Last Updated on July 18, 2024
Hip dips, which those gentle inward curves just below your hip bones, are a natural part of your anatomy. But if your hip dips bother you, don’t worry, they can be accentuated and built up through consistently training with targeted exercises. Embracing and working on these areas not only enhances your silhouette but also contributes to overall hip strength and stability as well as confidence.
I know a lot of my clients want to know the best exercises for hip dips, mainly to help build out the hips to reduce the appearance of their dips.
Enter this post complete with the best hip dip exercises to help you shape and strengthen your hip dips.
Here’s what all of the hip dip exercises look like in motion. Notice how they all use multidirectional leg movements to target the hip dip area?
That’s necessary to isolate and target the muscles in the hip dips. These exercises not only improve the appearance of your hips but also bring a host of other benefits, including:
- Increased Hip Mobility aka Functional Strength: Targeted exercises not only improve the appearance of your hips but also enhance their functional strength and stability. This helps in maintaining a balanced muscle structure around the hip area, promoting a more even distribution of muscle mass.
- Enhanced Lower Body Strength & Stability: Hip dip exercises engage various muscles in your lower body, contributing to overall leg strength and endurance. Strengthening the muscles around your hip dips can lead to better stability, reducing the risk of injuries during other physical activities. A strong hip area supports your core, which is essential for maintaining good posture and balance in everyday movements.
- Building Muscle Mass & Enhancing Shape: Regularly performing exercises that target the gluteus medius and minimus encourages muscle hypertrophy, or growth. As these muscles increase in size, they add volume to the sides of your hips, which can help to smooth out the appearance of hip dips. Strengthening and toning the muscles around your hips improves their definition and firmness and helps to create a more sculpted appearance, filling in the gaps created by hip dips. In order to build the hip dips better, you can add ankle weights, a resistance bands or hold a weight against your leg to increase the intensity to build up the area more.
- Burning Fat: While you can’t spot-reduce fat, engaging in regular exercise helps burn calories and lowers overall body fat percentage. As you lose fat from your body, the lean muscle gained through targeted exercises becomes more prominent, helping to create a smoother, more rounded hip contour.
- Boosted Confidence: Embracing and working on your unique body shape can boost your confidence and self-esteem, helping you feel more comfortable and empowered in your skin.
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HIP DIP WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm up with some light cardio for 5-10 minutes.
- There are 10 hip dip exercises to choose from.
- You can choose 6, 8, or do all 10 exercises to complete 1 full round or set.
- Do 3 full sets (on both legs where applicable) to complete this hip dip workout.
- Remember, to stretch when you’re done.
- Avoid doing this routine more than 2 times a week.
- You can also add ankle weights, a resistance band, or hold a weight against your leg to increase the intensity to build up the area more.
- For the best results make sure you’re eating for your metabolic type. You can’t out-exercise your diet and everyone has their own unique nutrient requirements. That’s why I recommend eating for your unique metabolic needs… because when you give your body the nutrition it needs you can get results faster. I have a complete training & Metabolic Type Quiz that you can take to learn more + your unique Metabolic Type.
HIP DIP EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS
Lying Leg Lifts
Lie on your side with your hips and ankles stacked on top of each other, with your toes pointed. Use your hand to support your head. This is your start position. Lift your upper leg up as high as you can. Quickly return to the start position to complete one rep. Quickly rack up reps lifting and lowering your leg. Complete the same number of reps with both legs to complete one set.
Firehydrant Exercise
It looks very similar to a male dog “marking his territory” on a fire hydrant, hence the name. : ) Get down on your hands and knees with your palms flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be hip-width apart and bent 90 degrees. Relax your core so that your lower back and abdomen are in a neutral position. This is your starting position. Without allowing your lower-back posture to change, raise your right knee up and out to the side as high as you can. Lower back down to the start position to complete one rep. Do the same number of reps with your other leg to complete one set.
Cross Over Extensions
Get on your hands and knees. Extend one leg out to the side with your toe pointed. This is your start position. Exhale and slowly lift your leg up and across your body towards the opposite side. Inhale and return to the start position to complete one rep. Do as many as you can until you feel the burn. Once you feel the burn do 5 more then stop. Complete the same number of reps with your other leg to complete one set. Tip: Keep your hips square and even during the movement.
SQUAT SIDE LEG LIFT
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Squat back and down then immediately push up and lift one leg as far up to the side as you can, keeping your back as straight and upright as possible. Lower your leg back down and squat back down, quickly racking up reps. Do the same number of reps with your other leg to complete one set.
Hydrant Extensions
Start on all 4’s with your wrists and knees stacked under your shoulders and hips. Your back should be parallel to the ground, not arched or bowed downward. Keeping your hips square to the floor, raise one knee up and out to the side, until your inner thigh is parallel to the ground. As you’re lifting your knee, lift the opposite arm up in front of you. Hold for a count then return to the start position to complete one rep. Complete the same number of reps with your other leg and arm to complete one set.
Standing Fire Hydrants
Standing up straight and balance on one leg while holding a dumbbell in the opposite leg by pinching it behind your knee or use ankle weights. This is your start position. Lift your knee up and to the side as far as you can then lower your leg back down to complete one rep. Repeat the same number of reps with your other leg to finish one set.
Hip Dip Pulses
Stand tall and lift one leg back (with your knee turned out) until it’s approx. 8 inches off the floor. This is your start position. Next, lift your leg back and up as far as you can. Quickly lower back down to the start position without touching your foot to the floor. Quickly pulse your leg up and down, racking up reps. Keep your hips square as you pulse your leg behind you. Do the same number of reps with both legs to complete one set.
Side Lunge
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells. This is your start position. Lower your butt back and down to the side and lunge to the side towards the floor. Don’t extend your knee past your toes. Then push back up to the start position to complete one rep. Complete the prescribed number of reps with your other leg to complete one set.
Knee Flappers
Lie on your side on the floor. Bend your legs and stack your knees and ankles. Exhale and the upper leg up and off the floor, about 6 inches over your other leg. This is your start position. Keeping your heels together, lift your knee up as far as you can like a clamshell. Quickly lower your leg down just above the ground, then flap your knee back up, quickly adding up reps. Do as many as you can until you feel the burn. Once you feel the burn do 5 more and stop. Complete the same number of reps on the other side to complete your set.
Side Leg Lifts
Stand upright and squeeze your core in tight. Without moving your upper body, flex your foot and lift one leg up and out to the side as far as you can go. Your upper body shouldn’t move. Lower and repeat. Do the same number of reps with your other leg to complete your set. Hold a chair for balance if you need to.
Those are the best, most effective hip dip exercises that you can do to fill in your hip dips. Remember, proper nutrition for your metabolic needs and consistency are important to get results.
These exercises only work, if you work it. So work it! Because the results are SO worth it!
Your Coach & Biggest Cheerleader,
