# Lying Alternating Slight Bent Back Leg Raise - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/9439/lying-alternating-slight-bent-back-leg-raise/ - Media ID: 9439 - Primary muscle: Glutes - Body part: Glutes - Equipment: Exercise Mat - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/9439/lying-alternating-slight-bent-back-leg-raise.mp4 ## Description The Lying Alternating Slight Bent Back Leg Raise is a prone hip extension exercise performed face down on a mat or the floor. You rest your forehead on your stacked hands, bend each knee slightly, and lift one leg at a time toward the ceiling by driving the hip into extension. The small knee bend shortens the hamstrings slightly, which shifts more of the work onto the glutes and makes the movement friendlier to people who feel hamstring-dominant on straight-leg versions. Because the torso stays anchored to the floor, this is one of the safest ways to load the glutes and the muscles along the back of the hip. There is no equipment to set up and no load pressing on the spine, so the exercise suits beginners learning hip extension, people returning from lower-body downtime, and anyone building a glute-focused routine at home. It is also a common warm-up drill before squats, deadlifts, or running, since it wakes up the glutes without fatiguing them. The primary muscles working are the glutes, especially gluteus maximus, with the hamstrings assisting on every lift. Your lower back muscles work isometrically to hold your ribcage and pelvis steady, and your core helps keep you from tipping side to side as you alternate legs. The alternating rhythm adds a subtle anti-rotation demand that a both-legs-at-once version does not have. Setup matters more than most people expect. Lying flat with your forehead supported on your hands helps keep the neck neutral, and the front of your hips should stay pressed toward the floor throughout. The lift itself comes from the hip, not from arching the lower back — a common error that turns a glute exercise into a back exercise. Height is not the goal; a controlled leg rising to a modest angle with a genuine glute squeeze beats a big swing every time. To execute it well, exhale as one leg rises, pause briefly at the top with the glute squeezed, then lower the leg under control before the other one starts. Keep the knee bend small and consistent — roughly 10 to 20 degrees — so the shape of the rep stays the same on both sides. Move at a pace you could pause at any point, and breathe steadily rather than holding your breath. In practice, this exercise slots into home glute circuits, Pilates-style floor work, lower-body warm-ups, and rehab-style programs that want low-load hip extension. Start with sets of 8 to 12 raises per leg, resting as needed, and progress by slowing the tempo or adding ankle weights once your form is consistent on both sides. ## Instructions 1. Lay an exercise mat on the floor and lie face down with your legs extended straight behind you and your feet about hip-width apart. 2. Stack your hands and place your forehead on the back of your hands so your neck stays neutral and relaxed. 3. Bend both knees slightly, roughly 10 to 20 degrees, and keep that small bend identical on each leg for the whole set. 4. Brace your abdomen gently and press the front of your hips toward the floor so your pelvis stays level before you move. 5. Exhale and squeeze the glute of one leg to lift that thigh off the floor, keeping the knee bend unchanged and the hips square to the floor. 6. Stop the lift at a height you can hold without arching your lower back or tilting your pelvis — usually a modest angle of 20 to 40 degrees. 7. Pause for one or two seconds at the top, feeling the glute and the back of the thigh working, then inhale as you lower the leg slowly until it touches back down. 8. Repeat the lift with the opposite leg, alternating sides for the planned number of repetitions per leg. 9. Between sets, recheck your hand position, knee bend, and hip contact with the floor before starting the next set. ## Tips & Tricks - If you feel your lower back doing the work instead of your glutes, reduce the lift height — the leg only needs to clear the floor by a small amount. - Avoid swinging the leg up with momentum; if the foot flicks at the start of each rep, slow the tempo and restart the lift from a dead stop. - Keep both hip bones in contact with the floor. When one side of the pelvis rises with the leg, the lumbar spine is rotating instead of the hip extending. - If your neck aches, lift your forehead slightly off your hands or turn your head to one side and switch sides halfway through the set. - Do not deepen the knee bend beyond a slight angle — a strongly bent knee turns this into a different hamstring-dominant movement and shortens the lever. - Point your toes neutrally rather than curling them hard; excessive toe pointing encourages the leg to lift from the lower back instead of the hip. - If the floor is uncomfortable on your hip bones, slide a folded towel under the front of your pelvis, but keep it thin so your posture does not tilt forward. - Match the range and speed on both legs. If one side lifts noticeably higher, do an extra controlled set on the weaker side to even things out. - Once body weight feels easy, add ankle weights in small increments rather than lifting higher — extra range usually comes from the spine, not the hip. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Which muscles does the Lying Alternating Slight Bent Back Leg Raise work? The glutes are the primary movers, with the hamstrings assisting each lift. Your lower back muscles and core work statically to keep your torso and pelvis stable. ### Why does this version use a slight knee bend instead of straight legs? A small knee bend shortens the hamstrings so they contribute less, which pushes more of the workload onto the glutes. It also reduces tension pull on the back of the leg for people with tight hamstrings. ### Is the Lying Alternating Slight Bent Back Leg Raise good for beginners? Yes. It uses only body weight on a mat, the range is naturally small, and the floor gives feedback about whether your pelvis stays level. Beginners should start with 8 to 10 slow raises per leg. ### How high should my leg go during the raise? High enough that the thigh clearly leaves the floor, typically around 20 to 40 degrees. If lifting higher forces your lower back to arch or your hip to roll off the floor, you have gone too far. ### Why do I feel this in my lower back instead of my glutes? That usually means the leg is being lifted by arching the spine rather than extending the hip. Lower the height, press the front of your hips into the floor, and squeeze the glute deliberately to start each rep. ### Can I do the Lying Alternating Slight Bent Back Leg Raise on a bed or couch? A firm floor or mat is better. A soft surface lets your pelvis sink and tilt, which hides whether you are extending from the hip or arching the lower back. ### What can I substitute if lying face down is uncomfortable? Quadruped leg raises or standing rear leg lifts train the same glute-driven hip extension pattern. Keep the same small knee bend and the same rule of moving from the hip, not the lower back. ### Should I alternate legs quickly or slowly? Slowly. A controlled lift, a one- to two-second pause at the top, and a smooth lower is the point of the exercise. Rushing the alternation turns it into a swinging movement that the lower back absorbs. ### Is it safe for people with lower back sensitivity? The floor-supported prone position keeps load off the spine, but anyone with back issues should keep the range small, avoid any arching, and stop if symptoms appear. Checking with a qualified professional is a sensible first step.