Clamshell
A side-lying glute activation and hip abductor strengthening exercise.
Instructions
- Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent at 45 degrees.
- Keep your feet together and your lower back neutral.
- Keeping your feet together, lift the top knee toward the ceiling.
- Hold briefly at the top, then lower with control.
- Complete all repetitions on one side before switching sides.
Tips
- Focus on the glute muscle doing the work, not momentum
- Do not allow your hips to roll backward
- Breathe steadily throughout the movement
- Add resistance bands for increased difficulty as you progress
- This exercise is excellent for hip stability and glute activation
Recommended starting values
Sensible novice starting points for each goal, for a lifter aged 25–40. Scale down for smaller frames or older lifters. Treat the first set of any session as a discovery set.
| Goal | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Gain strength | 3 | 9 reps |
| Build muscle | 3 | 13 reps |
| Build endurance | 3 | 16 reps |