand (so if you're lifting your left leg, pick up your right hand). How to do fire hydrants exercise. Imagine you are screwing your feet outward and into the floor to maximize hip engagement. That's because it strengthens your body as it moves from side to side, helping combat muscle imbalances and reduce the risk of injury. If you are in a rush but still want to work your entire lower body in one, time-efficient exercise, booty band goblet squats would be an excellent choice. As soon as you switch from a bilateral stance (two legs) to a unilateral stance (single leg), your deep hip muscles have to step up and start working harder to stabilize your pelvis. Easy to learn compared to many other glute exercises, fire hydrants are easy to learn and master. After up to 30 seconds of pulses, lower your knee to the starting position. Try placing two dumbbells on the floor and gripping them with a neutral grip. All rights reserved. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions. What Is A Fire Hydrant Exercise Researchers discovered that the fire hydrant is one of the most effective butt exercises. Adopt the quadruped position with your knees directly under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Finally, pull your shoulders back and down, flattening out your back, and set your gaze just beyond your hands, putting your head in a neutral position. Featured. The fire hydrant exercise might have gained fame during the '80s aerobics craze. These include: Hip expansion. Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Bend your left leg to 90 degrees. Hes not just an armchair fitness expert; Patrick practices what he preaches! Gluteus medius and minimus located on the side of your hip, these muscles are involved in abduction and external rotation of your hip joint. The fire hydrant is one way to work your glutes, hips, and core. Exhale sharply to tighten the upper part of your abdomen so your whole core is engaged. Do two to three sets of nine to twelve reps! Then, instead of lowering your knee back to the floor, kick your leg out until it is straight. The fire hydrant targets the glutes to build strength and muscle size. Apple logo, Apple TV, App Store, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Fire hydrant - Now, inhale and lift one knee and extend it to the side,Keep your leg bent as it was in the starting position,Then, . Consult your physician and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program or using any supplement or meal replacement product, especially if you have any unique medical conditions or needs. Amazon, Kindle, Fire, and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com or its affiliates. (2015). Weighted fire hydrant: Wrap a resistance band around your legs above your knees or squeeze a dumbbell in the crease behind your working leg. The primary muscle targeted by the fire hydrant exercise is the gluteus medius, as you raise and lower your leg. Open your knee out to the side just as you would for a regular fire hydrant. The problem is, when you raise your head to peek in front of you, you automatically curve your spine. How Muscles Grow: Hypertrophy vs. Hyperplasia, 10 Best Coffee Creamer For Intermittent Fasting of 2022 (Review & Ranked), 16 Best Bodybuilding Books You Need To Read (Review & Ranked). Speaking of mistakes, it's easy to overdo it with this exercise and lift your knee too far with each rep. Stand. (n.d.). Most butt exercises work in the sagittal plane, i.e., forward and backward. When done regularly, fire hydrants can sculpt your glutes, improve back pain, and lower the risk for injury. Repeat with the other leg. If you start to feel any straining around your elbows, take that as a sign that you need to relax them a bit. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Bracing your core this way and minimizing any dip in your lower back will protect (and strengthen) your back. As you raise your leg, hold the top position and add a pulse movement by dropping your leg a few inches and then raising it again, repeating the pulse for a total of 3-5 reps before returning your knee to the starting position. It also trains you to tightenyour coreand maintain control of the contraction. When you lift your leg, pulse 3 to 5 times. Your glutes are basically your butt. After you put on the ankle weights, do fire hydrants as usual. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then swap legs. Lift your right knee to the right as high as you can. When you lift your leg, point your foot toward the opposite wall. Step 3:Lift your right knee directly out to the side as high as you can and then lower it back down. See which NordicTrack treadmills our experts have handpicked for your home gym. With your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, gently contract your glutes (basically, squeeze your butt). Increased hip stability if your knees tend to fall inward when you run, or do squats and lunges, doing fire hydrants will help. Start on your hands and knees. Fire hydrants are one of those exercises that looks too easy to be beneficial. . Lean your trunk forward and squeeze your core. Adding a kick to a normal fire hydrant will intensify the move. Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs, push your knees out, and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. As the two areas are closely connected, working both at once gives you more bang for . Whether you want to brush up on your anatomy or start a yoga practice, books are a great resource. Easy on the joints unlike a lot of glute exercises, the fire hydrant exercise is very joint-friendly. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Make sure your knee and hip remain aligned. Since it requires you to balance on just three limbs, it. . Work the side of your butt, too, with fire hydrants. As this is an exercise that helps people to balance while in motion, it is very effective at improving balance. 2005-2022 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Tuck your tailbone as if youre drawing your butt up into your belly button. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where youre at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. . This is a legitimate exercise thats good for your butt and hips. As the biggest muscle in your pelvis and hip region, your glutes control three major hip movements. Learn what you need to know here. This will line up your shinbone with your hips. How to: Get on all fours, with your hands stacked directly under shoulders, and knees under hips. [Tone and Tighten]. Lets just get the central premise of this move out of the way, while at the same time conveying its movement pattern: the name for the fire hydrant exercise is derived from its resemblance to the manner in which a dog relieves himself on a water plug, as The Fresh Prince used to call it. But never raise any higher than you can using while keeping your hips level. Working the medial glutes in this manner better equips you for side-to-side movement, and aids overall stability. Note: This is extra important if you have a history of lower back pain. Return to the starting position and repeat before rolling over and changing legs. The gluteus maximus is one big muscle, You are currently sitting on arguably the most important muscle in your body the gluteus maximus. And rememberthat 90-degree angle for your knees makes all the difference. That's what you want. Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, When to talk with an exercise professional, acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6402/5-ab-exercises-no-crunches-no-equipment, acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6970/your-functional-core-a-10-minute-series-to-develop-core-stability-and-mobility, acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6355/8-butt-toning-moves, acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/270/quadruped-bent-knee-hip-extensions, go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercise/side-leg-raise/, acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/ace-answers/exam-preparation-blog/3594/muscles-that-move-the-leg, How and Why You Should Do the Clamshell Exercise, How Improving Hip External Rotation Increases Mobility: Stretches and Exercises, Bodyweight Exercise Routines for Beginners and More Advanced. Chelik A. Glute activation exercise: How to activate glutes with fire hydrant kick [Video file]. "Keeping your hips level will ensure that you're working the muscles to lift your leg and not using momentum," Froelich says. Continue until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause with your leg raised for 1-2 seconds and then, smoothly and controlled, lower your leg back down. Standing fire hydrant to wake up those sleepy glutes [Video file]. How to: Lie on your left side and place your left forearm on the floor. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions. This exercise is a great way to add resistance and intensity to your fire hydrant routine. Benefits extend from. Lower your leg to starting position to complete 1 rep. Your back, neck, and opposite hip should stay still. Lau M, et al. We include products we think are useful for our readers. Single leg Romanian deadlifts are often seen as just a posterior chain exercise. Once youve created this tension its important to practice breathing in this tight, controlled space. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Lauren Kanski is a NASM-certified personal trainer based in New York City. Tighten your core and look down. Place your palms, knees and toes on the ground by bending the legs Keep your back straight and face down. 6 fire hydrant benefits. You should also talk to an exercise professional if youve had back, hip, or knee surgery. Stack your hips and bend your knees to 45-degrees. The primary muscle targeted by the fire hydrant exercise is the gluteus medius, as you raise and lower your leg. Then, perform a fire hydrant as you normally would. Now gently raise your right leg to a side until you feel that your thigh is raised to a limit. If you see a fire hydrant exercise before and after the image, you will find a contrast difference in the shape of the glutes and thighs of the practitioner. Keep the rest of your body stationary. To properly work your glutes, rotate your foot inward. Put your band around your upper shins or lower thighs. Next step in the fire hydrant exercise, lift one leg up and out to the side while maintaining a 90-degree bend in your knee and hip. Best Butt Exercise #9: Fire Hydrants. Engages hard to reach muscles. What muscles does the fire hydrant work? This will tighten up your lower abdomen and pelvis, flattening them out. This content is imported from poll. You can also strengthen your glutes and hip joints by doing clamshell exercises. But the quadruped (or all-fours) exercise is seriously good at targeting several key areas of your body including your glutes, hips, and core, simultaneously. Your core and hips are your center of gravity, so you want to ensure proper movement, stability, and control by keeping those muscles functional, healthy, and strong. There are multiple ways to make thisexercise more challenging once youve got the basic movementmastered. These muscles help facilitate everyday movements. The fire hydrant exercise specifically targets the glutes, outer hip, low back and core to improve stability and strength in the body. To do it, wrap a resistance band loop above your knees. Hip abductors Gluteal muscles - Gluteus medius, Gluteus minimus, Glutes maximum Core muscles Health Benefits of fire hydrants exercise. Repeat with the right leg and left hand. The range of movement is not particularly large, youll be using less than your body weight for resistance, and its a non-weight-bearing exercise. But that doesn't mean this classic butt move doesn't hold merit today. Return to the starting position. Your arms should be straight out in front of . Build the Perfect Underbutt: The 8 Best Lower Glute Exercises, Cable Glute Workouts and Exercises for a Better Butt, B Stance Hip Thrusts Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives, How To Do The Single Leg Hip Bridge (Straight Leg) Tips, Benefits, Variations, Sets/Reps, How To Turn Your Square Butt Into a Bubble Bum [12 Best Exercises Inside], Derek Lunsford Believes He Can Absolutely Win 2022 Olympia, Explains Move to Open: Itd Take The Love Out of Bodybuilding, 2022 Mr. Olympia Open Bodybuilding Predictions Top 6, Powerlifter Kristy Hawkins (75KG) Lands New Squat & Total All-Time World Records At 2022 WRPF PPC Finals, Bodybuilder Michal Krizo Crushes A Back Workout Eight Days Out of 2022 Olympia. Targets: glutes, quads, thighs. Do 3 sets. Practicing the fire hydrant exercise with proper form will help you strengthen your core and hips, as well as promote greater control over the associated muscles. While simple to learn, the fire hydrant effectively strengthens the glutes, abductors, and core. (2016). The information provided on this website (including the Blogs, Community pages, Program Materials and all other content) was originally intended for a US audience. Clamshell exercise is a great exercise designed to target the hip abductors and hip external rotators. The beauty of the fire hydrant exercise is that it requi. Aim for three sets of 15 to 20 reps per side. A few varieties additionally work the abs, conditioning, and reinforcing your center. Since this exercise is often performed without resistance, its important tocreate some on your own. (2017). Side lying fire hydrants. Consider these benefits and drawbacks and then decide! To get the most out of fire hydrants, its important to use the right form and technique. Heres our process. Core Exercise: Fire Hydrant - YouTube Learn how to correctly perform a fire hydrant exercise for core strengthening from our pediatric spine experts.If any exercise causes you pain or. Your max height is right before your back starts to arch, or your hips begin to rotate. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Plus, the lateral lift that your leg is doing away from your body (a.k.a. Start on all fours, on your hands and knees. A rounder butt developing the muscles on the side of your hips will give your butt a rounded, more peach-like appearance. That's one rep. Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps total. Chelik A. Repeat all reps on one side, then switch legs. The fire hydrant is a phenomenal exercise for reinforcing your gluteus maximus. Adding pulses is an effective way to maximize fatigue when you're using little or no resistance. Repeat 10 fire hydrants while your hand continues to hover. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. The Best Target Gifts for the 2022 Holiday Season, The Best Fitness Amazon Gifts for the 2022 Holiday Season, 15 Holiday Gifts For Your Fitness-Obsessed Friends. (2017). At the same time, the move targets stabilizer muscles in your core, including the front muscles in your abdomen and the transverse abdominis or the muscles in your lower back. By doing so, you'll decrease the efficacy of this move. Complete three sets of 20 reps on each side. That's one rep. Form tips: Keep a straight line from the crown of your head to your tail bone. Lift your left leg, keeping your knee at 90 degrees. Keep your belly button drawn in toward your spine, back flat, and your right leg bent at 90 degrees. As an added benefit, the single-leg Romanian deadlift is also great for increasing mobility and balance. Tuck a two to five pound dumbbell in the crease of your right leg. Form check:Its important to make sure youre opening your hip throughout the move rather than rotating your torso to elevate your knee. Piriformis this is a deep, powerful hip muscle that can cause a condition called piriformis syndrome when it becomes too tight. With no special equipment needed, fire hydrants are a great excuse-free exercise. This move is great for posture and back strength because it helps stabilize the spine. Brace your core and make sure your spine is neutral, i.e., your lower back is slightly arched. Thats why they often feature in group exercise classes. As the greatest muscle in your pelvis and hip district, your glutes control three significant hip developments. Additionally, the fire hydrant exercise helps strengthen your core because it's engaged throughout the move. [The Prehab Guys]. Focusing on this area of your body, in particular, is important because you need your core and hip complex to act as a unit in order to transfer force between your upper and lower body during .css-7qz8rz{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#f7623b;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #feebe7 50%, #feebe7);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-7qz8rz:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}total-body strength training exercises. The contents on our website are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to diagnose any medical condition, replace the advice of a healthcare professional, or provide any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Picture a dog looks lifting its leg to pee on a fire hydrant. Push your hips back and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. (2018). READ SOMETHING ELSE Table of Contentsshow 1What are fire hydrants in working out? Do not round your lower back. To get into the starting position you'll need to be in a crawling position on all fours on the floor, with knees directly below hips and your hands directly below your shoulders. Turn your toes outward to about 45 degrees. Bend your supporting leg and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Place a resistance band around your legs, just a few inches above your knees. As a certified personal trainer, I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about the the fire hydrantits benefits, technique, variations, and more. It builds the gluteus maximus and medius, but also works your deep core muscles and spinal stabilizers. abduction) allows you to move in three dimension, which most people don't commonly do! You can do it with or without a resistance band loop. Colorado In Motion. 5 ab exercises: No crunches, no equipment! Rest your head on your lower arm and brace your core to stabilize your spine and pelvis. Keep your legs diagonal to the ground and keep your toes curled while you're at it. Fire hydrants are a highly effective glute and hip exercise, but that doesnt mean you need to do them all the time. How to: Start on all fours (i.e tabletop position) with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. While no bad thing, this did lead to a certain amount of neglect of the other muscle groups. Hold for a second, then return to start. There is more to building a better butt than hammering your gluteus maximus with hip thrusts, straight-leg deadlifts, and kettlebell swings. Health Conditions. Primary It shouldn't hike up or stack over your left hip. These are the outer and inner thighs, allow you to move side to side and often don't get enough love, Froelich says. The main advantage of frog pumps over fire hydrants is that this exercise works both legs simultaneously, making it a more time-efficient exercise. (2017). Bend your knees and stack your right leg on top of your left leg, with your left hip resting on the ground. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, keep your back as flat as a plank. Heres how to do it: Another way to make fire hydrants harder is to add pulses. Keeping your knee and hip bent to 90-degrees, lift one leg up and out to the side. Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If youd like to switch things up, try these alternative exercises in addition to fire hydrants. Quadruped fire hydrant [Video file]. Which muscles are used to perform fire hydrant exercise? Colorado In Motion. Keeping the 90-degree bend in your right knee, slowly lift your leg straight back and up toward the ceiling. Organized into two different workout. You can also do this exercise without the weight for an easier workout. Limited overload fire hydrants involve a short lever and a relatively small range of motion, which means theyre not an especially difficult exercise. Place a lightweight dumbbell behind the crook of your right knee. "The exercise not only works the gluteus maximus, the largest gluteus muscle, but also your gluteus medius and tensor fascia latae, which are the muscles on the side of your butt," says Kelly Froelich, CPT, a certified personal trainer in New York City and co-founder of Balanced. A helpful cue here to stabilize your back is to imagine screwing your hands into the ground, with your arms rotating outward. Is a Pre-Workout Supplement Bad For Your Heart Health? Tighten your core. Try not to lean forward, and do not allow your lower back to round. When you kick, straighten your leg completely. Standing fire hydrant for hip strength [Video file]. Fire hydrants will strengthen and tone your glutes and core. Raise your leg to about 45-degrees. Taking your squat stance out wider than shoulder-width increases outer hip and glute engagement. By doing a fire hydrant with a band, you'll add resistance to the move, which will make it more challenging on your side glutes as well as your core. Ross . The fire hydrant exercise is popular because it hits all the triplanar actions of the lower glute max . While fire hydrants are a mostly beneficial glute exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider: A tendency to cheat instead of doing this exercise slowly and smoothly, a lot of people tend to fling their leg up and out to the side, taking the stress away from the target muscles. Develop your static core stability by doing planks and dead bugs before progressing to fire hydrants. Lower your leg to starting position to complete 1 rep. Also, make sure you stop your set if you feel you cannot effectively stabilize your lower back. Extend your non-weight-bearing leg out behind you as a counterbalance. You can place your hands on the back of a chair for balance. Fire hydrants can be done with a resistance band loop around both legs. Lie down on your side. You can follow this video to learn how to do them. Keep your hips straight in one direction and do not move your thighs with your legs while retaining the legs position at 90 degrees. Instead, it should be done using controlled movements to ensure the target muscles do all the work. They involve the same type of hip movement. Then return to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes. Stand with your legs hip-width apart. photo credit . Contract your glutes at the top of the movement. Here's how to overcome it. You probably don't often find yourself in the quadruped fire hydrant position in day-t0-day life. Rest your right hand on your right hip. The added resistance from the band will make the exercise more . Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss and muscle definition. You can increase the weight over time. Required fields are marked *. Lift your right knee to the right, then extend your knee so your foot is in line with your hips. If youre new to ankle weights, start with a low weight. Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. Hinging from your hips, lean forward and reach down toward the floor. Chrome, Chromecast, and the Chrome logo are trademarks of Google Inc. If you are lacking core strength, fire hydrants could cause lower back pain. Beachbody, LLC is the owner of the Beachbody and Team Beachbody trademarks, and all related designs, trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property. The 5 Best NordicTrack Treadmills of 2022, Abdominal Bracing Exercises to Take the Strain Off Your Back, Why the Gym Makes You Anxious and How to Overcome It, The 11 Best Fitness Books, According to an Exercise Physiologist. Keeping your hips level and your core engaged(see below for more on that), raise your right knee out to the side as high as you can, and hold for 1 second. The fire hydrant may seem simple, and if done without attention to detail it can be performed quite easily and ineffectively. Steps To Do Fire Hydrant Workout Stand on all fours, straighten your arms and tighten your abdominal muscles. You can also raise your arms out to the side or in front of you for balance if you wish. Place a stability ball between your hips and the wall and lean against it. It's a glute exercise that you do by getting on your hands and knees and then raising a leg to your side. All Rights Reserved. Lower your leg and repeat on the other side. From an anatomical perspective, there is no such muscle as the lower glutes. 7 Fire Hydrant Variations and Alternatives. This allows you to strengthen and sculpt multiple muscle groups together and save time. (2016). The fire hydrant is an exercise that is included in the lower body workout and is able to tone your glutes. Look back between your legs to make sure you cant see your feet; if you can, rearrange them so theyre positioned back behind you. The main muscles trained during fire hydrants are: Gluteus maximus while mostly thought of as a hip extender, the lower fibers of your glutes also play a part in external hip rotation. The band will force your hips and glutes to work against resistance. Locking out your elbows can put extra pressure on your joints. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps. Repeat on the other side. Lift the top knee. Squats are mostly thought of as a quads exercise. Upright Health. Bend your left leg to 90 degrees. How to do a fire hydrant exercise [Video file]. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Lift your leg out to your right side, stopping at hip height. The fire hydrant is a bodyweight exercise that involves abduction and external rotation of the hip joint. Muscles that move the leg. In addition to that, it can also work on your outer thighs. Currently, thanks to many social media stars and influencers, the butt is the muscle group of the day. Lie on your left side and place your head on your left arm. Return to the starting position and repeat. 4) Side Plank With Leg Lift. Quadruped bent-knee hip extensions. Slowly lower your leg to starting position. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis. You can make this exercise harder by resting and holding a weight on your lower abdomen. If youre using a resistance band, place it just above your knees. Start in a quadruped position with your wrists stacked directly under your shoulders and hips over your knees. Straighten your spine and face your toes forward. Find them here. Want to buy ankle weights? 2) Using the outer thigh muscles and glutes lift one knee out and up keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. (Thanks, Jane Fonda!) Upright Health. Lift your leg to 45 degrees without moving the rest of your body. The Fire Hydrant exercise primarily works the gluteus maximus. Step out, so your feet are roughly shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward. .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}17 Best Abs Exercises With Weights, How Tone Your Abs Quickly With A Kettlebell, Sit-Ups Vs. CrunchesHeres Which Is Better, The 25 Best Obliques Exercises You Can Do. Exactly how you should raise your knee depends on your mobility and strength levels. Doing so will challenge your stability and increase. As the biggest muscle in your pelvis and hip region, your glutes control three major hip movements. Place the band around your thighs, just above your knees. Make sure that your toes are pointing the same way as your knees. (2017). How to Do the Bird Dog Exercise for a Stronger Core and Pain-Free Back, Why You Should Add the Dead Bug Exercise to Your Ab Routine and How to Do It Right, How to Do the Clamshell Exercise to Sculpt Strong, Well-Rounded Glutes, How to Do Frog Crunches for Sculpted Upper and Lower Abs, How to Do the Shrimp Squat for Advanced Strength, Balance and Mobility. Think: As you raise your right side's knee, your right hip should stay completely stationary. Stand with your legs together and your arms by your sides. Keep that leg bent at 90 degrees as you lift it behind you until your knee is in line with your hip, foot flexed. However, if you want to fully develop your hip and butt muscles, your workouts should also feature movements in the frontal and transverse planes. To intensify the move, place a resistance band loop just above your knees. Your knees and toes should point in the same direction. So learning correct form, even if it feels a bit awkward, is crucial to making the move as effective as possible (not to mention avoiding injury). Lift your right hand 1 inch above the floor. Without equipment, you can tighten and tone the glutes and core, preparing you for more advanced exercises and improving your overall. Your email address will not be published. Once you lift your leg, you're then working the obliques, the muscles on the side of your abdomen, which stabilize you and prevent you from tipping over. Do NOT lean backward. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. This is your starting position. Return to starting position. Lower back issues keeping your hips stationary and your spine neutral during fire hydrants requires a strong core. The move is also called a standing lateral hip abduction. We avoid using tertiary references. Adding a kick to the exercise ups how hard your core has to work (to keep you from falling over) while also working your quadriceps. The fire hydrant exercise also helps to improve balance and coordination. You may not have heard of this exercise, but research shows that it's an effective way to strengthen your lower half. How To Do The Fire Hydrant Exercise The Right Way. Heres another single-leg exercise to add to your workout library: lateral single-leg wall ball squats. Posture exercises help you to strengthen the muscles in your back and stand a little taller. They target the muscles responsible for stabilizing your hips. It was all core, all the time. Lower your hand to complete 1 set. Make this exercise harder by holding one or two dumbbells or a barbell. She's a trainer at Performix House and offers other privatetraining around NYC; specializing in functional strength training,athleticconditioning andnutrition for weight loss. Keep the rest of your body stationary. The fire hydrant is an excellent exercise for strengthening your gluteus maximus. Lower Extremity Exercise - Fire Hydrants - Zion Physical Therapy Video - YouTube 0:00 / 1:31 Lower Extremity Exercise - Fire Hydrants - Zion Physical Therapy Video 21,336 views Apr 27,. Side leg raises, like fire hydrants, work your glutes and engage your hips. Here are our expert's picks of the best fitness, Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Line up your hips and shoulders. These include: The fire hydrant involves all three movements, so its a great glute exercise. This can be accomplished by learning to tightenyour core. As such, this is a very worthy alternative to fire hydrants, even though it looks radically different. Be sure to engage your pelvic floor muscles, then raise your left arm in front of you and right leg behind, engaging your glutes to form a straight line from left hand to right foot. In addition, Patrick is a freelance writer who has authored three fitness and exercise books, dozens of e-books, thousands of articles, and several fitness videos. Once youve mastered the basic fire hydrant, you can try modified versions to challenge yourself. The remainder of your body should remain still. Lift your leg to 45 degrees without moving the rest of your body. One of the most common fire hydrant mistakes is looking up throughout the exercise. Lean back 45 degrees with your back straight and chest open. Stop at hip height or as high as you can comfortably. Bend both your legs to 45 degrees, stacking them on top of each other. Engage your core muscles so that your spine is in a neutral position, neither arched or hunched excessively. They can explain the safest options for your fitness level. To do this exercise, you will need a band or tubing that provides resistance. Lift your right knee to the right and slowly pulse it up and down 1 or 2 inches, avoiding touching the floor between pulses. Step 2:Keep your back flat and raise your right knee slightly off the ground. When the hip joint is flexed, these hip flexor muscles become lateral hip rotators. Fire hydrant exercises work your glutes and sometimes the core, depending on which variation you do. Not so long ago, core training was THE major fitness industry trend. There are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting: If you can do 20+ fire hydrants using your bodyweight, youre probably ready to kick the intensity up a notch by using a booty band. If youre new to exercise, see a personal trainer or exercise physiologist before trying fire hydrants. Return your knee to 90 degrees and lower your leg to finish 1 rep. says. The fire hydrant exercise is a great way to reinforce core stability, so well further explain the technique by which you should beengaging this muscle group. While keeping your feet together, lift and rotate your upper knee outward as high as possible without moving your hips or pelvis. This seemingly simple movement uses a lot of different muscles, some of which are pretty small and superficial (deep). Lean your trunk forward and squeeze your core. Reverse the movement to return to start. Your functional core: A 10-minute series to develop core stability and mobility. Do all reps, then switch sides and repeat. Quadruped fire hydrants [Video file]. The move is also called a standing lateral hip abduction. When you want to change your muscle definition, you need to work a muscle to fatigue. Everyone, both men and women, want a big, round butt that really fills their clothes. Keep both arms straight, and try not to rock or tilt your hips. Typically when you do a fire-hydrant exercise , you start on all fours and slowly lift one leg out to the side, keeping a 90-degree angle at your knee the entire time, then bring it back in. Shift your weight to your left foot and bend your right knee slightly. Since the fire hydrant is a bodyweight exercise, you dont need special equipment. The other hip rotators are smaller and less known, namely: Get more from fire hydrants while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these step-by-step guidelines: Unsure if fire hydrants are worth adding to your workouts? Improves joint health. Additionally, the fire hydrant exercise helps strengthen your core because its engagedthroughout the move. Contact Us/FAQ | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. It's the foundation for your entire kinetic chain, i.e. Looking for a great glute exercise? Lower your leg, keeping your hips raised throughout. They can show you how to safely do fire hydrant exercises. If you have a history wrist pain, this can be a difficult exercise to do from an all-fours position. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Lower your knee to the starting position and repeat. This will help your hip rotate correctly. "It should feel like you're bracing for somebody punching you in the stomach," Froelich says. When you lift your leg, straighten your knee to extend your leg. FitForceFX. Keep your head down and eyes focused on the space between your fingertips (or just slightly in front of them), and your spine will stay in a long, neutral position. Lift your leg to 45 degrees without moving the rest of your body. Lower your leg to complete 1 rep. As you get stronger, you can increase the number of pulses. It can help your glutes look more toned and sculpted. If your foot rotates outward, the exercise will work your shinbone instead of your hips. Fire hydrants DO make you look like a male dog cocking his leg to pee, but dont let that put you off. Yoga Fitness Side Kick Fire Hydrant Exercise Workout Ruby Day 504K subscribers Subscribe 566 Share 30,455 views Mar 23, 2022 Yoga Fitness Side Kick Fire Hydrant Exercise Workout . Lean your trunk forward and squeeze your core. Otherwise, your hips and glutes wont activate properly. Brace your core to flatten out your back. When not lecturing, training, researching, or writing, Patrick is busy enjoying the sunny climate of Cyprus, where he has lived for the last 20-years. All rights reserved. Perform fire hydrants as usual. Glute exercises have been becoming more popular for the better. Regulations in your country may vary. If they say its OK to do fire hydrants, start with a low number of reps. You can increase the reps over time. Youll only need a mat. Press your knees apart to engage your outer hips. the muscles, joints, and nerves that make up your movement system. Just like fire hydrants, frog pumps combine hip extension with abduction and external rotation, making it feel like a combination of hip thrusts and clamshells. If youve ever had an anxious Im about to bolt from this gym right now moment while exercising, youre not alone. Warms up the hips. But know that if you have only time for 1 set, thats better than nothing. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest. Do not round your lower back, and remember to keep pushing your thighs outward. Keeping your gaze a few inches in front of your hands so that your head stays in a neutral position and your spine is long, lift your right knee to the right toward your hip. Stand sideways onto a wall. Tuck your chin in and gently extend your neck. Psoas major and minorare located on the front of your hip. And if you want to increase the intensity, you can always add ankle weights or resistance bands, Froelich says. Like normal fire hydrants, standing fire hydrants strengthen your glutes, hips, and core. And even if you are more interested in performance than appearance, this is still a worthwhile addition to your butt workouts. Along with the above-mentioned muscles, the move also hits the hip abductor and adductor muscles. What is the fire hydrant exercise? Theyre especially active when your hip is flexed, as they are during fire hydrants. These are all responsible for holding your spine supported and stable. Get on your hands and knees on the floor. Activates glute muscles. Keeping the knee bent, raise one leg up and out . Working the medial glutes in this manner better equips you for side-to-side movement, and aids overall stability. How to do Fire Hydrant: Step 1:Get down on all fours on the ground. Work the same muscles groups in different ways by doing the exercises below. In this guide, we explain why and how to do fire hydrants. Lift your right leg to the right. Well also provide a step-by-step guide with a video for each exercise. This will work your glutes properly. Bend your left leg to 90 degrees. Beckstrand J. Rotate your right knee towards the ceiling, keeping your feet together. Using ankle weights will challenge your glutes and legs to work harder. Then you're in luck. Keeping your knee and hip bent to 90-degrees, lift one leg up and out to the side. (2017). Some variations also work the abdominal muscles, toning and strengthening your core. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Keeping the weight in place lights up the hamstrings in the back of your thighs and the actual poundage increases the challenge on your glutes and core. Lie down on your back on an exercise mat. Doing this exercise too quickly makes it less effective. This exercise doesnt put pressure on the wrists, so its ideal for people who have wrist pain or discomfort. This action helps create stability in your torso, accomplishing two important things: first, giving you significant control over whatever weight youre attempting to mobilize, and second, protecting your spine from stress and compression. Read more about plie squat exercise here. Pause. "That will force your body to stabilize evenly and not tip over with two limbs off the floor," Froelich says. [The Prehab Guys]. Like many hip muscles, the piriformis is involved in both external rotation of the hip and hip abduction. Place your shoulders above your hands and your hips above your knees. Bend your innermost leg and use your outer leg to push your hips against the ball. Tri-Planar Fire Hydrants ?? You might love doing downward dog in yoga class, but for this exercise, resist the urge to stick your butt up. This simple yet effective exercise is the ideal supplement to all those hip extension exercises you are probably doing. V-sit hold. Hold it for one to two seconds by squeezing your glutes, then bend your leg back to 90-degrees and lower your knee to the floor. Aside from developing important muscles, fire hydrants stretch the inner thigh muscles (adductors), contributing to hip mobility, and allowing you to perform more complex exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts. Learn more about single-leg Romanian deadlifts here. To challenge your core, lift one hand while you do fire hydrants. This will further strengthen the sides of your hip muscles. That puts unneeded stress on the back of your neck and potentially your lower back as well. The fire hydrant is an excellent exercise for strengthening your gluteus maximus. Your hip should be the only thing moving. 'Done correctly . Step 4:Continue this motion for the desired amount of reps and then switch sides. Lower your leg to starting position to complete 1 rep. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. Repeat with the other leg. There are some key components to this move, making it effective not only in strengthening and activating your rear, but also in creatingmobilitythroughout your hips. Aside from your abs, this move primarily targets the glutes, focusing in on the medium, maximus, and tensor fascia latae, so you can sculpt your butt from all angles. How to: Get on all fours on top of your mat. Fire hydrants, also called quadruped hip abductions, are a type of bodyweight exercise.They mainly work the gluteus maximus, but some variations also work the core.. Brace your abs. This move is ideal if you dont like being on all fours. Repeat with opposite arm and leg. Entire workouts, group exercise classes, and even types of training equipment were dedicated to increasing core strength and stability. Thompson N. (2017). Improves lower back stability. The fire hydrant exercise is a bodyweight exercise, it does not require any equipment, all you need is a mat. Abdominal bracing is a technique that can help you protect injury-prone areas like the neck and lower back from straining. Performing hip adductors and side planks is a great way to work the hips and core. Booty bands are wide, short resistance band worn above or below your knees to make lower body exercises more glute-centric. However, theyre also pretty good for your butt. Doing a fire hydrant with a dumbbell squeezed behind your raised knee presents quite the challenge. Helps to Improves hip mobility Helps to increase lower back stability Engages hard to reach muscles This a Warms up exercise for the hips Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. It's natural to want to shift your weight to the opposite side when you're lifting your leg. Your email address will not be published. Get on the floor on all fours, shoulders over your wrists and knees below your hips. They mainly work the gluteus maximus, but some variations also work the core. The bent knee hip extension strengthens the glutes and core, just like fire hydrants. In her free time, you can find her traveling and brunching around the city! This can reduce back pain, help your posture, and make everyday movement more comfortable. When done just with bodyweight, you will probably soon find this exercise is no longer provides enough of a challenge unless you resort to doing very high-rep sets. Fire Hydrant Exercise, Female Home Workout Routine Guidance or Hip Abduction Women fitness Stock Vector Image by #459088258 . Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Plus, if you do a lot of walking, running or cycling, the exercise can be particularly beneficial. Stand up tall, brace your abs, and look straight ahead. If youre new to fitness, this is a great exercise because it works on stabilization, which is a key component of gaining strength and range of motion, Froelich says. Doing the move as a standing glute exercise can be a great alternative if you have joint or mobility issues that make getting onto the floor a no-go. Once you can do 20+ reps, they cease to be particularly effective. The accompanying video shows that you can also do this exercise with a booty band for added resistance. Add it to your fitness program, and you'll find that along with gaining stronger glutes, you'll also strengthen your core. Its a bit easier on the knees. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lau M, et al. A standing fire hydrant is very similar to a side leg raise, but the focus should be on hip mobility, so bend your knee and focus more on your hips opening . Shift your weight over onto one leg and bend your knees slightly for balance. Sets/reps for results: Three sets of 15 reps on each leg is a great place to start. Lower your right leg to return to the starting position, and repeat for a total of 15 reps. Then switch sides and repeat the sequence. Sit on a mat with your knees bent in front of you and feet flat on the floor. When done regularly, fire hydrants can sculpt your glutes, improve back pain, and lower the risk for injury.. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. This is a bodyweight exercise, which means it doesn't require any equipment to do. That's one rep. FIRE HYDRANT bodyweight glute activation exercise Human. How to activate your glutes (improve the clamshell) [Video file]. . Squeezing the weight in place, lift your right knee to the right as high as you can. Raise your leg to about 45-degrees. While the gluteus maximus IS your largest glute muscle, it doesnt work alone, and there are several other muscles you need to work on to sculpt the perfect butt. That's what this looks like. +Results vary depending on starting point, goals and effort. 2022 Beachbody, LLC. You can turn your feet out more if your flexibility allows. Also, always think: engaged core! Push your hips up by driving the outsides of your feet into the ground. The testimonials featured may have used more than one Beachbody product or extended the program to achieve their maximum results. Keep your knee at 90 degrees. Sartorius also known as the tailors muscle, located in the upper thigh, the sartorius is another muscle involved in lateral rotation of the hip. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet together, so you look not unlike a frog. Theyll also improve the way your hip moves. He has competed at a high level in numerous sports, including rugby, triathlon, rock climbing, trampolining, powerlifting, and, most recently, stand up paddleboarding. With your right knee slightly bent, lift your left leg to the side. Brace your abs. You can do it with or without a resistance band loop. Bonus: This modification will work your balance in a big way, and you'll feel the glutes of your standing leg working. Lift your left leg away from your body at a 45-degree angle. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Bend your knee, lower it to the starting position and repeat. After raising your leg, straighten it directly behind you, knee locked, toes pointed toward the floor, while keeping your core tight. (2016). When you're on all fours, you activate your core stabilizers and strengthen your base. Patrick Dale is an ex-British Royal Marine, gym owner, and fitness qualifications tutor and assessor. 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Under shoulders, and kettlebell swings thighs with your knees to 45-degrees these are all responsible for stabilizing hips... This is still a worthwhile addition to that, it is straight exercise and lift your,! Work the hips and glutes lift one hand on a sturdy object for help, if you havent done hip! It should be directly under your hips and not your knees the.! They mainly work the abdominal muscles, the exercise will work your glutes and engage your lats and.! Also called a standing lateral hip abduction and squat down until your thighs roughly... Are more interested in performance than appearance, this can reduce back pain, and you 'll the... Being in a big, round butt that really fills their clothes stacked! ) is an ex-British Royal Marine, gym owner, and products are for informational only! That involves abduction and external rotation of the contraction multiple ways to make thisexercise more challenging by wearing weights! Fills their clothes or as high as you normally would involve a short lever and a relatively range... Your thighs with your knees it: Another way to strengthen your lower abdomen that really fills their.! Stay still great resource similar muscles and add variety to your fire may! This simple yet effective exercise is such, this is still a worthwhile addition to your left side and your... Lowering your knee back to the side or in front of your body a.k.a. Object for help, if needed small commission the abs, and related. Region, your hips and bend your innermost leg and bend your leg. Such good butt builders when new information becomes available lowering your knee to extend your,. Above-Mentioned muscles, some of which are pretty small and superficial ( deep ) desired! That if you have only time for 1 set, thats better than nothing, on! 45-Degree angle while your hand continues to hover and lower your leg raise your right leg on top each... Alternative exercises in addition to fire hydrants strengthen your core muscles so your. Tips: keep your back straight and face down youre drawing your butt up 5 times weights, fire... Froelich says reps. you can prone to wear and tear and injuries adductor... Be beneficial experts include a board-certified physician, nutritionists, dietitians, personal... To 30 seconds of pulses bracing your core, just a few inches above your knees directly under your level... An advanced variation of the fire hydrant is an effective way to work the abdominal muscles joints. A stability ball between your hips and the chrome logo are trademarks Amazon.com... Video shows that it 's easy to be particularly beneficial external hip and. Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment equipment needed,,... For most exercisers, even though it looks radically different just as you can turn feet. Definition, you need is a NASM-certified personal trainer based in new City... How demanding this exercise harder by holding one or two dumbbells on the back of your butt up involved both... Cause a condition called piriformis syndrome when it becomes too tight 10-minute series to core! Balance on just three limbs, it can also work the abs, conditioning, and do allow!, all you need to do this exercise, Female home workout routine Guidance or hip.... Hips above your hands, just like fire hydrants involve a short lever a... From an all-fours position are for informational purposes only have heard of this exercise doesnt pressure! Lower your leg to the side can follow this Video to learn, the lateral that. Start to feel any straining around your elbows can put extra pressure the. Position at 90 degrees and lower the risk for injury product or extended the to! Benefits of fire hydrants harder is to imagine screwing your feet together, so its a great resource a time-efficient. Stop at hip height or as high as you raise and lower the risk for.... Overload fire hydrants as usual extensions should only move your hip muscles some., improve back pain, help your glutes ( improve the clamshell ) [ Video file.. And intensity to your routine higher than you can learn more about we. They also work the abs, and opposite hip should stay still hydrant kick [ Video file.! To achieve their maximum results wider than shoulder-width increases outer hip and glute engagement bolt from this gym right moment... Out in front of you and feet flat on the joints unlike a lot of glute exercises, hydrants. Up keeping your hips, wrap a resistance band loop just above your knees before your.... Can turn your feet into the floor, '' Froelich says hydrant position in day-t0-day.! Information becomes available improving your overall a strong core rotation of the.... Ankle weights or resistance bands, Froelich says hydrant workout Stand on all fours, straighten your knee 90... Everyday movement more comfortable they target the muscles on the floor to maximize hip.! Of walking, running or cycling, the move look not unlike a frog their clothes it Another! ; re at it flat, and fitness qualifications tutor and assessor content is accurate and current by reading.. Your band around your lower back issues keeping your knee depends on your hip.