Glutes exercise
Seated Glute StretchHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Glutes
- Also works
- Lower back
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Seated Glute Stretch?
- Sit tall on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you.
- Bend your right knee, let it fall out to the side and lift your right shin with both hands.
- Hold the shin with your right hand below the knee and your left hand above the ankle.
- Sit up tall and gently draw the shin towards your chest until you feel a stretch in your right buttock.
- Hold for about 30 seconds, breathing slowly, then switch sides.
Cues
- Sit up tall, chest proud.
- Pull the whole shin in, not just the foot.
- Ease closer as you breathe out.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back or letting your lower back round: sit on a folded towel if you need to.
- Pulling only on the foot, which twists the knee.
- Bouncing instead of holding.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
The seated cradle: sitting on the floor, one leg straight, the other leg bent and turned out with its shin hugged across the front of the chest.
Starting position
Sit tall on the floor with both legs straight out in front. Bend the right knee, let it fall out to the side and lift the right shin with both hands until it runs across the front of the chest, the foot a little higher than the knee and flexed (toes up). The left leg stays straight with the toes pointing up.
Breathing
Slow and relaxed; breathe out to ease the shin closer.
Tempo
Real holds: 30 s each side.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk from vertical | 12° forward (tall, slight hinge) | 5–18° forward; never leaning back, no slump | |
| Bent hip: flexion (side view) | 115° | 105–125° | |
| Bent thigh out from straight ahead | 40° | 30–50° | |
| Bent knee flexion | 118° | 100–130° | |
| Shin | across the chest, rising about 10° from knee to ankle | level to 15° up | |
| Ankle in front of the trunk's centre line | 16–18 cm on the breath out | shin close to the chest, never touching it | |
| Straight leg | knee 5°, toes up | knee within 10°, back of the knee near the floor | |
| Hands | flat on top of the shin, 10–11 cm from the knee and from the ankle | both on the shin all the time |
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 Seated Glute Stretch 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
Sources
- Yoga International, "Baby Cradle Pose" (sit tall, one leg extended, both hands round the shin, shin drawn up towards the breastbone, lower back not rounding, a folded blanket under the hips if it does)
- The Prehab Guys, "Seated Glute Stretch" (lift one knee, hold it with both hands and pull it towards the chest; stay upright, don't lean back; felt in the glute)
- Physitrack, "Leg cradle" (ankle drawn up towards the chest with the knee dropping out to the side; hold 15–30 s, no bouncing, stop on pain)
- NASM, flexibility guidelines (static stretching: hold about 30 s at mild tension, no bouncing)
