Legs · Bodyweight
Clamshell Sit Agains Wall
How to do the clamshell sit agains wall, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on the floor with your back against a wall, knees bent and the soles of your feet together or feet flat. Keeping your feet in contact and your back on the wall, open your top knee outward like a clamshell, then bring it back down under control. Drive the movement from your glute rather than rolling your hips.
- 1Feel your outer glute working as the knee opens
- 2Keep your back flat against the wall and core braced
- 3Move slowly and squeeze at the top of each rep
Common mistakes
- Don't let your hips roll backward to cheat the range
- Avoid arching your lower back off the wall
- Don't rush the open and close; stay controlled
Muscles worked
The clamshell sit agains wall mainly works the glutes, with the external rotators and lower abs assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- External RotatorsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the clamshell sit agains wall for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.
