Glutes
Prone Hip Extension
The Prone Hip Extension is a strength exercise with no equipment for your glutes. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: gluteus maximus 60%, hamstrings (biceps femoris) 12% and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) 8%.
How to do it
- Lie face down on a mat with your forehead resting on your stacked hands.
- Straighten both legs and press your hip bones gently into the mat.
- Squeeze the glute of one leg and lift that straight leg a few centimetres off the mat.
- Hold the top for one to two seconds without letting the hips lift.
- Lower the leg under control and finish all reps before switching sides.
Tips
- Tighten the glute first, then lift: the height is small on purpose.
- Keep the knee straight and the toes pointing down.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the leg so high that the lower back arches.
- Rolling the hip off the mat on the working side.
- Bending the knee to fake extra height.
Muscles worked by the Prone Hip Extension
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Extending one hip backward from standing or all fours isolates glute max; the hamstrings assist more when the knee is straight.
Prone Hip Extension alternatives
Different equipment
- Cable Glute Kickback
- Glute Kickback Machine
- Smith Machine Kickback
- Standing Banded Kickback
- Standing Hip Extension Cable
- Standing Multi Hip Extension
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Prone Hip Extension work?
Mainly the gluteus maximus. The hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) assist.
Is the Prone Hip Extension good for beginners?
Yes. The Prone Hip Extension is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Prone Hip Extension?
For example the Cable Glute Kickback, Glute Kickback Machine and Smith Machine Kickback. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Prone Hip Extension harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Kneeling Cable Glute Kickback and Weighted Donkey Kick.
Log your sets in Zulta
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