Fire hydrants are simple yet effective exercises that can help you strengthen and tone your lower body muscles. This exercise is named after the way a dog lifts its leg to pee on a fire hydrant, hence the name "fire hydrant."
What muscles do fire hydrants work?
Fire hydrants primarily target the glutes, which are the muscles located in your buttocks. Additionally, this exercise also engages the muscles in your thighs and hips. Fire hydrants are especially effective for targeting the gluteus medius, which is the muscle that runs along the side of your hip and helps to stabilize your pelvis.
How to do fire hydrants
To perform fire hydrants:
- Start on all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Keeping your knee bent, lift your right leg out to the side until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Keep your foot flexed.
- Lower your right leg back down to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Variations of fire hydrants
There are several variations of fire hydrants that you can try to target different muscles or add some variety to your workout:
- Weighted fire hydrants: Hold a dumbbell or resistance band around your ankle to add extra resistance.
- Fire hydrant kickbacks: After lifting your leg to the side, extend it backwards and upwards, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Fire hydrant circles: After lifting your leg to the side, make small circles with your knee, keeping your foot flexed.
Benefits of fire hydrants
Fire hydrants are a great exercise for anyone looking to strengthen and tone their lower body muscles. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating fire hydrants into your workout routine:
- Targets multiple muscles: Fire hydrants engage the glutes, thighs, and hips, making it a great full lower body workout.
- Improves stability: By targeting the gluteus medius, fire hydrants can improve your hip stability and reduce your risk of injury.
- Can be done anywhere: Fire hydrants can be done at home or in the gym with minimal equipment, making it a convenient exercise to add to your routine.
- Easy to modify: Fire hydrants can be modified with weights or variations to increase or decrease the intensity of the exercise.
Conclusion
Fire hydrants are a simple yet effective exercise that can help you strengthen and tone your lower body muscles. By targeting the glutes, thighs, and hips, fire hydrants provide a full lower body workout that can improve your stability and reduce your risk of injury. With variations that can be modified to increase or decrease the intensity, fire hydrants can be done anywhere with minimal equipment.