At a glance

Lying on your side and lifting the whole top leg, straight and in line with the body. The main strengthening exercise for the gluteus medius, and the step up from the clamshell.

What it works

Primary muscles

Gluteus medius
Gluteus minimus

Also involved

Tensor fasciae latae, which takes over if the leg drifts forward
Obliques and quadratus lumborum, stopping the trunk from hitching

Equipment: None. A mat and a pillow for the head, and an ankle weight later.

How to do it

1
Lie on your side with the bottom knee bent for stability, the top leg straight and in line with your trunk, head supported.
2
Stack the hips vertically and keep a small gap under your waist. Lying with your back against a wall gives you honest feedback while you learn the position.
3
Turn the top kneecap to face straight forward rather than up at the ceiling, and lead the lift with the heel.
4
Lift the leg to around 30 degrees, roughly a foot clear of the lower leg, and pause for a second. Anything higher comes from hitching the hip, not from the muscle.
5
Lower slowly over three seconds and stop at the starting line, so the leg never drops down across the midline.

How much to do

3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions each side

3 to 4 times a week

Slow, consistent loading over months is what remodels a tendon. Give it three months before judging it, and expect the night pain to settle before the strength arrives.

Stop and get assessed if

Stop and get assessed if lifting the leg produces sharp pain over the bony point on the outside of the hip, or pain that travels below the knee. Deep groin pain rather than outer hip pain points at the joint itself and is assessed quite differently.

Common mistakes

The leg drifting forward as it lifts: Forward means the hip flexors and tensor fasciae latae have taken the job, and gluteus medius is barely working. Keep the heel very slightly behind the line of your body and the lift will feel harder and lower, which is correct.
Letting the leg drop down and across the midline: Crossing the midline squeezes the gluteal tendons against the bone underneath them, and that compression is what provokes outside-of-hip pain in the first place. Lower only to the starting line, and use a pillow between the knees when you lie down afterwards.
Rolling the top hip backwards: It lets the leg travel higher and feels stronger, but the movement has quietly moved into the trunk. Height is not the goal; a stacked pelvis is.
Turning the toes up towards the ceiling: That rotation shifts the load to the front of the hip and away from gluteus medius, which is the muscle the programme depends on. Kneecap forward keeps the work where it belongs.
Pushing through a pinch on the outside of the hip: A pinch over the bony point is compression, not strengthening, and every repetition through it keeps the tendon sore. Shorten the range, recheck the alignment, and drop back to isometric holds if it persists.

Making it harder

Hold at the top for five to ten seconds before lowering, which loads the tendon without much movement and often reduces pain afterwards.
Add an ankle weight, starting around one kilogram and building slowly. Load is what changes a tendon; repetitions alone stop being enough.
Move into standing work: hip hitches on a step, then single leg balance and step ups, which is where this muscle actually has to do its job.

Making it easier

Bend both knees and do the clamshell instead, which loads the same muscles with a far shorter lever.
Static abduction: lie or stand with the leg pressed gently out against a wall and hold for ten seconds at a time, with no movement. This often eases pain immediately and is the right starting point in a sore hip.

Side Lying Hip Abduction