Skip to content
wandelbar.app

how to do clamshells

Lying on your side with knees bent, clamshells open your top knee like a shell, isolating the glute muscles on the outside of your hip. They are among the gentlest glute moves available and suit complete beginners, people warming up before leg work, and anyone who does not feel their glutes in squats. Compared with fire hydrants, they remove any balance demand, so all attention goes to the hip. The limitation is load: once 20 slow reps feel easy, move to side-lying leg lifts or bridges.

▶ watch clamshells on the dedicated video page

primary musclesglutes
levelbeginner
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typerep-based

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Lie on your side with your legs stacked, knees bent at about 90 degrees, and your hips aligned. Rest your head on your bottom arm and place your top hand on your hip for support.
  2. Keep your feet together and your core engaged.
  3. Raise your top knee upward as far as possible without rotating your hips or lifting your feet off each other. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
  4. Lower your knee back to the starting position with control. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

how much: Start with 3 sets of 8–10 reps per side, and add a two-second hold at the top before adding reps.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Stack your hips vertically, top hip directly above the bottom one.
  • Keep your feet touching and let only the knee rise.
  • Place your top hand on your hip to feel it stay still as the knee opens.

common mistakes

  • Rolling the top hip backward as the knee lifts — stop the knee lower so your pelvis stays stacked.
  • Feet separating during the lift — press your heels together throughout the set.
  • Snapping the knee open quickly — lift in two counts and lower in two.

make it easier or harder

easier
Move your feet slightly closer to your hips and lift the knee only halfway.
harder
Lift your feet slightly off the floor and keep them hovering while you open the knee.
clamshells: lying on side, knees bent, top knee opened upward
clamshells — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

squats at the bottom: thighs parallel to the floor, arms reaching forward for balance squats lunges bottom position: front thigh parallel, back knee hovering just above the floor lunges glute bridge top position: hips lifted, straight line from shoulders to knees glute bridge wall sit hold: back flat against the wall, thighs parallel, knees over ankles wall sit jump squats in mid-air: legs fully extended, arms swung overhead jump squats donkey kicks: on all fours, one bent leg lifted with heel toward ceiling donkey kicks

never wonder what to train next

clamshells is one of 1,300+ exercises in the wandelbar app — where you don’t pick exercises at all. Answer a few questions, get a personal 90-day bodyweight plan, and it reshapes itself after every session. free for 7 days.

train with a plan that adapts.

350+ exercises, guided sessions, zero equipment needed.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play