Strap-Assisted Side-Leg Hold
activatehipadvancedisometricAdductor length
2 × 10s per side
How to do it
- Place the midpoint of a long strap securely around the left forefoot, pass both free sections behind the left hip and diagonally across the upper back toward the right shoulder, keeping them below the neck and clear of the throat and armpit.
- Stand on the right leg beside a wall or barre and take up only enough tension to assist the left leg.
- Lift the straight left leg out to the side to a height you can control while keeping the pelvis level and the torso tall.
- Hold with active hip and trunk tension; the strap should support the position, not pull the leg higher.
- Lower the leg slowly, step out of the strap and repeat on the other side.
Form cues
- Use stable support and keep the standing knee softly straight.
- Keep the lifted kneecap facing mostly forward and do not twist the pelvis to gain height.
- Stop for groin, knee, back or standing-ankle pain, or if the strap presses on the neck.
Muscles worked
Stretches: hip adductors
Strengthens: hip abductors, gluteus medius, core stabilizers
Part of a program
Part of Front Splits
This exercise is one move. Front Splits puts it in a plan — so you know what to do, in what order, and how much, week by week.
- Sequenced & dosed — the right exercises, in the right order, at the right volume.
- Progresses with you — difficulty ramps as you get stronger, not on a fixed calendar.
- Personalized — built around the specific limiter actually holding you back.
- Tracks your progress — see what's working and adjust over time.
See the program →
Free · a quick assessment finds your starting point