Fire Hydrants Workout – Best Butt & Thigh Exercise | How To Do?

Fire hydrant exercise has derived its name from its resemblance to the manner in which a dog relieves himself on the water plug.

This exercise is very simple and extremely popular among those who are looking for firm butt. But because it is a staple in most “buttock lift” videos doesn’t imply that athletes can’t perform it or take advantage of it.

The concept behind it is simple. All you need to do is to position yourself on all fours and lift your leg up to the side to engage your glutes. All these are basic and key components to this move which makes the workout not just effective but also helps in strengthening and activating your rear.

Fire hydrant also helps in creating the mobility throughout your hips, train you to tighten your core and control the contraction as well as maintain it. This exercise not only seems simple but also can be easily performed without much attention.

This workout specifically targets the gluteus medius which is commonly responsible for moving legs sideways away from the body (technically called as abduction). On developing this movement, you will be able to run or skate faster and change direction quickly and easily.

Fire hydrant has another variation which adds a hip extension to activate the glutes further and open up the hips. The greater the range of motion, the more easily you will move around the field without restriction, performs quick transition and jump even higher.

So perform the following Fire Hydrant exercise to make your butt look sexier and toned.

Benefits of Fire Hydrant Workout

It is a form of great exercise which includes external parts of butt and thighs. This helps in stretching out the hip joints and inner thighs. This type of exercise basically strengthens the lower body, improves balance, increases mobility of hips and knee joints, corrects posture, activate abdominal muscles and increase muscle tonus.

Additionally, your hamstrings, glutes, adductors and abductors work during the exercise. This exercise will be simple if you follow it according to its rules, slowly and controlling every movement. However, at the end, you may feel your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes “burning”.

Stretching after the exercise will help you relieve your body, improve muscle flexibility, the amplitude of movements and makes muscle stronger. Generally, women are more concerned about the hip and thigh section to make them look attractive and in shape.

Fire hydrant helps you make your hips and thighs more beautiful and resilient. File hydrant workout is exactly what you need to form muscular, slender thighs and butt.

Steps To Do Fire Hydrant Workout

• Stand on all fours, straighten your arms and tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Keep your hips straight in one direction and do not move your thighs with your legs while retaining the legs position at 90 degrees.
• Now gently raise your right leg to a side until you feel that your thigh is raised to a limit. Hold this position for few seconds.
• Now, slowly bring back the right leg to initial position.
• Repeat the same for left leg.

Side-To-Back Fire Hydrants

• Be on all your fours position.
• Lift your right leg directly to the side such that thigh remain parallel to the ground. Retain the position for two counts and keep knee at 90 degrees.
• Go back to starting position.
• Repeat the step for specified reps.
• Perform the same step with opposite leg.

Recommended Reps: 1×15-20 each leg

Back-To-Side Fire Hydrants

• Again start with the same position i.e, position yourself on all fours.
• Extend one leg directly behind you, squeeze the glute and raise your leg towards ceiling. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
• Flex your knee and hips both to bring leg to side position. Hold this position for count of two and keep knee at 90 degrees.
• Bring back the leg to initial position.
• Repeat this for specified reps
• Now perform the same step with opposite leg.

Recommended Sets: 1×15-20 for each leg

How Many Times Should I Do This Workout Per Day?

As per the directions provided by experts, you should do 15-30 repetitions in 1-3 sets by one leg to notice the changes quickly. However, if this seems bit difficult to perform the proposed number of reps, do as many as you can.

Then slowly it will be easier by time and you can increase the number of reps. Most importantly, you must follow the plan of your workouts on daily basis.

Proper Breathing Pattern & Exercise Form

• When performing the fire hydrant exercise, always face the floor and avoid bending your back.
• Keep your elbows locked and do not shift the weight of the body to the supported side.
• Also, never rush through the exercise as this can cause pain or some other problems.
• Don’t raise your legs higher than your hips.
• Exhale as you lift up your leg and inhale when bringing back your leg to starting position.

Ways to Intensify the Workout

Multiple ways are available to make this exercise more challenging once you have mastered the basic movements. To intensify the exercise, follow the instructions given below:

• Coil a resistance band around your both legs right above your knees while performing the moves.
• Straighten the leg behind you after raising it in the air. Keep the knee locked, toes pointed towards floor and core tight. Now return to the starting position.
• As you start raising your legs, maintain the top position and add a pulse movement by dropping few inches towards the ground. Raise it again and repeat the pulse for total of 3-5 reps before you return back to the starting position.

Variations in Fire Hydrant Workout

In order to obtain optimum results, perform the following variations of the Fire Hydrant exercise. These variations will help you to be always ready for intense workout, practice, game or sports.

One of the simplest variations is fire hydrant kick-out.

• Begin with the same starting position on all your hands on knees.
• As you gently lift the knee off the ground, kickout to the side so that your foot level is little higher than your butt, just like you kick in standing position.
• Then return to the starting position
• Switch the side and perform the same with other leg.

Repetitions: 10-20 times

Fire Hydrant in Plank Position

It is the hardest form of fire hydrant exercises which work on the entire abdominal region along with chest and shoulders for frontal muscles engagement.

• Begin with the high plank position also termed as pushup position.
• Drag one knee in towards your chest such that your butts don’t crumple towards the floor.
• From this position, rotate your knee out to the side and then bring it back to your chest.
• Continue this step for 30 seconds without stopping.
• Switch the side and perform with other legs.

Repetitions: 10-20

Muscle Groups Involved in the Fire Hydrant Exercise

The first and foremost muscle targeted in this exercise is gluteus medius as you lift and lower your leg. Working on the medial glutes in this way equips you for side-to-side movement in far better way and aids in overall stability.

Furthermore, this easy breezy exercise helps strengthening your core because it seems to cover the entire move. Since the workout does not involve the resistance, so it’s necessary to create some on your own.

By simply tightening your core, this can be easily achieved. Tightening your core helps you achieve stability in your torso. This action has relatively some other benefits as well.

The very first it give you significant control over whatever weight you are attempting to mobilize and second, protects your spine from stress and compression.

Know How to Engage Your Core on All Fours Easily

It is a great way to boost core stability. In order to help you with your core stability maintenance, follow the techniques give below here.

Place both your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips and gently squeeze your buttocks.

Push your tailbone as if you are drawing your butt up into your belly button. This will easily tighten up your lower abdomen and pelvis flattening them out.

Breathe out while you tighten the upper body of your abdomen so that you whole core is engaged. Once you have created the tension, practice to breathe in.

Finally, pull back your shoulders and bring it down, take your back out, and look at the back of your hands keeping your head still and in a neutral position.

Tips for Doing the Exercise in Proper Way

• Always pull your belly inward and keep back straight throughout the exercise.
• You can easily increase the intensity of your workout by adding some additional weights of 0.5-1 kg by each leg.
• Keep breathing normally. Don’t forget to breathe during pauses.

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