Quadruped hip extension
Quadruped hip extension works the big buttock muscle (gluteus maximus) from a hands and knees position. You straighten one leg behind you and lift it to the height of your body, keeping your back and pelvis still. It is like the bird dog without the arm reach.
How to do the quadruped hip extension
- Get on your hands and knees on a mat, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. A folded towel under your knees makes kneeling more comfortable.
- Keep the small natural curve in your lower back. Tuck your chin in a little so your head stays in line with your back.
- Gently tighten your lower stomach muscles and keep breathing steadily.
- Slide one leg back and straighten it, then lift it until it is level with your body. Your back and pelvis stay still.
- Hold briefly, then lower the knee back down to the mat. Repeat with the other leg.
What you should feel
Work in the buttock and the back of the thigh of the leg you lift. Your stomach and back work gently to hold you steady.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the leg higher than your body, which arches the lower back.
- Tipping or rotating the pelvis toward the lifted leg.
- Letting the head drop or pushing the chin up.
- Holding your breath.
How often
Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 on each leg, with a short hold at the top. Your physio will adjust this to you.
Stop and check with your physio if
- Your lower back hurts more during or after the exercise.
- Pain runs down your leg, or you get numbness or tingling.
- Your knees or wrists hurt from taking your weight.
From the clinic
Stop the leg level with your body. Any higher and the lift comes from arching your back, not from the buttock. If your wrists complain, try resting on your fists, and ask your physio about other positions if kneeling hurts.
If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try quadruped hip extension. Lifting the leg takes the hip back behind the line of your body, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. After a hip or knee replacement, kneeling may not be comfortable yet either.
Once this is steady, the bird dog adds the opposite arm. Prone hip extension and the glute bridge work the same muscle lying down.
Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.
