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Prone Hip Extension (Active, Slow Tempo)

Draftstrength80%beginner⬤ moderate evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
Prone, forehead resting on hands or floor, both legs straight, pelvis flat on the mat
End
One leg lifted toward the ceiling via glute contraction with a soft-straight knee, no lumbar arching, held 2 s at the top
Range of Motion
0–~15° hip extension from the floor (glute-limited, low back stays neutral)

How to Perform

Prone, forehead on hands or floor, legs straight. Lift one leg toward the ceiling by squeezing the glute — knee stays soft straight, no lumbar arching. Hold 2 s at the top, lower over 3 s.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Prone Hip Extension (Active, Slow Tempo)”

Starting position: prone

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Squeeze the glute first; let the leg follow

    (verbal)
  2. 2

    If you feel the low back working, lower the leg — height matters less than glute engagement

    (verbal)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

2 × 8–10 reps each leg.

Muscles Involved (9)

Primary Movers

Gluteus Maximus— Prime mover of hip extension against gravity in prone; directly targeted by the 'squeeze the glute first' cue with a 2 s end-range hold.

Secondary Movers

Hamstrings (Group)— Major hip extensors, not a minor assist — upgraded synergist to secondary. Keeping the knee soft-straight shifts emphasis toward the glute but the hamstring group still contributes strongly. Group entry used; individual heads dropped to avoid double-counting.

Stabilizers

Multifidus— Segmental lumbar stabilizer maintaining a neutral spine during the single-leg lift.
Erector Spinae Group— Works isometrically to resist lumbar extension/arching — the 'if you feel the low back working, lower the leg' cue is about keeping this a stabilizer, not letting it become a mover.
Quadratus Lumborum— Stabilizes the pelvis and lumbar spine against tilt/rotation during the single-leg lift.
Gluteus Medius— Corrected rationale: this is a prone/non-weightbearing lift, so frontal-plane single-leg-stance control does not apply. Its real role here is resisting pelvic rotation and hip-abduction drift, with posterior fibers assisting extension.
Transversus Abdominis— Anterior core bracing to prevent lumbar arching and anterior pelvic tilt.

Lengthened / Stretched

Iliopsoas— Antagonist hip flexor placed on stretch as the hip moves from neutral into extension — appropriate use of the lengthening role.

Synergists & Assistors

Adductor MagnusSynergist— Posterior (ischiocondylar) fibers are a true hip extensor and assist the glute through the lift.

Easier Variations ↓

1

Quadruped Hip Extension

Hands and knees with foot pushing toward ceiling; lower lumbar demand.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Standing variant integrates hip extension under load + balance.

Target Movements (1)

Hip ExtensionHip Joint (Coxofemoral)

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Pushing Up from ChairSquat to StandBending & Lifting from the FloorWalking

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Improve Posterior-Chain StrengthperformanceLow Back Painrehab⚠Hip Osteoarthritisrehab

Research Notes

Trains hip extension patterning to counter flexion dominance from sitting. Slow tempo prevents lumbar substitution.