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Side-Lying Leg Press
Modern Repertoire Beginner Hip & Posterior ChainCore Integration 📦 Small Ball
Unilateral side-lying press strengthening gluteus medius while maintaining pelvic alignment.
⚠️ Clinical Contraindications
- Neck & Cervical Strain: Support the head on a ball or the bottom arm — the neck often gets pushed into the shoulder rest.
- Hip Impingement: Keep the press in a pain-free arc; stop if the hip pinches.
Apparatus Setup
Reformer
Spring Tension 1 Yellow Spring
Footbar Position Medium
Headrest Down
Target Muscles
Transverse Abdominis (Secondary)Obliques (Secondary)Gluteus Medius (Primary)Adductors (Secondary)Gluteus Minimus (Primary)
Setup Instructions
Lie on the side with the bottom leg bent and the top leg straight, the top foot on the footbar and the head supported on a ball.
Execution Instructions
Press the top leg down into the footbar, sliding the carriage away, then bend back with control, keeping the hips stacked.
Teaching Cues
Alignment
"Stack the hips and keep the waist lifted off the carriage."
Control
"Do not sag into the reformer — press from the glute."
Breath
"Exhale as the leg presses the carriage away."
Modifications & Progressions
Smaller Range (Regression)
Reduce the press range until the hips stay stacked.
Strapless (Progression)
Remove the strap and press the leg down for an open-chain challenge.