Glutes exercise
90/90 Hip SwitchHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Glutes, Hip flexors
- Also works
- Adductors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the 90/90 Hip Switch?
- Sit with your knees bent, feet flat and wider than your hips, hands on the floor behind you.
- Keep your feet where they are and let both knees fall to one side.
- Sit tall in that position for a moment, with both knees bent to right angles.
- Lift your knees back through the middle and lower them to the other side.
Cues
- Feet stay planted.
- Sit tall at each side.
- Move slowly, never force the knees.
Common mistakes
- Slumping back: press into your hands and lift your chest.
- Forcing the knees to the floor: go only as far as feels easy and build up.
- Feet sliding in: set them wide and keep the heels in place.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Seated, hands on the floor behind for support, feet wide; both knees swing to one side into the 90/90 position, then lift and swing through the middle to the 90/90 on the other side. The swing is Physitrack's hip 90-90 rotation; the end position follows Cleveland Clinic's 90/90 stretch. The hands-free, upright version is the progression.
Starting position
Hands on the floor 20–30 cm behind the hips, arms straight, torso upright or leaning back no more than 15°.
The movement
Keeping both heels in place as pivot points, let both knees drop to the right until the right leg lies with its outer thigh and outer calf on the floor and the left leg lies with its inner thigh and inner calf on the floor (the 90/90 position). Sit tall, hips square, and pause. Lift both knees back up through the middle and lower them to the left into the mirror position. The knees travel in a smooth arc; the feet and hands stay put; the torso stays tall and turns only slightly with the hips.
Breathing
Breathe out as the knees lower; breathe in as they lift through the middle.
Tempo
Both sides, 6 s: 2 s knees down to the right, 1 s pause tall, 2 s knees up and over to the left, 1 s pause tall. Real sets: 6–10 switches each side, slow.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Both knees bent about 90° throughout (Cleveland Clinic).
- Knees sweep about 160–180° side to side; heels stay on the same spots.
- Torso upright, shoulders level and square; chest faces between the two knees.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The 90/90 Hip Switch is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
