Fire Hydrant Exercise: How To, Advantages, & Variations

An entertaining name and a fair higher activation exercise, fire hydrants goal the hip complex and glutes.

Along with targeting the gluteus maximus, this exercise and its variations engage the core and challenge the body’s coordination and balance.

You are about to learn more concerning the fire hydrant exercise, its advantages, and a few great variations and progressions, in addition to incorporate it into your routine.

Table of Contents:

• What Is A Fire Hydrant Exercise?
• Muscles Worked Through the Fire Hydrant
• Fire Hydrant Exercise Advantages
• How To Do The Fire Hydrant Exercise
• Common Fire Hydrant Exercise Mistakes To Avoid
• Fire Hydrant Exercise Variations & Progressions
• Fire Hydrant Exercise Alternatives
• Programming the Fire Hydrant Exercise
• FAQs
• The Fire Hydrant Exercise: Key Takeaways

Let’s get into it!

What Is A Fire Hydrant Exercise?

The fireplace hydrant, accomplished from the hands and knees position, is an adjunct exercise that targets the hips and glutes while incorporating coordination and balance. Many exercises for the lower body, like squats, deadlifts, and lunges, are compound and performed inside the sagittal plane.

The fireplace hydrant works inside the transverse plane and isolates one joint motion: hip abduction (moving the leg outward from the body’s center). Training the body through different planes of motion is crucial for constructing a functional body that may move and isolate in several directions. Functional movement patterns can translate to more efficient movement throughout your day, resulting in fewer aches, pains, and fatigue.

When done with proper form and progressive overload, the fireplace hydrant exercise can assist increase the strength of the glutes, especially the gluteus maximus. It also strengthens the hip complex and improves movement quality and injury prevention through core stabilization, balance, and coordination.

Due to this fact, the fireplace hydrant is an ideal accessory movement, warm-up, or finisher on a lower body workout day.

Muscles Worked During The Fire Hydrant

In the fireplace hydrant stance, the bent leg opens in abduction, targeting the hip abductors, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, gluteus maximus, and the core muscles.

The stable leg and the remainder of the body resist movement through core activation, keeping you stable and centered within the quadruped position. Once a resistance band or an ankle weight is added to the energetic leg, it increases the intensity level.

Since one side is targeted at a time, this exercise corrects for instabilities and/or strength deficiencies within the lower body.

On the lookout for more great core stability exercises? Read our article on Core Stability Training: Best Rotational & Anti-Rotational Exercises.

Fire Hydrant Exercise Advantages

The fireplace hydrant isolates the hip complex and hip joints and strengthens the glutes.

On this exercise, the glutes activate through hip extension, external rotation, and abduction. These movement patterns are crucial for keeping the hip complex strong, mobile, and stable.

Most lower body exercises move within the sagittal plane, taking the hips through flexion and extension. In contrast, the fireplace hydrant trains the transverse plane of motion and adds rotation.

Strong glutes can improve movement quality and posture to forestall injuries. Because the fire hydrant is performed unilaterally and within the quadruped position, it relies on core stabilization, balance, and full body stability.

To summarize the fireplace hydrant’s advantages:

• Strengthens the glutes
• Strengthens the hips outside of the sagittal plane
• Improves movement quality, corrects posture, and prevents injuries
• Challenges core stabilization together with full body balance and coordination

How To Do The Fire Hydrant Exercise

Get essentially the most out of your fire hydrants by practicing proper form with body weight first. This exercise puts you within the quadruped position, so to perform fire hydrants, you will need a mat to guard your knees while on all-fours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/BZppLDDsB-o

• Start in a quadruped position together with your hands apart and directly under the shoulders and your knees apart, stacked directly under the hips.
• Discover a neutral spine with a slight curvature of the lower back.
• Brace your core as you lift your right leg off the bottom without shifting the remainder of your body off center.
• Keep your right knee bent and open out to the side as you are feeling your right glute start to fireplace.
• When you reach about 45 degrees, pause and slowly lower your right leg to starting position with control.
• Reset for the subsequent repetition and complete the specified repetitions. Switch legs, repeating with the left leg.

Common Fire Hydrant Exercise Mistakes to Avoid

Be sure that you keep on with the next guidelines to avoid common mistakes:

• Keep a neutral spine throughout the exercise and avoid any excessive arching or rounding.
• Stay stacked in your quadruped position, and be sure your body stays stable and in a straight line throughout the movement. Respiratory and bracing through your core are vital for keeping your quadruped stable.
• Open in the fireplace hydrant barely enough until you are feeling your glutes activate. Opening out too far can offset the pelvis and force the body to shift and compensate away from the energetic leg.
• Keep on with a slow and controlled pace that can can help you connect together with your glutes. Completing the repetitions at a quick pace can defeat the aim of isolating the glutes.
• Practice body weight repetitions before adding a resistance band or ankle weights. Concentrate on form and performance first before adding external load.

5 Fire Hydrant Exercise Variations & Progressions

Once you’ve got built a robust foundation for the usual fire hydrant, progress this movement to maintain difficult your body. Any of those variations and progressions will ensure progressive overload continues.

When you master these variations, you possibly can make the move harder by performing the fireplace hydrant exercise while attempting to balance on one hand.

1) Resistance Band Fire Hydrant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/AnU6NQHazOo

Loop a resistance band around each legs just above your knees so as to add resistance while maintaining a solid quadruped stance.

To challenge yourself further, utilize a heavier resistance band or decelerate the movement. 

2) Ankle Weighted Fire Hydrant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/H442TT7rTe0

Just like the resisted band fire hydrant, utilizing an ankle weight will allow your glutes to work harder throughout the fireplace hydrant.

Be sure that the ankle weight is secure and cozy, right above the ankle. Once you wear ankle weights, start with a lower weight and eventually increase the resistance.

Never used ankle weights? Remember to try our article on the advantages of ankle weights to see what makes them so great!

3) Fire Hydrant Kick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/j9hn6imyzbk

An extra emphasis on the lateral a part of the glute, the fireplace hydrant kick is a fantastic strategy to strengthen your hip complex.

At the highest, extend your leg completely until the knee is straight. Then, bend through your knee and lower back down. This whole extension of the leg will challenge the outer glutes and core stability.

4) Fire Hydrant Pulse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/uILAw7D7fxE

With any of the above three progressions, adding a pulse to the fireplace hydrant can significantly challenge this movement pattern.

Once you reach the highest of your fire hydrant, hold and pulse at the highest for 3-5 counts, then slowly lower to the beginning position.

5) Standing Fire Hydrant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/bJXqapcVeKo

This variation is a fantastic alternative to the quadruped position for those with knee sensitivity or trouble getting on and off the bottom. While standing, you possibly can do the identical hip movement in a special stance but with less pressure on the wrists and knees, limiting discomfort.

To do the standing fire hydrant, start in a standing stance together with your feet hip-width apart, and position yourself near a chair or wall to make use of for balance. Lean your upper body barely forward and interact through your core.

Bend through your right knee and lift your leg straight to the side until you reach 45 degrees. Lower your leg to the starting position and repeat. When ready, switch sides and repeat on the left leg.

4 Fire Hydrant Exercise Alternatives

On the lookout for another ways to focus on your hip muscles and construct muscle? These alternatives could also be just what you are on the lookout for.

1) Kneeling Donkey Kick:

Hip extensions goal the glutes through a special range of motion: the sagittal plane. Only move through your hip and avoid additional flexion or extension through the lower back. 

Learn how to do the Kneeling Donkey Kick:

• Start in a quadruped position together with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Find your neutral spine and keep your gaze toward the highest of your mat.
• Lift your right foot off the bottom and send your leg toward the back while keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees.
• Once your right leg is parallel to the bottom, return it to the starting position.
• Complete your repetitions on this side before you turn your legs to the left side.

2) Clamshells:

Clamshells mimic the movement pattern of a hearth hydrant, but they’re accomplished in a side-lying position. In the event you’re not a fan of the quadruped position, the side-lying position is a cushty variation and puts less stress on the wrists and knees.

Learn how to do Clamshells:

• Lie on the left side of your body. Cradle your head together with your left arm, bend through your knees, and keep your hips stacked and legs together.
• Squeeze the glutes and lift the highest knee to open. Be sure that the feet stay together.
• Return your knee to the starting position. Be sure that to change sides.

3) Standing Side Leg Raise:

Like fire hydrants, leg raises work the glutes and interact core stability. These may also be done within the side-lying position where the highest leg moves into abduction.

Learn how to do the Standing Side Leg Raise:

• Grabbing onto a chair or piece of apparatus for balance, stand together with your feet hip distance apart and shift your weight onto your left foot. You too can place your hands in your hips to make this move harder.
• Lift your right leg off the bottom and open out to the side until you are feeling the skin of the glutes tense.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. Switch and repeat with the left leg.

4) Bird Dogs:

This exercise is a wonderful variation to fireplace hydrants and can can help you connect deeper in your core and find stability inside your quadruped position.

Although this movement does indirectly activate the glutes, it’s a pleasant variation to coach a neutral spine and challenge your balance and coordination.

Learn how to do Bird Dogs:

• Start in a quadruped position together with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Keep a neutral spine as you lift your right hand and left knee off the bottom.
• Reach your arm out in front of you and fully extend your left leg straight behind you. Pause at the highest and tap into your stability, engaging the upper body and left hip.
• Slowly lower down and reset for the subsequent repetition.
• For bird dogs, you possibly can either complete all of your repetitions on one side or decide to alternate sides.

Programming the Fire Hydrant Exercise

The fireplace hydrant is best as an adjunct movement in a leg workout, a warm-up for the glutes, and a finisher for the glutes/hip complex. 

As your warm-up, complete the fireplace hydrant for one set of 1-2 minutes per side. In the event you’re incorporating it into your accessory work, pair it with a most important compound movement like squats, deadlifts, or hip thrusts.

You can also complete it in a series of accessory movements, doing 3-5 sets of 12-20 reps or 15-30 reps on both sides (depending on which variation you select) for those who’re primarily targeting muscle hypertrophy or muscle endurance.

Finally, as a finisher, you may do it as certainly one of the last movements of your workouts, getting in as many quality repetitions as you possibly can while fatigued.

During your weekly workouts, completing fire hydrants and their variations anywhere from 2-3 times is plenty. Unfolded your workouts to be sure you are using adequate rest in between days.

Over time, increase the resistance you are using in your fire hydrants to maintain progressing.

Sample Leg Workout

The next workout is a lower body, glute-focused workout. You will find fire hydrants at the top of the workout, allowing you to deal with completing quality reps while connecting with the glutes.

FAQs

Still need to learn more? Take a take a look at a number of the most regularly asked questions.

Why is it called a fireplace hydrant exercise?

Have you ever ever noticed a dog urinating (fire hydrants being a well-liked alternative for going potty)? Well, the fireplace hydrant resembles the motion of a dog urinating on a fireplace hydrant, lifting one leg within the quadruped position.

Are fire hydrants good for runners?

Yes. Fire hydrants are a wonderful exercise for runners. Since running is within the sagittal plane, the body may lack strength in other planes of motion. As a runner, constructing an efficient posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back muscles) to face up to longer distance runs is crucial. Fire hydrants directly goal the glutes and stabilize the core, helping construct strength on this range.

Do fire hydrants grow side glutes?

Fire hydrants alone don’t grow your glutes. It takes a fantastic amount of time and effort to grow the glutes. Including various glute isolation exercises inside a program featuring progressive overload is the correct approach, and fire hydrants are a fantastic exercise to include right into a well-rounded glute growing program.

Are fire hydrants good for inner thighs?

Fire hydrants are mainly an outer glute exercise, although they’ll work the inner thigh of the stabilizing leg to a small degree. Still, there are higher inner thigh exercises to coach that area specifically.

The Fire Hydrant Exercise: Key Takeaways

In the event you’re not already adding fire hydrants somewhere into your workout, there is no time like the current. 

They may get omitted for more flashy movements akin to squats or cleans, but fire hydrants make a wonderful addition to any program’s warm-up or working sets. 

They’re incredible for injury prevention, glute strength, and hip stability. Plus, they only require a small resistance band (or no equipment in any respect), so there is no excuse to not get them done.