# Hip and Glute Control Controlled hip and glute work with a band to build steadiness around the hips and knees. - URL: https://formaroutines.com/routines/hip-and-glute-control/ - Duration: About 11 min - Admin slug: hip-and-glute-control ## Before you start Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care. ## Exercises ### 1. Bodyweight Hip Abduction 2 sets · 12 reps · 20s rest · both sides Lift from the side of the hip, not the lower back. A small, slow range does more here than a big one. #### Steps - Lie on your side on a mat with your legs stacked, your bottom arm extended under your head for support. - Stack your hips squarely on top of each other and bend the bottom leg slightly for stability. - Keep the top leg straight with the toes pointing slightly forward and your foot flexed. - Lift the top leg straight up toward the ceiling in a smooth, controlled motion. - Stop when you feel a strong contraction in the side of the hip — usually around 30 to 45 degrees. - Lower the leg back down slowly without letting it touch the bottom leg, then repeat for reps. #### Cues - Hips stay stacked. - Lift from the side hip. - Move slowly. #### Common mistakes - Rolling the hips back to lift the leg higher, which lets the hip flexors take over from the glute medius. - Lifting the leg too fast, which removes the time-under-tension that builds the glute. - Pointing the toes up instead of flexing the foot, which shifts the work off the side hip. - Letting the top hip drift forward — kills the side-glute contraction and turns the lift into a leg swing. ### 2. Band Hip Abduction 2 sets · 12 reps · 25s rest · both sides Push out against the band with the hips stacked. Move slowly and stop before the lower back joins in. #### Steps - Loop a mini band around both ankles or just above the knees, depending on resistance preference. - Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees, hands on hips for balance. - Shift your weight onto your left leg and press your right leg straight out to the side against the band. - Pause briefly at the top of the lift, feeling the squeeze in the side of your right hip. - Lower the right leg back to the starting position with control, keeping tension on the band throughout. - Complete 12 to 15 reps per side, alternating legs once the working glute is fully fatigued. #### Cues - Hips stay stacked. - Push against the band. - Move slowly. #### Common mistakes - Leaning the torso to the opposite side to swing the leg out, which removes load from the glute medius. - Letting the hips rotate forward as the leg lifts, turning the movement into a hip-flexor exercise. - Using a band so heavy that form breaks — start light to feel the glute working, then progress. - Rushing the eccentric and letting the band snap the leg back in, losing half the time-under-tension. ### 3. Single Legged Romanian Deadlifts 2 sets · 6 reps · 25s rest · both sides Hinge on one leg with the hips square and the spine long. Touch a wall for balance and keep the range small. #### Steps - Stand tall on one leg with a slight bend in the standing knee and arms hanging at your sides. - Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades down to set a tall, stable torso position. - Hinge at the hip by pushing the standing-leg hip back, letting the back leg float up behind you. - Keep the back leg, torso, and head in one straight line as you lower toward the floor. - Stop when you feel a deep stretch in the standing leg's hamstring, with the torso roughly parallel to the floor. - Drive the standing-leg hip forward to return to the start position, squeezing the glute at the top. #### Cues - Long spine. - Hips stay square. - Small range is fine. #### Common mistakes - Rounding the lower back as the torso lowers, which puts the spine at risk under load. - Twisting the hips open as the back leg lifts, which loses the hinge alignment and balance. - Bending too much at the standing knee so the lift becomes a single-leg squat instead of a hinge. - Bouncing back up at the bottom instead of controlling the descent and the reversal. ### 4. Bodyweight Reverse Lunge 2 sets · 8 reps · 25s rest · both sides Step back into a shallow lunge and return. Hold support and keep the front knee comfortable. #### Steps - Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or at your chest. - Take a long step back with one leg, planting the ball of the back foot down lightly. - Lower the back knee straight down toward the floor while keeping the front shin near vertical. - Drop until the back knee is just above the ground and the front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor. - Drive through the heel of the front foot to push yourself back up to a tall standing position. - Repeat on the same leg for the prescribed reps, then switch sides without losing form. #### Cues - Use support. - Keep the step shallow. - Front knee feels comfortable. #### Common mistakes - Stepping back too short, which puts the load on the front knee instead of the front glute. - Letting the front knee cave inward instead of tracking over the foot. - Pushing off the back foot instead of driving through the front heel — robs the working leg of work. - Slamming the back knee into the floor instead of lowering it under control.