How many reps of the 90/90 hip switch hover should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Work up to 2 sets of 6 to 8 full switches per side, resting a full minute between sets since the position itself is demanding. If a full hover is still too much, do the switches with the knees lightly touching down between reps until control improves, then add the hover.

How do you make the 90/90 hip switch hover easier or harder?

Make it easier by rocking through the switch with the knees skimming the floor instead of hovering, or by using your hands for light support during the transition. Make it harder by slowing the sweep to a five-second count, adding a longer hold in each 90/90 position, or holding light weight against your chest.

What does the 90/90 hip switch hover train, and who should avoid it?

It builds active hip rotation and glute control that carries over to squatting, kicking, and getting up off the floor. Skip it, or keep the range very small, if you have a hip impingement or a pinch at the front of the hip in a deep bent position, since this drill loads exactly that range.

Intermediate

90/90 Hip Switch Hover

The 90/90 position exposes exactly how much active rotation range each hip owns. Adding a hover, lifting both knees a few inches and switching sides without the feet or hands helping, turns a mobility stretch into a genuine strength drill for the rotators and glutes. It builds the controllable end range that transfers to squatting, kicking, and getting off the floor.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Thighs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius

How to do it

1
Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front and the other bent out to the side, both knees at ninety degrees.
2
Sit tall with hands off the floor and the chest lifted.
3
Engage both glutes and lift the knees a few inches so they hover.
4
Rotate through the hips to sweep both knees to the other side without dropping them.
5
Lower under control to the new 90/90 position, then hover and switch back.
6
Keep the movement slow and driven by the hips rather than momentum.

Tips

Keep the spine tall, do not round the back to force the knees over.
Let the hips do the rotating, keep the trunk quiet.
Start with a small hover and grow the range as control improves.
If you cannot lift the knees, rock through slowly first to earn the position.

Variations

Common mistakes

The trailing knee drags along the floor during the switch instead of clearing it, turning the hover into a slide rather than a lift.
Pushing off the floor with the hands mid-switch replaces hip rotation with an arm-assisted scoot.
The front knee flares open past ninety degrees on landing, unloading the rotators exactly when they should be catching the new position.
Once the hover gets tiring, the switch turns into a fast flop from one side to the other instead of a controlled sweep.
The far hip lifts off the floor mid-rotation, letting the pelvis roll instead of staying grounded through the switch.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the 90/90 hip switch hover should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Work up to 2 sets of 6 to 8 full switches per side, resting a full minute between sets since the position itself is demanding. If a full hover is still too much, do the switches with the knees lightly touching down between reps until control improves, then add the hover.
How do you make the 90/90 hip switch hover easier or harder?: Make it easier by rocking through the switch with the knees skimming the floor instead of hovering, or by using your hands for light support during the transition. Make it harder by slowing the sweep to a five-second count, adding a longer hold in each 90/90 position, or holding light weight against your chest.
What does the 90/90 hip switch hover train, and who should avoid it?: It builds active hip rotation and glute control that carries over to squatting, kicking, and getting up off the floor. Skip it, or keep the range very small, if you have a hip impingement or a pinch at the front of the hip in a deep bent position, since this drill loads exactly that range.

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