Static External Rotation (How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked)

Static External Rotation is a great drill to incorporate into your warm-up for glute activation. It can also be used as an assessment tool to check to see if you’re properly utilizing your glutes.

I’ve spent 20 years as a Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach and in this article, I will teach you how to execute Static External Rotations and explain the benefits it provides.

How To Do Static External Rotation

Equipment Needed

• None

Muscles Worked

• Glute Medius
• Glute Minimus
• Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL)

How To

• Sit on the floor with both knees at roughly 90 degree angles.
• One leg should be in front of you with the shin roughly parallel to the waist.
• The other leg should be out to the side with the shin roughly perpendicular to the waist.
• Torso should be as upright as possible.
• Now, press the front knee into the platform and maintain that pressure for 10-15 seconds.
• Next, raise the opposite foot up off the ground and hold there for 10-15 seconds.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Coaching Points

If you find it very difficult (or impossible) to raise the back foot off the ground, then there is a good chance you’re not firing your glutes properly. If that’s the case, I would start incorporating this movement into your warm-ups almost daily.

Focus on maintaining an upright torso and try to refrain from leaning and/or using your arms to brace yourself on the floor.

Benefits of Static External Rotation

Static External Rotations come with a wealth of benefits including:

1. Improved Performance: Activating your glutes helps in sports and exercises that require lower body strength, like squats, deadlifts, and running. It’s like waking up those muscles so they’re ready to fire up and perform better.
2. Injury Prevention: When your glutes are engaged, it takes the pressure off other areas, like your lower back and knees. This can help reduce the risk of injuries, especially those nagging ones that creep up when other muscles are picking up the slack for sleepy glutes.
3. Better Posture: Strong and activated glutes support your pelvis, which plays a big role in keeping your spine aligned. This can lead to better posture both in and out of the gym.
4. Enhanced Muscle Balance: Many of us sit a lot, which can lead to weak glutes. Glute activation exercises help balance out your muscle strength, making sure your glutes aren’t being overshadowed by your more dominant quads or hamstrings.

Static External Rotation Alternatives

Looking for alternative exercises that provide many of the same benefits?

Here are a couple of exercises you might want to try out:

Lateral Band Walk

Lateral Band Walks are a fantastic alternative to External Rotations, especially if you’re looking to change up your routine.

Both exercises target your hip abductors, including the gluteus medius and minimus. Lateral Band Walks, however, can engage these muscles more dynamically since you’re moving through a range rather than a static rotation.

Bird Dogs

Bird Dogs are a solid alternative to External Rotations. Bird Dogs target both your glutes and your back muscles, promoting balanced strength development across your posterior chain. This is a bit different from External Rotations, which primarily focus on the hips.

Bird Dogs require you to stabilize your core, which not only works your abs but also improves your lower back strength. This full-core engagement is a step up from the more isolated hip focus in External Rotations.

Final Thoughts

I hope this guide on Static External Rotations has been helpful.

To see more guides just like this one, including more glute activation exercises, make sure to head over to the Warm-up Section of my Exercise Library.

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