Legs · Bodyweight
Hip Abduction
How to do the hip abduction, 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
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall with feet hip-width. Keeping your leg straight and torso upright, lift one leg out to the side against your own bodyweight, then lower it back under control. Switch sides as prescribed.
- 1Glute medius on the outer hip lifting the leg
- 2Upright torso with soft knees the whole set
- 3Control on both the lift and the return
Common mistakes
- Leaning your torso or rocking your hips to swing the leg
- Letting the working knee collapse inward
- Rushing the reps; control out and back
Muscles worked
The hip abduction mainly works the glutes, with the lower abs assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the hip abduction 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.