Legs · Bodyweight
Side Clamp
How to do the side clamp, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent about ninety degrees and your feet stacked together. Keeping your feet touching and your core braced, rotate your top knee up toward the ceiling like a clamshell opening, then lower it under control. Finish all reps, then switch sides.
- 1The side of your glute working to lift the knee
- 2Your feet staying glued together as the knee opens
- 3A steady, controlled lift with no torso movement
Common mistakes
- Rolling your hips or torso backward to cheat the lift
- Letting the bottom knee or feet drift apart
- Rushing the reps instead of squeezing at the top
Muscles worked
The side clamp mainly works the glutes, with the external rotators assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- External RotatorsSupport
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the side clamp 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.