Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Twist Hip Lift: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The twist hip lift is a bodyweight exercise targeting the glutes, with additional engagement of the obliques and hamstrings. It involves lifting the hips off the ground and twisting the lower body side to side, challenging core stability and hip strength.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Hamstrings , Obliques
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the twist hip lift
Front view: muscles worked by the twist hip lift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings and obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the twist hip lift. Primary: glutes. Secondary: hamstrings and obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the twist hip lift

  1. Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Step 2: Place your hands by your sides for support.
  3. Step 3: Engage your glutes and lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
  4. Step 4: While keeping your hips lifted, twist your lower body to the right side, bringing your knees towards the ground.
  5. Step 5: Return to the starting position and repeat the twist to the left side.
  6. Step 6: Continue alternating twists for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the twist hip lift by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Twist Hip Lift alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.