How many attitude lift pulses should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 15 to 20 pulses on each leg, resting about 30 seconds between sides. Once you can hold the turnout and hip height for every rep without the low back taking over, add a third set before you add more reps.

What can I hold onto if I do not have a ballet barre for the attitude lift pulse?

Any sturdy, hip-to-chest-height support works: the back of a heavy chair, a kitchen counter, or a stair rail. What matters is that it does not slide, tip, or roll while you lean a small amount of weight into it for balance.

What is the attitude lift pulse good for?

It builds hip-extension strength and single-leg balance with a shorter, more forgiving lever than a straight-leg lift, which makes it a good entry point before trying the arabesque pulse. Skip it, or keep the lift very low, if hip or low-back pain flares up during weight-bearing hip extension.

Intermediate

Attitude Lift Pulse

An attitude is a lifted leg held behind you with the knee bent and turned out. Pulsing the knee upward drives hip extension and external rotation, which lights up the glute max while the spinal erectors hold your posture. The bent knee shortens the lever so it is a touch more forgiving than a straight-leg arabesque, but the balance and glute demand are still real.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes
Type: Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Erector Spinae
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Stand facing the barre with both hands resting on it and hinge slightly forward from the hips.
2
Lift one leg behind you with the knee bent to roughly ninety degrees.
3
Rotate the lifted leg open from the hip so the knee points out to the side, higher than the foot.
4
Pulse the bent knee upward a few inches and back down, squeezing the glute at the top.
5
Keep the hips level and the standing leg firm throughout.
6
Finish the set, then repeat on the other leg.

Tips

Initiate every pulse from the glute, not by arching the lower back.
Keep the pelvis square to the floor so both hip bones stay level.
Keep the standing knee soft and stacked over the ankle for stability.

Variations

Common mistakes

The ninety-degree bend of the lifted knee slowly straightens as the set goes on, turning a hip-driven attitude pulse into a straight-leg kick.
Gripping the barre and pulling the torso upright with the arms takes load off the standing leg that is supposed to be doing the balancing.
The turnout fades in the last few reps and the knee starts pulsing straight up and down instead of up and out, quietly shifting the work off the glute.
Rushing the pulse into a fast bounce off the top position removes the brief squeeze that is the point of the exercise.

Frequently asked

How many attitude lift pulses should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 15 to 20 pulses on each leg, resting about 30 seconds between sides. Once you can hold the turnout and hip height for every rep without the low back taking over, add a third set before you add more reps.
What can I hold onto if I do not have a ballet barre for the attitude lift pulse?: Any sturdy, hip-to-chest-height support works: the back of a heavy chair, a kitchen counter, or a stair rail. What matters is that it does not slide, tip, or roll while you lean a small amount of weight into it for balance.
What is the attitude lift pulse good for?: It builds hip-extension strength and single-leg balance with a shorter, more forgiving lever than a straight-leg lift, which makes it a good entry point before trying the arabesque pulse. Skip it, or keep the lift very low, if hip or low-back pain flares up during weight-bearing hip extension.

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