Legs · Bodyweight
Hip Clam Shell
How to do the hip clam shell, 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
Lie on your side with your knees bent and stacked, hips and feet aligned. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee up and open it toward the ceiling like a clam, then lower under control.
- 1Feel your outer glute fire as you open the top knee
- 2Keep your feet together and hips stacked, not rolling back
- 3Open and close under control through the full range
Common mistakes
- Do not let your hips roll backward to cheat the lift
- Do not separate your feet as the knee opens
- Do not rush; control the movement both ways
Muscles worked
The hip clam shell mainly works the glutes, with the external rotators assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- External RotatorsSupport
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the hip clam shell 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.