Legs · Bodyweight
Side-lying Leg Lift
How to do the side-lying leg lift, 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
- Hip Abduction
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side with legs stacked and straight. Brace your core, keep hips stacked, lift the top leg to about hip height, then lower with control.
- 1Feel the outer hip and glute med lifting the top leg
- 2Keep your core braced and hips stacked throughout the lift
- 3Control the lowering phase to keep tension in the glutes
Common mistakes
- Don't roll your hips forward or back
- Avoid turning the toes up or bending the knee to cheat the lift
- Don't drop the leg quickly; lower with control
Muscles worked
The side-lying leg lift mainly works the glutes, with the lower abs assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the side-lying leg lift 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 April 2026.