Side Leg Raise
The Side Leg Raise is a fundamental bodyweight isolation exercise designed to strengthen the hip abductors, specifically the gluteus medius. It is essential for improving hip stability, balance, and knee health without the need for equipment.
Because the gluteus medius is a small stabilizer muscle prone to fatigue, our AI monitors your previous leg training volume and recovery status to prevent overuse. By tracking your RPE and consistency, the app can determine exactly when you have mastered the bodyweight movement and are ready for progressions. Additionally, if you log knee or hip pain, the system recognizes this exercise's role in rehabilitation and can adjust volume to ensure therapeutic benefit rather than aggravation.
Form Cues
- Lie completely on your side with hips stacked vertically
- Point your toes slightly downward toward the floor
- Lift the top leg slowly using only your outer hip
- Pause at the top and squeeze your glute
- Lower with control to maintain tension
- Don't roll your hips backward or forward
- Don't point your toes upward toward the ceiling
- Don't swing the leg up using momentum
- Don't lift so high that your waist crunches
- Don't let your hips sag toward the floor
Common Mistakes
- Rolling hips backward
- Pointing toes upward
- Lifting too high
- Using momentum to swing
- Lateral flexion of the spine
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, which are critical for hip abduction and pelvic stability. It also engages the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) to a lesser degree, helping to prevent the knees from caving inward during heavier compound lifts like squats.
Primary
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