Clamshell
- Beginner
- Home
- Pilates
The clamshell has you lie on your side with knees bent and feet touching, then open your top knee upward while your feet stay together. It isolates the glutes through a small hip rotation rather than a hip extension. Beginners use it at home or in pilates for reps as a main move, warmup or finisher.
- Muscles
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Logged as
- Reps
How to
- Lie on your side with knees bent, feet together.
- Keep your feet touching and lift your top knee open.
- Pause at the top, squeezing your glute.
- Lower slowly, finish the set, then switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep your hips stacked, not rolling back.
- Keep your waist lifted off the floor.
- Move only from the hip, not the low back.
Common mistakes
- Hips roll backward as the knee opens. Keep your hips stacked directly on top.
- Feet separate during the lift. Keep your feet pressed together throughout.
- Lower back arches to add range. Stop the knee before your back moves.
Wellboy is a wellness and fitness app, not a healthcare service, and it does not provide medical advice. Talk to a doctor or another healthcare professional before starting a new exercise or diet routine if you have a medical condition, an injury, are pregnant, or have symptoms.
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