The reverse plank is a slightly unorthodox exercise, and not many people take advantage of it today. But despite the weird exterior, reverse planking is an excellent way to strengthen your entire body, improve your stability, and reduce your risk of injuries. As its name suggests, the idea behind a reverse plank is to extend your body into an isometric position. But, instead of facing the floor, you extend your arms back and face the ceiling. 

The reverse position is beneficial for two reasons. First, you develop your midsection musculature. Second, the movement strengthens the often-ignored posterior: hamstrings, glutes, and lower back (1). As a result, you improve your balance, become more stable, and reduce your risks of injuries during sports or everyday tasks.

Similar to the regular plank, the reverse version is an accessory movement. Meaning, you can include it at different points of your workout. For example, if you do five exercises per workout, you can include the reverse plank somewhere in the middle.

How to do a Reverse Plank

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight, positioned forward, and feet together. Your toes should point toward the ceiling.
2. Extend your arms to your sides and behind your body. Keep your elbows as straight as possible and place your palms flat on the floor with fingers pointing forward.
3. With your hands planted firmly, contract your glutes and extend your hips toward the ceiling as you simultaneously raise your torso.
4. Your head, neck, torso, and legs should be in a straight line. Your elbows should be entirely straight, and your gaze should be directed toward the ceiling.
5. Keep your glutes and midsection engaged, maintain a steady breath, and hold the plank position for up to one minute.
6. Once you’re done, drop your buttocks to the floor and take a break.

What muscles does the reverse plank activate?

The primary muscles involved in the reverse plank are those in the midsection: abs, obliques, and transverse abdominis (1). These muscles flex isometrically to keep us in the reverse plank position. Our posterior muscles (glutes, hamstrings, and entire back) work simultaneously. The glutes and hamstrings produce hip extension, allowing us to keep our pelvis aligned with our shoulders (2, 3).

Our arms and shoulders also work to provide support for the upper body. Specifically, the triceps keep our elbows straight, and our deltoids offer stability at the shoulder joint. 

Aside from that, we can expect some quadricep engagement. The quadriceps cover the front part of our thighs and produce knee extension (4). Meaning, the muscle group activates to keep our legs straight during the reverse plank. One of the quadricep heads, the rectus femoris, also crosses the hip joint, providing some hip stability (5).

Proper Form when Performing a Reverse Plank

Despite being a bodyweight movement, the reverse plank is far from an easy exercise. Doing the reverse plank requires adequate strength in the midsection, posterior chain, and arms. So, developing the three areas is a great start. Movements like the deadlift, overhead press, pulldown, barbell row, bench press, and tricep extension strengthen the shoulders, triceps, and chest. You can also include regular planks to promote midsection stability before attempting a reverse plank (6).

The first and most important tip to remember for reverse planking is to set up effectively. Begin in a seated position with your torso leaning back and hands planted on the floor. Your hands should be slightly behind your hips. Straighten your legs, have your feet a few inches apart, and make sure that your heels are in contact with the floor. Once in position, extend your hips by contracting your glutes.

You can also start with shorter holds to build some strength. For example, you can assume the reverse plank position, hold it for two to four seconds, and lower your buttocks to the floor. Wait half a minute, extend your hips again, and repeat the sequence several more times.

Variations and Modifications of the Reverse Plank

1. Reverse Tabletop Position

The reverse tabletop position is a suitable variation to reverse planking. The primary difference is that your knees are bent, and your feet are planted on the floor. Assuming such a position makes the exercise slightly easier because your legs play a more active role in supporting you.

2. Reverse Elbow Plank

Similar to regular planks, you can make the reverse variation easier by supporting your upper body on your elbows instead of having your arms straight. The variation allows for greater stability because your forearms are on the floor. Plus, you’re not placing any stress on your wrists.

3. Single-Leg Reverse Plank

Unlike the previous version, the single-leg reverse plank is an excellent movement for more advanced folks. The goal is to assume the reverse plank position but lift one foot off the floor. In doing so, you train your rectus abdominis more and introduce greater instability, making the exercise more challenging.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with reverse planks is hyperextension. In their efforts to do the exercise effectively, many trainees overextend their hips, creating an unnecessary arch in the back. The position isn’t ideal because it prevents the rectus abdominis from contributing as much. Plus, you place more stress on your spine. Instead, you should strive for a neutral spine position, with your knees, hips, and shoulders in a straight line.

Another mistake, which contrasts the first one, is buttock sagging. For example, you assume the reverse plank position and hold it for a few seconds. But, at some point, you notice your buttocks sagging to the floor. The mistake typically results from fatigue. So, you should stop the set if you start losing your position.

The third mistake with reverse planks is bending your elbows. Doing so puts unnecessary tension on your triceps, making the exercise more challenging. Instead, you should lock out your elbows and keep them in that position for the duration of each set. Doing so will keep your triceps in the strongest position, preventing them from being a limiting factor.

Similar Exercises to the Reverse Plank

Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a simple compound exercise that strengthens your posterior chain and works similarly to a reverse plank (7). You have to support your upper back on a gym bench, bend your knees, and plant your feet on the floor. Once in position, extend your hips to the ceiling by engaging your glutes. Hold the top position for a moment and lower your buttocks to the floor.

Glute Ham Raise

The glute ham raise is an accessory exercise that trains the same muscles as reverse planks: the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back (8). Unlike reverse planks, the glute ham raise is a more dynamic movement. You have to anchor your feet inside a glute ham machine, place your knees on a pad, and use your posterior muscles to lift and lower your torso.

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Hip thrusts are a simple and effective compound exercise that develops posterior muscles and hip extension strength (1). The goal with the movement is to place your upper back on a gym bench, plant your feet into the floor, and place a heavy barbell at the crease of your hips. Once in position, begin to thrust and lower the barbell. 

The hip thrust is highly beneficial because it offers a good range of motion and an impeccable overloading potential. It’s not uncommon for trainees to hip thrust 300 or 400 pounds after years of dedicated training. The enormous load places great mechanical tension on the hamstrings and glutes, forcing growth (2).

The hip thrust’s primary benefits are that it improves hip extension and core strength, leading to better athletic performance, more stability, and a lower risk of injury. We recommend including the hip thrust as a first or second exercise in a workout. It’s best to do the movement at your freshest, so you can lift more weight and maintain proper technique.

How to do a Hip Thrust

1. Sit on the floor and position your upper back against the edge of a bench.
2. Straighten your arms and rest them on the bench to your sides. You can have your palms flat on the bench for extra support.
3. Bend your knees and plant your feet firmly on the floor. Your knees should point forward and up, not to the sides.
4. Bring your shoulders back, make sure that your neck is in line with your torso, and take a breath.
5. Engage your glutes and push through your hips and heels to raise your butt off the floor.
6. Go up as much as you can – typically, as your hips become slightly more elevated than your shoulders.
7. Hold the contraction for a moment and lower your butt to the floor as you exhale.
8. Take another breath and repeat.

What muscles does the hip thrust activate?

The primary muscles involved in hip thrusts are the glutes (1). As the largest and most powerful muscle in the body, the gluteus maximus produces hip extension, which allows us to thrust the barbell from the bottom position (3). Glute medius also contributes to the movement.

Our hamstrings are the second major muscle group to activate during hip thrusts (1). The hamstrings are situated at the posterior of our thighs and act on our knees and hips. When contracted, the hamstrings cause hip extension, thus aiding the glutes in thrusting (4).

Quadriceps also play a role in hip thrusts, but to a much smaller degree (1). The muscle group covers the front side of our thighs, causing knee extension, which occurs when trusting the barbell to the top position (5).

The midsection musculature plays a significant role in balance. Our abs, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and other minor muscles contract to keep our torso stable during hip thrusts.

Tips on Proper Technique when Performing a Hip Thrust 

The first tip to keep in mind for hip thrusts is to experiment with foot position until you find what feels most natural for you. Everyone is different and no single recommendation will work great. Some folks do better with a narrower stance; others thrive with their feet wider apart.

An important mental cue to remember with hip thrusts is to push through your heels off the bottom. Doing so will allow you to produce more force and engage your posterior chain more effectively.

Maintaining torso rigidity is also essential for hip thrusts. While primarily a lower body movement, the hip thrust requires excellent stability for safety and effectiveness. Engage your midsection and breathe into your belly before each repetition.

Adding a slight pause at the top position is also vital for a good hip thrust. Doing so reduces the risk of ego lifting and instead forces you to use a load you can handle well. Plus, the brief pause causes a better activation of your glutes and hamstrings, leading to more progress in the long run.

Variations and Modifications of the Hip Thrust

1. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

The single-leg hip thrust is a neat variation you can do, especially if you don’t have access to much weight. For example, you can start with the bodyweight version and introduce a weight plate or dumbbell later.

2. Resistance Band Hip Thrust

Resistance band hip thrusts are a fantastic variation that reinforces posterior chain activation. As the band lengthens, it offers increasingly greater tension, forcing your glutes and hamstrings to contract maximally at the top. A simple option is to loop a band over your thighs and feet.

3. Barbell Hip Thrust With Looped Band

You have to place a barbell over your hips and loop a band over your thighs for the banded hip thrust variation. Doing so is beneficial because it reinforces leg abduction (moving out), helping you better engage your gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with hip thrusts is using too much weight. While straightforward, the movement is complex, so using the appropriate load allows you to maintain proper technique and engage the correct muscles. You should aim for eight to ten repetitions per set as a rule of thumb.

Another significant mistake with hip thrusts is cutting the range of motion short. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should be in a straight line at the top position. You should also lower the barbell enough for adequate eccentric overload before each new repetition.

The third error to be mindful of is putting too much weight on your toes. Ideally, you should load your midfoot and heel more and press off the back of your feet for maximum force production. 

You should also avoid arching your lower back. The goal with the movement is to maintain a neutral spine, which comes from engaging your midsection. A significant arch can place unnecessary stress on your lower back, leading to pain.

Similar Exercises to the Hip Thrust

Glute Bridge

The glute bridge is an effective bodyweight exercise that closely resembles the hip thrust. In both cases, you extend your hips, forcing your glutes and hamstrings to activate (6). The primary difference is that you would do glute bridges on the floor instead of placing your upper back on a gym bench.

Glute Ham Raise

The goal with glute ham raises is to place your knees on a pad and anchor your feet. Using a glute ham raise machine is the most practical option. Once in position, you have to use your posterior muscles to lower and raise your torso while keeping your hips fixed in place. Glute ham raises primarily train the hamstrings and our glutes stabilize the hips (7).

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The jump squat is an effective bodyweight exercise that builds lower body strength, power, and explosiveness. Unlike classic squats, the jump variation introduces an element of explosiveness off the bottom position. You have to descend and produce lots of force to propel yourself vertically. Doing so recruits many fast-twitch motor units, primed for growth and strength.

Aside from developing strength and power, jump squats also build lower body muscle mass. The movement forces significant activation in the quadriceps, stimulating impressive growth. You can use the jump squat for effective training, even if you don’t have training equipment around.

How you choose to program jump squats into your training will mostly depend on your goals. For example, if you mostly care about strength and muscle mass, you can introduce jump squats later into your workouts as an accessory movement. In contrast, those looking to elevate athletic performance, jump height, and explosiveness should do jump squats as a first or second movement.

How to do a Jump Squat

1. Stand tall with your feet at a hip-width level, and toes pointed slightly out.
2. Bring your shoulders back and direct your gaze forward. You can have your torso leaning forward slightly.
3. Take a breath and hinge at the hips to bring your butt back as you keep your back neutral and bend your knees to descend until your thighs are roughly parallel with the ground.
4. As you’re near the bottom, forcefully push through your feet to bolt yourself to the starting position. Make sure to press as hard as you can so that you gain velocity and transition from a squat into a vertical jump. Exhale as you jump.
5. As you’re about to land, bend your knees slightly, and immediately descend into another squat as you take another breath.
6. Then, follow the same instructions to squat up and transition into another vertical jump.

What muscles does the jump squat activate?

Our quadriceps are the primary muscle that works during a jump squat. The quadriceps cover the front of our thighs and produce knee extension, which occurs as we ascend (1). Unlike regular squats, the jump squat forces significantly higher quadricep activation off the bottom because the muscle group produces more power. 

The second muscle group that works during a jump squat is the calves. Our calves cover the rear side of the lower legs, and their primary function is ankle extension (2, 3). As we ascend, our calves produce some force to propel us vertically.

Jump squats also engage your hamstrings and glutes but to a small degree. Both muscle groups play an essential role in hip extension, which occurs as we explode off the bottom and jump vertically (4, 5).

Tips on Proper Form when doing a Jump Squat

A vital tip to remember for jump squats is to make the squat portion of the exercise as smooth as possible. You should descend into a half squat and immediately explode vertically. Doing so would allow you to take advantage of the stretch reflex and accelerate more effectively off the bottom position.

The second tip to keep in mind is that you don’t need to descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Many trainees perform at their best from a half-squat position, and doing so prevents your quadriceps from getting too tired, allowing them to produce more force for the jump.

It’s also important to distribute your weight evenly on your entire foot. As you descend, maintain a torso position that allows you to load your heels. You will struggle to maintain balance, and your jump performance will suffer if too much of your weight shifts on your toes.

Variations and Modifications of the Jump Squat

1. Box Jump

Introducing a box to jump squats is a practical way of ensuring that you’re jumping high enough on every repetition. All you have to do is place a plyometric box in front of you (start with no more than six inches), descend, squat, and land on the box.

2. Tempo Jump Squat

Tempo jump squats are beneficial for maintaining proper technique and balance on every repetition. The goal is to descend for a couple of seconds, hold the bottom position, and explode up.

3. Loaded Jump Squat

Loaded jump squats are an advanced variation that allows you to overload your lower body with greater resistance. The most practical way to do the movement is to put a weight vest on yourself. Alternatively, hold a dumbbell in front of your chest, similar to how you would during a goblet squat.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with jump squats is not warming up effectively. While simple, the jump squat puts some stress on your joints, muscles, and connective tissues, so taking the time to warm them up is essential. Warming up also improves your athletic performance, allowing you to train more productively (6). Some form of cardio and dynamic stretching is often enough.

The second significant mistake with jump squats is introducing external resistance too soon. Many beginners get comfortable with the exercise quickly, so they decide to kick things up a notch by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell. Doing so isn’t ideal because jump squats take time to master. You would be better off doing bodyweight jump squats for at least a few months before adding weight to the equation.

You should also pay careful attention to your breathing because not getting enough oxygen can cut your sets short. Breathe in as you descend, hold your breath at the bottom and exhale as you jump vertically.

Similar Exercises to the Jump Squat

Goblet Squat

Goblet squats are an effective accessory exercise for quadriceps, midsection, and upper back strength. You must hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest as you squat. In doing so, you have to maintain a more upright torso, and your upper body has to work extra hard to keep you in position.

Front Squat

Front squats are a more advanced version of the goblet squat because you have to place a barbell in a front rack position. Thanks to the position, your torso is more upright, and less hip extension occurs, allowing you to train your quadriceps more effectively (7).

Lunge (Dumbbell)

Lunges are another effective movement you should introduce to your quadriceps, gluteal, and hamstring training. The goal is to hold a pair of dumbbells, stand tall, bring one leg forward, and bend it at the knee. You then have to push through the front leg to return to the starting position. Unlike most squat variations, lunges are beneficial because they train one leg at a time, ensuring balanced development.

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The glute bridge is a simple no-equipment exercise that strengthens your posterior chain. Unlike many activities, the glute bridge is simple to learn, and you can even do it at home. 

One of the most notable benefits of the glute bridge is that the exercise strengthens your posterior chain: glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. The movement is also beneficial because you can adjust the difficulty to fit your athletic level, and there are numerous fun variations to try.

Aside from making you more athletic, the glute bridge promotes whole-body stability and proper spinal alignment. As a result, your posture improves, and you’re at a lower risk of injuries. Plus, everyday tasks like picking things off the floor and walking up flights of stairs get easier. 

We recommend including glute bridges near the end of your training and doing high-repetition sets with a steady tempo. You can do the movement as little as once per week or up to three times to develop your glutes more quickly.

How to do a Glute Bridge

1. Lie on the floor with your arms straight and to your sides. Place your palms flat on the floor.
2. Bend your knees and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
3. With your head, shoulders, and butt in contact with the floor, take a breath.
4. Push through your heels, contract your glutes, and shoot your hips toward the ceiling until your knees, hips, and shoulders are in line.
5. Hold the top position for a moment and exhale.
6. Lower yourself to the starting position and repeat.

What muscles does the glute bridge activate?

The primary muscle group that works during glute bridges is the gluteal complex, which consists of the glute maximus, minimus, and medius (1, 2). Together, these muscles produce hip extension, which occurs off the bottom during a glute bridge. 

Our hamstrings are also involved in glute bridges because one of their functions is assisting the glutes with hip extension (1, 3). The muscle group also provides stability at the knee, making it easy to keep our balance during a glute bridge.

The quadriceps are the third muscle with an active role during a glute bridge. The muscle group covers the front side of our thighs and produces knee extension, which occurs as we drive our hips to the ceiling (4).

Another muscle group that works during glute bridges is the erector spinae, which runs along both sides of the spine. These muscles flex isometrically and keep the spine in a strong and healthy position as we do the exercise. Similarly, the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques contract to provide torso support.

Tips on Proper Form when Preforming a Glute Bridge

An essential tip for the glute bridge is ensuring that your knees are slightly behind your heels at the top position. Doing so places you in a stronger position and allows for proper glute activation (1). Having your feet too close to your glutes puts unnecessary stress on your lower back.

Another essential tip for glute bridges is engaging your core from the start. As you lie on the exercise mat, keep your lower back in contact with the floor. That way, you can engage your abs and promote a healthy spine position. Similarly, you should avoid raising your hips too high because that will lead to hyperextension and lower back stress.

As you initiate a repetition, do so by first engaging your glutes before thinking about driving through your heels. The simple cue can improve glute activation and make the exercise more effective. 

The fourth tip is to perform repetitions slowly and with good body control. Too many trainees rush through glute bridges to complete more repetitions but doing so prevents them from engaging the correct muscles or creating enough tension for growth.

Variations and Modifications of the Glute Bridge

1. Banded Glute Bridge

Banded glute bridges are a variation where you loop a resistance band over your thighs, just above the knees. Doing so forces you to keep your knees out against the band, improving glute activation.

2. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Single-leg glute bridges are an effective variation that works great for more advanced trainees who find the classic exercise too easy. The objective is to anchor one foot on the floor and extend the other leg. Once in position, drive your hips to the ceiling by supporting yourself on one foot.

3. Glute Bridge Hold

Glute bridge holds are an effective static variation that builds strength and stability. Like planks, reverse planks, and other such movements, glute bridge holds develop isometric strength and improve the mind-muscle connection with your posterior chain. The objective is to extend your hips and maintain the top position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Mistakes to Avoid

One of the most common mistakes with glute bridges is overextending your hips. As mentioned above, doing so forces you to hyperextend your back, placing unnecessary stress on your spine. Instead, you should extend your hips until they align with your shoulders and knees.

Another mistake with glute bridges is improper foot placement, and trainees often place their feet too close to their buttocks. Having your feet too close makes the execution uncomfortable and stresses your lower back. You should keep your feet at a position that leads to almost vertical shins and heels slightly in front of your knees as you extend your hips.

The third mistake to avoid is not pushing through your heels. Trainees would often press from their toes, shifting the emphasis to the quadriceps and calves. Avoid the error by anchoring your heels on the floor and pushing through them once you’ve engaged your glutes.

Similar Exercises to the Glute Bridge

Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are among the best compound exercises for the glutes and lower back (5). The movement pattern is similar to that of glute bridges with one difference. You have to support your upper back on a gym bench and place the weight (barbell) over the crease of your hips during a hip thrust.

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants are a simple exercise that strengthens your gluteus maximus, medius, minimus, and tensor fascia latae. Similar to glute bridges, fire hydrants require no equipment, and you can do them at home.

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V up crunches are a challenging bodyweight exercise that builds strength, stability, and athleticism. The objective is to lie on the floor, extend your body, and raise your torso and legs simultaneously. Doing so recruits a range of muscles in your body and forces you to work extra hard and remain stable. 

The V up crunch is particularly effective for strengthening the rectus abdominis because the muscle has to produce a lot of force to crunch your torso and help you lift your legs in the air. Performing the exercise strengthens your core, improves your stability, protects your spine, and improves posture.

We recommend including V ups near the end of your workouts after doing the main lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, and similar. If you want to do the movement as part of an ab routine, we recommend doing V ups first or second while you’re still fresh.

How to do a V Up

1. Lie on the floor with your legs straight, feet together, and arms extended behind your head. Your heels, thighs, butt, upper back, shoulders, head, and forearms should be in contact with the floor.
2. Take a deep breath, engage your abs, and initiate the movement by simultaneously raising your torso and legs toward one another.
3. As you raise your torso and legs, keep your arms in line with your upper body.
4. Near the end of the repetition, allow your arms to lean toward your legs slightly and tap your shins with your fingers.
5. As you exhale, slowly unfold yourself back to the starting position.
6. Take another breath and repeat.

What muscles does the V Up activate?

The primary muscle that works during V ups is the rectus abdominis, which spans from just below the ribcage to the pelvic bone. Its primary function is to bring the chest closer to the hips by crunching the torso (1). The rectus abdominis also provides torso stability and assists the hip flexors in raising our legs during exercises like V ups.

Other midsection muscles (including the obliques and transverse abdominis) also work during V ups, primarily to keep us stable while doing the exercise (1). Similarly, the back musculature contributes to torso rigidity.

The glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps work during V ups to stabilize our legs and lift them off the floor. Our shoulders (deltoids) and upper back muscles move the arms behind the body and to the ceiling.

How to Work up to Doing a V Up

V ups might seem easy enough at first glance, but the exercise requires a fair amount of strength and stability to perform effectively. 

The primary muscle that works during V ups is the rectus abdominis, and strengthening it will improve your performance. Fantastic ab exercises include regular/decline/cable crunches, planks, hanging knee raises, and lying leg raises. Doing crunches and leg raises separately is an excellent way to break down the V up exercise and learn the two motions in isolation.

Compound exercises like front squats, standing military press, and deadlifts are also beneficial for strengthening your midsection, making the V up more accessible. 

Once you’ve built up enough strength in your midsection, you can introduce hollow holds to the mix. The objective is to lie on the floor, raise your upper back and legs off the floor, and maintain the position for a period. Doing so builds isometric strength and stability, making it easier to progress to V ups.

Once you’ve built enough strength, you can start doing V ups slowly, focusing on smooth execution and a full range of motion. We’ll discuss what mistakes you should avoid below.

Variations and Modifications of the V Up

1. Bent-Knee V Up

The bent-knee V up is an easier variation that brings many benefits. Unlike regular V ups, the objective is to keep your knees bent as you raise your legs and torso. Doing so requires less core strength and stability, making the exercise more beginner-friendly.

2. Alternating Leg V Up

The alternating leg V up is a variation where you lift one leg at a time. For example, you raise your torso and lift the left leg to the ceiling. You then return to the starting position, crunch again, and lift the right leg.

3. V Up Hold

The V up hold is another beginner-friendly exercise that builds isometric strength and whole-body stability. Assume the starting position, brace your core, and raise your torso and legs to the ceiling. Once at the top position, hold for 5 to 30 seconds and release.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with V ups is performing repetitions too quickly, leading to instability, robbing your muscles of tension, and making the exercise less effective. The objective is to do repetitions smoothly and with good control to feel your muscles work. Doing fewer but slower repetitions is much better than rushing through the exercise, hoping to reach an arbitrary rep goal.

Another mistake with V ups is rocking back and forth. Doing so isn’t dangerous, but it makes the exercise less effective and prevents you from training your abs as best as possible. Avoid the mistake by doing repetitions slowly and controlling your body from start to finish.

The third error with V ups is relaxing your muscles on the way down. Many trainees would perform the first half of a V up correctly but relax their muscles and ‘unfold’ back to the starting position. Doing so prevents them from taking full advantage of each repetition’s eccentric (negative) portion, making the movement less effective. Avoid the mistake by keeping your muscles tense throughout each repetition.

Similar Exercises to the V Up

Decline Crunch

Decline crunches are a simple and effective isolation exercise for the rectus abdominis. The objective is to anchor your feet inside a decline bench and perform crunches. Like V ups, decline crunches emphasize your abs and promote torso stability. 

Cable Crunch

Cable crunches are an effective isolation movement for the abs. But, unlike most exercises, cable crunches offer more flexibility because you can adjust the load based on your strength. You can start with as little as 10 to 20 lbs and gradually increase the resistance as your abs develop and strengthen.

Plank

Planks are a versatile isometric exercise that promotes whole-body stability and strength. Similar to V ups, the plank targets the abs, back, shoulders, chest, arms, glutes, hamstrings, and more (2). All of these muscles flex isometrically to keep us stable and in position.

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The problem with modern life is that millions of people worldwide sit at a desk all day, hunched over a computer. A few days of that won’t do any harm. But spending thousands of hours in the position leads to tight muscles, poor posture, and aches.

Luckily, there are numerous practical exercises we can do to counteract the adverse effects of modern living, and one of them is the superman. The idea is to lie on your stomach, extend your body, and hold the position for some time. Doing so strengthens a range of muscles in the posterior, leading to better posture, fewer aches, and improved athleticism. 

The best part about supermans is that learning the exercise and integrating it into your training isn’t difficult. You can hold the position for a few seconds initially and gradually increase the duration over several weeks. We recommend including the exercise near the end of your workouts.

How to do a Superman

1. Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and arms extended to the sides of your head. Your toes, knees, thighs, stomach, chest, and forehead should be in contact with the floor. You can keep your feet together or space them out a bit – whichever you prefer.
2. Take a breath and simultaneously extend your arms and legs toward the ceiling as much as you can. Your back should be arched, and your arms and legs should lift a few inches off the floor.
3. Hold the arched position for at least two seconds, exhale, and bring your body to the starting position.
4. Take another breath and repeat the motion.

What muscles does a superman activate?

The primary muscles involved in supermans are the erector spinae: longissimus, iliocostalis, and spinalis. The muscles are situated on both sides of the spine and produce back extension (1).

Similarly, other back muscles, including the trapezius, rhomboids, and lats, contribute to back extension and torso stability. Our shoulders (deltoids) engage to keep our arms off the floor during the superman.

The glutes and hamstrings also contribute during a superman because both muscles produce hip extension (2, 3). These muscles allow us to extend the lower body toward the ceiling.

Our rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques flex isometrically to offer some torso support during the exercise.

Cautions and Tips on Form when doing a Superman 

The superman is an exercise that requires significant spinal hyperextension, which can cause issues for some people. You should approach the exercise with caution and avoid overextending your body, especially if you have a history of lower back pain. 

Start doing the exercise by extending your body and bringing your arms to the sides of your head. Keep your neck relaxed in a neutral position and engage your back and midsection muscles. Don’t worry about lifting your chest or legs off the floor initially. Instead, get familiar with the exercise and learn to engage the correct muscles. 

You can then focus on your glutes and hamstrings, attempting to engage the muscles in a superman position. Again, don’t worry about assuming the correct position immediately. 

Experiment with raising your chest or feet off the floor for a few seconds once you’ve had some practice. You can then begin to raise your upper and lower body off the floor simultaneously, but the process should occur over a few sessions so you have the time to learn the exercise.

Variations and Modifications of the Superman

1. Cobra

Cobra is an effective bodyweight exercise you can do to strengthen your back, shoulders, and triceps. The objective is to extend your body, place your hands to your sides, and push your torso off the floor. Doing so improves your ability to extend your back and strengthens many of the muscles you would use in a superman.

2. Legs-Only Superman

The legs-only superman is an effective exercise you can perform to teach yourself how to engage your hamstrings and glutes. All you have to do is lie face down on the floor, plant your palms on the ground and focus on raising your legs off the floor. 

3. Alternating Arm/Leg Superman

Alternating arm/leg supermans are a beginner-friendly variation where you raise one arm and the opposite leg to the ceiling. You have to hold the position for a moment, lower your limbs to the floor and extend the opposite arm and leg.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with supermans is not breathing as you do the exercise. Extending your body makes it difficult to breathe but holding your breath starves your muscles of oxygen, cutting your set short. Avoid the mistake by taking a breath, doing a repetition, and exhaling as you relax. 

Another mistake with supermans is overextending your back, or worse: doing the exercise despite feeling lower back pain. The superman exercise is safe and effective when you raise your feet and chest a few inches off the floor. Pushing yourself to extend even more doesn’t offer extra benefits but puts pressure on your spine. 

The third mistake with the superman is rocking back and forth as you do the exercise. Trainees often find themselves rocking back as they extend and forth as they relax. Doing so is by no means fatal, but it can make the movement unnecessarily difficult and possibly rob your muscles of tension. Focus on doing each repetition slowly and with complete control of your body.

Similar Exercises to the Superman

Rack Pull

Rack pulls are a compound exercise that trains your glutes, back and arms. The goal is to elevate a barbell inside a squat rack, performing only the second half of the deadlift. In doing so, your legs do less work, and it’s primarily up to your back and arms to complete each repetition.

Glute Ham Raise

Glute ham raises are an effective bodyweight exercise that strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back (4). The goal is to anchor your feet inside a glute ham machine and use your posterior muscles to raise and lower your torso.

Deadlift (Band)

Deadlifts with a band are a great compound exercise for the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and entire back. The objective is to grab a resistance band with both hands, step over it, and perform the deadlift pattern. In doing so, you train all of the muscles involved in supermans, plus your forearms and quadriceps.

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Burpee over the bar is a simple, full-body, dynamic exercise that builds strength, muscle, coordination, and overall athleticism. The idea is simple: place a barbell on the floor, and jump from side to side, performing a burpee on each hop. Doing so burns tons of calories develops a range of muscles in your body, and improves your endurance.

Thanks to the combination of different elements, burpees over the bar develop multiple characteristics simultaneously. As a result, the movement boosts your athleticism and makes you better able to handle everyday tasks.

As far as programming goes, adding burpees over the bar near the beginning of your training is beneficial. The exercise involves many muscles, so doing it early in your training would allow you to maintain proper form, do more repetitions, and achieve better results. For example, you can do your primary movement for the day and do burpees as a second or third exercise.

How to do the Burpee Over the Bar

1. Place a barbell on the ground and stand perpendicular on one side of it.
2. Jump in the air and immediately descend into a squat while keeping your back neutral.
3. Once you’re at the bottom of the squat, reach forward and plant your palms firmly on the floor as you simultaneously kick your feet back. You should end up in a high plank position at this point.
4. With your body straight as an arrow and shoulders, elbows, and wrists in a straight vertical line, take a breath and descend into a push-up by bending your elbows. Go down as comfortably as you can, then push yourself back to the high plank position.
5. Once you perform the push-up, lunge both feet forward next to where your hands are positioned, squat up, and jump laterally over the barbell.
6. Descend into a squat and repeat the same movement. Once you’re done, jump laterally once again over the bar and repeat the motion.
7. Keep alternating until you finish the set.

What muscles does the burpee over the bar activate?

Burpees over the bar are a full-body activity that trains various major muscles. As you squat, the movement trains your quadriceps, which extend your knees (1, 2). Your hamstrings also activate, and so do your glutes (1). 

During the push-up portion of the exercise, you train your chest, triceps, shoulders, and serratus anterior (3). Your chest (pectoralis major) activates off the bottom, allowing you to get back to the top position. The shoulders (mainly the anterior head) assist the chest in arm extension. Your triceps’ primary job is to extend your elbows, and they become increasingly active as you get closer to the top of the push-up. 

Burpees over the bar also involve your midsection muscles, which work to keep you stable, especially in the high plank position. The rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques are the primary muscles that flex isometrically to provide torso rigidity.

Tips for Proper Technique when doing the Burpee Over the Bar 

The most important tip to keep in mind for burpees over the bar is to chop the exercise into the individual movement patterns: lateral jump, squat, high plank position, push-up, and back into a squat. Doing so will allow you to master the unique aspects of the exercise. Once you’re confident in that, you can work on making your transitions more fluid. 

Similarly, take your time with each repetition. You are not on a time trial, so you shouldn’t aim to complete each repetition as quickly as possible. Instead, take your time with each movement pattern and focus on proper technique. Set yourself up for each squat and push-up before descending. Doing so will help you assume a safe and strong position.

Lastly, descend as much as you can on the squat and push-up. Your range of motion will depend on your strength, but training through an extended range of motion will help you work each muscle more effectively, making the exercise more beneficial.

Variations and Modifications of the Burpee Over the Bar

1. Regular Burpee

Regular burpees are identical to the variation we are looking at today. Both movements include a jump, squat, and push-up. The only difference is that regular burpees have you jump vertically and land in the same spot. In contrast, over-the-bar burpees require that you jump laterally after each repetition.

2. Superman Burpee Over the Bar

The superman burpee over the bar is also a similar exercise. The primary difference is, you also have to include a superman repetition at the bottom of the push-up. You squat down, transition to a high plank, do a push-up, bring your arms to your sides, and extend your body. Once finished, place your hands on the floor, push yourself up, and transition into the squat.

3. Box Jump Burpee

The box jump burpee is a great variation that ensures you jump high enough on each repetition. You have to squat down, assume a high plank position, do a push-up, and get into a squat position. But then, instead of hopping laterally, jump forward and land on a plyometric box.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common beginner mistake with the burpee over the bar is rushing each repetition. Prevailing wisdom suggests that we breeze through burpees, so trainees often rush the process. But as mentioned above, burpees are complex and involve several movement patterns. So, take your time on each repetition, making sure to prioritize technique over speed.

Another mistake with burpees over the bar is not descending enough on the push-up, limiting the exercise’s effectiveness. Avoid the error by bringing your torso as close to the floor as you can on every repetition. Doing so will allow you to train your shoulders, chest, and triceps much more effectively.

The third common mistake with burpees over the bar is landing on your heels after each lateral jump. Landing on your heels is harmful because it places too much stress on your knees and ankles, increasing your risk of injuries. Avoid potential issues by landing on the balls of your feet. That way, your calve muscles absorb more of the impact force.

Similar Exercises to the Burpee Over the Bar

Bench Press (Barbell)

While not the same as burpees, the barbell bench press is beneficial because it strengthens your chest, shoulders, and triceps (4). All three muscle groups play an essential role in the push-up, making the bench press useful for your burpee performance.

Jump Squat

Jump squats are an excellent bodyweight movement that builds lower body strength, power, and muscle mass. Since jump squats are part of the burpee, doing them is perfect for improving your performance on the full-body movement.

Push-Up

Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight movements you can do to strengthen your chest, shoulders, triceps, and serratus anterior (3). The exercise is also great for promoting shoulder health and strengthening your midsection. Like jump squats, push-ups are one element of burpees, beneficial for your performance.

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The rectus abdominis is like any other muscle in the body and responds to training by growing and getting stronger. But, unlike many other muscles in the body, developing the abs tends to be more challenging because we use the muscle non-stop during the day.

Classic crunches, lying knee raises, and other ab exercises work well for beginners. But everyone beyond that stage needs more challenging activities to force their abs to develop further. 

As its name suggests, the decline crunch is an exercise you perform on a decline bench. The variation is challenging and more beneficial than traditional ab movements because of your torso position. Doing crunches on a decline bench forces your abs to work extra hard in raising your torso, leading to more strength, stability, and athleticism.

We recommend including the decline crunch near the end of your traditional workouts or as one of the first exercises in an ab routine.

How to do a Decline Crunch

1. Put a bench in a decline position. Start at around 30 degrees to see how it feels and go from there.
2. Lie on the bench and secure your legs on the knee and ankle pads.
3. With your back against the bench, bring your hands to the sides of your head and take a breath.
4. Initiate the crunch by engaging your abs and using them to lift your torso toward your thighs.
5. Raise your torso as you simultaneously crunch in for maximum abdominal engagement. Your chest should come near to your knees at the top position.
6. Hold the top position for a moment and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position.
7. Take another breath and repeat.

Download Hevy to track your decline crunches and see how your performance improves. You can create workouts with as few or as many exercises as you want and display important data on graphs.

What muscles does the decline crunch activate?

The primary muscle that works during a decline crunch is the rectus abdominis, which runs from just below the ribcage to the hip bone. One of the muscle’s primary functions is to draw the chest closer to the hips (1). As we engage our abs, the muscle produces the force we need to crunch from a decline position.

The transverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae also play a role during a decline crunch. Their primary function is to flex isometrically and offer torso support.

Difference between the Decline Crunch and Decline Sit-up 

Sit-ups and crunches might seem like the same exercise, but they are different. The goal with crunches is to engage your abs and raise your upper back a few inches off the bench. In contrast, sit-ups have you lift your torso entirely off the bench and into an upright position. 

Both exercises are similar and train many of the same muscles, but crunches tend to be the better option for most people. The movement is more productive because it reinforces abdominal activation. You engage your abs, drawing your chest closer to your hips and lifting your shoulder blades off the bench. 

Sit-ups have a similar objective, but the exercise also involves your hip flexors (rectus femoris, iliacus, sartorius, pectineus, and psoas) to raise your torso in an upright position. Plus, there is barely any tension on your abs at the top of each repetition, making the exercise less effective for core development. 

Crunches are also better because they are less dynamic and keep constant tension on your rectus abdominis. Sit-ups offer a more extended range of motion, placing more stress on your spine and preventing the abs from doing most of the work.

Variations and Modifications of the Decline Crunch

1. Regular Crunch

A regular crunch is one beginner-friendly ab exercise you can do without any equipment. The objective is to lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor. Once in position, engage your abs, take a breath, and crunch to raise your shoulder blades off the floor.

2. Decline Twisting Crunch

Decline twisting crunches are a neat variation emphasizing your internal and external obliques. The objective is to crunch as you usually would, but instead of going straight up and down, you include a slight torso twist as you move up. Doing so forces your obliques to work extra hard.

3. Weighted Decline Crunch

Weighted decline crunches are a more advanced variation that allows you to overload your abs better. All you have to do is set yourself on a decline bench, grab a weight (be it a dumbbell or weight plate), and perform the movement.

Mistakes to Avoid

The first common mistake with the decline crunch is raising your torso too much. As discussed above, the objective is to engage your abs and crunch your torso, lifting your shoulder blades a few inches off the bench. In contrast, raising your torso to an upright position is a sit-up. Doing so is not a fatal mistake, but get clear on which movement you want to do.

Another common mistake with the decline crunch is arching your lower back. Doing so prevents you from engaging your abs and instead forces you to use your hip flexors to raise and lower your torso. Avoid the mistake by keeping your lower back in contact with the bench and initiating each repetition by engaging your abs.

The third error to watch out for is performing repetitions too quickly. While doing so might lead to more total repetitions, it doesn’t necessarily lead to better results.

It’s much better to perform repetitions slowly and contract your abs well on every repetition. Sure, you might do fewer reps that way, but the growth stimulus will be much stronger.

Similar Exercises to the Decline Crunch

V Up

V-ups are an effective bodyweight exercise that strengthens your lower body, abs, back, and shoulders. Unlike most ab exercises, V-ups force you to raise your torso and legs to the ceiling simultaneously. As a result, each repetition is more challenging, and the movement leads to more strength, stability, and improved athleticism.

Are you tired of using pen and paper to write your workouts and flip through endless pages to track your performance? If so, download Hevy. The app allows you to create routines (reusable workouts), log workouts with a few taps, see your previous performance on each exercise, and dive into analytics to track your progress.

Cable Crunch

Cable crunches are another effective ab exercise that offers excellent flexibility for trainees. The cable crunch is great because you can adjust the resistance based on your ab strength. You can start with a light load, learn how to perform the movement, and gradually increase the resistance as you build midsection strength.

Hanging Knee Raises

Hanging knee raises are another functional ab exercise (2). Unlike other movements, the hanging knee raise forces your entire core to work extra hard and keep you from swinging back and forth. Your abs produce force to lift your knees, and your forearms work hard for you to grip the bar and hang as you do repetitions.

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Crunches, planks, and hanging knee raises are all excellent core exercises. But doing the same exercises gets old, so trainees often find themselves frustrated with ab training. Luckily for all of us, there are countless fun and engaging movements to choose from, and jackknife sit-ups are one such example.

The jackknife sit-up is a full-body, low-impact core exercise that builds stability, strength, and, of course, a set of rock-hard abs. The movement is great because it doesn’t stress your joints, and you don’t need any equipment to do it. But despite that, jackknife sit-ups challenge us as few other exercises can. 

Doing jackknife sit-ups is a fantastic way to strengthen your core, translating to better athletic performance, more stability when lifting weights, and an easier time doing everyday activities.

How to do a Jackknife Sit Up

1. Lie flat on the floor with your legs straight and arms behind your head. Your heels, legs, buttocks, upper back, head, and arms should contact the floor.
2. Take a breath and engage your abs.
3. Simultaneously lift your arms and legs a few inches off the floor.
4. Once you’re in that position, take another breath and lift your arms and legs toward one another. You should raise your legs to a 45-degree angle and have your arms almost parallel with your hands touching your shins. Exhale once you touch your shins.
5. Extend your body back to the starting position without resting your hands or feet on the floor.
6. Take a breath and repeat the motion.

What muscles does the jackknife sit-up activate?

The primary muscles that work during the jackknife sit-up are the abs (rectus abdominis), which span from below the chest to the lower stomach. Their primary function is to flex the torso by pulling the rib cage toward the pelvis (1). Aside from that, our rectus abdominis plays a massive role in core stability, which we need to maintain the jackknife starting position.

Our obliques (internal and external) and transverse abdominis are also involved in the jackknife sit-up. All three muscle groups contribute to core stability, allowing us to maintain our position and ‘fold’ our body on each repetition (2, 3, 4). 

The legs are also involved in the jackknife sit-up. Our quadriceps keep our legs straight, and flexing our calves maintains a rigid ankle position. The posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) contributes to raising our legs off the floor. The rectus femoris, one of four quadriceps muscles, also assists with raising our legs. The quadricep head is the only one that crosses the hip joint, which allows it to help with leg raises, aside from knee extension (5).

Progression to the Jackknife Sit-Up 

The jackknife sit-up is an effective core exercise, but you might not be able to do it, especially if you’re new to ab training. Don’t worry if that is the case because you can work your way up to the full jackknife sit-up. 

Start by strengthening the muscles involved in the jackknife sit-up. A well-balanced strength training routine will be more than enough in most cases. Developing your midsection and leg muscles through various exercises will make it easier to get into position and do the movement.

Aside from that, you can introduce more straightforward exercises to build up core strength and learn the movement patterns involved in the jackknife sit-up. One great movement is the lying leg raise. Since raising your legs is one part of the jackknife sit-up, learning how to do it in isolation will help. Regular sit-ups will also help strengthen your rectus abdominis.

Variations and Modifications of the Jackknife Sit-Up

1. Side Jackknife Sit-Up

Instead of lying on your back, the jackknife variation has you lie on one side. Extend your legs, press your hip into the exercise mat, and put your hand behind your head. Take a breath and simultaneously raise your upper torso and leg toward one another. The variation emphasizes your internal and external obliques.

2. Jackknife Crossover

The jackknife crossover is a variation where you raise one arm toward the opposite leg. The exercise is easier to learn and allows you to train your obliques better.

3. Jackknife Knee Raises

The jackknife knee raise is a great way to work up to the full sit-up. The primary difference is that you keep your knees bent when raising your legs toward the ceiling. Doing so makes the exercise more accessible and allows you to learn the movement pattern.

Mistakes to Avoid

The jackknife sit-up is challenging to learn and execute, so many people forget about breathing, hindering their performance. Avoid the mistake by slowing down your tempo and inhaling before each new repetition. Exhale as you reach the top and start lowering your legs and torso to the floor.

Another significant mistake related to jackknife sit-ups is doing repetitions too quickly, leading to instability and a shorter range of motion. So, do repetitions slowly, making sure to engage your midsection muscles on each repetition. You can also add a brief pause at the top position to make the movement more challenging and improve core engagement.

The third significant mistake to avoid with the movement is cutting the range of motion short, which usually comes from a lack of strength in the midsection muscles. If you find that you can’t raise your legs and torso simultaneously, go back to more straightforward exercises like lying leg (or knee) raises and sit-ups.

Similar Exercises to the Jackknife Sit-Up 

Decline Crunch

The decline crunch is an abdominal exercise where you lie on a bench, anchor your feet, and crunch up. The movement is effective at training and strengthening the rectus abdominis.

Decline crunches are similar to the jackknife sit-up because the exercise makes up half of the jackknife’s movement pattern.

Lying Leg Raise

Lying leg raises are a simple bodyweight movement you can do to emphasize the lower portion of your abs. The exercise also represents the leg motion you have to do during a jackknife sit-up. The goal with leg raises is to lie on the floor and straighten your legs. You then lift your feet off the floor and begin raising and lowering your legs. 

Cable Crunch

Similar to the jackknife sit-up, cable crunches are an effective movement you can do to strengthen your abs. The goal here is to grab a cable rope attachment, go down on your knees, and begin to crunch your torso against resistance. The cable crunch is effective because it offers a fantastic overloading potential, allowing you to strengthen your abs for a long time.

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There are plenty of good exercises for the glutes: hip thrusts, glute kickbacks, deep squats, and more. But few exercises can target critical areas of the glutes and hips as fire hydrants can. While simple to learn, the fire hydrant effectively strengthens the glutes, abductors, and core. 

Aside from developing important muscles, fire hydrants stretch the inner thigh muscles (adductors), contributing to hip mobility, and allowing you to perform more complex exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts.

Fire hydrants are also beneficial for your daily life, given the movements numerous benefits related to strength, stability, and mobility. For example, since the exercise promotes core stability, it improves your balance and whole-body strength, making everyday tasks more accessible.

We recommend including fire hydrants late into your workout. Do lots of slow reps, ensuring that your glutes work hard. You can also do some fire hydrants before training to warm up the hips and activate your glutes.

How to do the Fire Hydrants

1. Position yourself on your arms and legs with your knees below your hips and your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in a vertical line. You can also keep your shins flat against the floor.
2. Keep your palms flat on the floor, and maintain a neutral back.
3. Once in position, flex your right leg without changing the knee angle. Simultaneously push into the floor with both hands to create a sturdy position.
4. Breathe in, take the right leg out and bring it up to your side as far as your mobility allows and breathe out. Don’t let your torso rotate with the leg – keep it in a stable position.
5. Hold the top position for a second and slowly bring your right leg back to the starting position.
6. Keep repeating the movement. Once you’re done, do the same for your left leg.

What muscles does fire hydrants activate?

Fire hydrants train the gluteal muscle group: gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, and tensor fasciae latae. Of the four muscles, the minimus, medius, and tensor fasciae latae work the most in bringing our legs to the side (abduction) and controlling them on the way back (1). The gluteus maximus also works to a much smaller degree, mainly to assist the smaller muscles surrounding it. 

The fire hydrant exercise also trains the midsection musculature: abs, transverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae. These muscles flex isometrically to keep us in position while performing the exercise.

Proper Form when Performing Fire Hydrants

One of the most important tips related to the proper execution of fire hydrants is doing each repetition slowly and with reasonable control. In doing so, you force the correct muscles to engage, get fatigued, and grow. Jerking motions might help do you extra repetitions, but you won’t activate the correct muscles fully. Similarly, raise your legs as much as you can through smooth motions. There is no point in using momentum to abduct your legs more. 

The second tip related to fire hydrants is engaging your core and staying stable during each set. As you set up, engage your abs, keep your back in a neutral position, and raise your legs with fluid motions. 

It’s also essential to keep your torso in a steady position with hips pointing to the floor as you raise your legs. The goal is to open up the hips and develop the glutes. Rotating your hips in the direction of the leg raise prevents you from training the glutes effectively.

Variations and Modifications of Fire Hydrants

1. Ankle Weight Fire Hydrant

A simple way to make the fire hydrant exercise more challenging is by using ankle weights. The weights increase the resistance, forcing your muscles to produce more force on every repetition. You should introduce ankle weights once you’re confident in your technique, and you can do at least 25 to 30 repetitions on bodyweight fire hydrants. 

2. Forearm Fire Hydrant

In contrast to the previous variation, forearm fire hydrants are easier for beginners. The goal is to support your upper body on your forearms, making it easier to remain balanced while doing repetitions.

3. Fire Hydrant With Knees Off The Floor

Fire hydrants with knees off the floor are a more advanced variation that forces your core to work extra hard in keeping you balanced. You must balance your lower body on your toes and keep your knees an inch or two off the floor while raising your legs to the sides.

Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake with fire hydrants is using momentum and jerking motions to complete each repetition. As mentioned above, doing so isn’t beneficial because it takes the tension away from your glutes, making the exercise less effective. Instead, perform repetitions smoothly and with complete control, engaging your glutes as best as possible.

Another mistake with fire hydrants is allowing your hips to rotate in the direction of each raise. For example, raising your left leg to the side and having your hips rotate to the left. While minor hip rotation is expected during the movement, it should occur near the top of each repetition. Your hips need to point to the floor as you abduct your legs. Avoid the error by raising your legs as much as your mobility allows and gradually increasing the range of motion.

The third mistake with fire hydrants is introducing external resistance (such as ankle weights) too quickly. Ankle weights and other accessories can be helpful for the natural progression of the exercise, but you should do the bodyweight version for at least a few weeks to build strength and skill.

Similar Exercises to Fire Hydrants

Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are an effective compound exercise that trains many of the same muscles involved in fire hydrants. Some of the muscles worked during thrusts are the glutes (buttocks) and midsection (abs, transverse abdominis, and obliques) (2). The goal is to position your upper back on a bench, place a barbell over the crease of your hips, and lift the weight through hip extension.

Glute Bridge

Glute bridges are a simple and practical accessory exercise that strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back (3). Like fire hydrants, the movement requires no equipment, making it a fantastic option even if you’re training at home. 

Lateral Squat

Lateral squats are a quadriceps-focused accessory exercise that offers numerous benefits. Like fire hydrants, lateral squats develop your buttocks and involve the tensor fasciae latae, which is responsible for bringing your leg to the side.

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