How high should my leg go?

Only a short way. In most adults the hip extends about 10 to 20 degrees behind the body, so once your lower back starts to arch or your chest tips forward, the leg has gone as far as the hip can take it.

How is this different from a glute kickback?

Keeping the knee straight brings the hamstrings in alongside the glutes. In a lab test of maximal hip extension strength in young adults, the hamstrings contributed the most torque with the knee fully straight, while the glutes' share was highest with the hip straight and the knee bent to 90 degrees. For more glute focus, try the Bent Leg Kickback.

Do I have to hold on to something?

Holding on is recommended until standing on one leg feels steady, because the support lets you focus on the hip instead of your balance. As you improve, hold with one hand, then with just your fingertips, and only then try it without support.

How many reps should I do?

A common starting point is 10 to 15 slow reps on each leg, building up to 2 to 3 sets. Once that feels easy with a 1-second pause at the top, a light ankle weight adds resistance.

Can I do this after a hip replacement?

It depends on how the surgery was done and how far along your recovery is. Replacements done through the front of the hip often come with a temporary limit on moving the leg behind the body, so check with your surgeon or physical therapist first.

Standing Hip Extension

What Is the Standing Hip Extension?

Standing Hip Extension is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also engages the hamstrings. It is a beginner-level movement done standing on one leg while holding a support for balance, lifting the other leg straight back from the hip with nothing but the leg's own weight as resistance.

Hip extension is the action that moves the thigh behind the body. It drives the push-off at the end of every walking step and helps you rise from a chair and climb stairs. This version trains it with no equipment beyond something sturdy to hold, which makes it a common choice for home routines, warm-ups and gentle strength programs. It appears as the Back Leg Raise in the National Institute on Aging's sample strength workout for older adults.

Because the knee stays straight, the hamstrings share the work with the gluteus maximus. Bent-knee versions such as the Bent Leg Kickback shift more of the effort to the glutes. The standing leg works too: its outer hip muscles hold the pelvis level while the other leg moves, so the exercise adds a little single-leg balance practice. The hip itself only extends a short way behind the body, so a good rep is small, and a leg that rises much higher is usually being lifted by an arching lower back.

The exercise suits beginners, people returning to exercise and older adults who want to strengthen their hips without getting down on the floor. Anyone who finds standing on one leg too unsteady, even with support, can build hip extension strength lying down with the Glute Bridge first. As it gets easier, hold on more lightly, add a pause at the top or a light ankle weight, or move to the Band Single-Leg Kickback.

The mind-muscle connection matters here more than in most lower-body exercises. The lower back can easily take over the lift, so thinking about tightening the glute of the moving leg, rather than about how high the foot goes, keeps the work where it belongs.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Gluteus Maximus: Primary
Biceps Femoris: High
Semimembranosus: High
Semitendinosus: High
Adductor Magnus: Medium
Gluteus Medius: Medium
Erector Spinae: Low
Gluteus Minimus: Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low

Instructions

Stand facing a sturdy upright support, such as a pole, the back of a heavy chair or a counter, and hold it with both hands at about chest height.
Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
Shift your weight onto one leg, brace your abdominals lightly and keep your hips facing forward.
Breathing out, lift the other leg straight back from the hip, keeping the knee straight.
Stop as soon as the glute is fully tight, before your lower back arches or your chest tips forward.
Hold the top for 1 second.
Lower the leg slowly until the foot is back beside the standing foot.
Complete all reps on one side, then switch legs.

Common Mistakes

Arching the lower back
Lifting the leg higher than the hip allows makes the lower back arch, which moves the work from the glutes to the spine.
Leaning the torso forward
Tipping the chest forward lets the foot rise higher without the hip extending any further, so the glutes do less of the work.
Turning the hip out
Rotating the hip and toes outward to get more height swaps straight hip extension for a twist through the pelvis and lower back.
Swinging the leg
Kicking the leg back with momentum and letting it drop skips the controlled lift and lowering that build strength.
Leaning hard on the support
Pushing a lot of weight through the hands takes the balance work away from the standing leg, so hold only firmly enough to stay steady.

Injuries

Standing Hip Extension is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The only load is the weight of the leg, and holding a sturdy support takes most of the fall risk out of standing on one leg.

The lower back is the main strain point. Lifting the leg higher than the hip allows forces the lumbar spine to arch, and repeating that over many reps can leave the lower back sore. Keep the range small, brace the abdominals lightly, keep the torso upright and move slowly in both directions. Some people feel a cramp in the hamstrings at the top; a slightly shorter range or a brief rest usually settles it.

To make it easier, use a smaller range, hold the support with both hands, or train hip extension lying down with the Glute Bridge. To progress, hold on with one hand and then only the fingertips as your balance improves, pause for 1 to 2 seconds at the top, add a light ankle weight, or move on to the Band Single-Leg Kickback or Cable Glute Kickback.

Stop if you feel sharp pain in the lower back, hip or groin, or if you feel dizzy or unsteady. After a hip replacement done through the front of the hip (the anterior approach), moving the leg behind the body is often restricted for the first weeks, so follow your surgeon's or physical therapist's precautions before adding this exercise.

Overview

Primary Focus: Glutes
Equipment: Body weight and other
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Standing Hip Extension

The Standing Hip Extension is also known as:

Back Leg Raise

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How high should my leg go?: Only a short way. In most adults the hip extends about 10 to 20 degrees behind the body, so once your lower back starts to arch or your chest tips forward, the leg has gone as far as the hip can take it.
Q: How is this different from a glute kickback?: Keeping the knee straight brings the hamstrings in alongside the glutes. In a lab test of maximal hip extension strength in young adults, the hamstrings contributed the most torque with the knee fully straight, while the glutes' share was highest with the hip straight and the knee bent to 90 degrees. For more glute focus, try the Bent Leg Kickback.
Q: Do I have to hold on to something?: Holding on is recommended until standing on one leg feels steady, because the support lets you focus on the hip instead of your balance. As you improve, hold with one hand, then with just your fingertips, and only then try it without support.
Q: How many reps should I do?: A common starting point is 10 to 15 slow reps on each leg, building up to 2 to 3 sets. Once that feels easy with a 1-second pause at the top, a light ankle weight adds resistance.
Q: Can I do this after a hip replacement?: It depends on how the surgery was done and how far along your recovery is. Replacements done through the front of the hip often come with a temporary limit on moving the leg behind the body, so check with your surgeon or physical therapist first.