How many reps of the shinbox to tall kneeling should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 5 to 6 reps per leading side, pausing for a full second in tall kneeling every time before lowering back down. Add reps only once both sides feel equally strong.

How do I make the shinbox to tall kneeling easier or harder?

If the rise is hard, use a hand lightly on the floor for balance while the hips learn the pattern, then remove it as strength builds. To make it harder, cross the arms over the chest or add a two-count pause at the top of every rep.

What is the shinbox to tall kneeling good for and who is it not for?

It isolates the hip hinge and hip extension half of a full get-up, building glute strength from a deep, rotated position that carries over to squats, deadlifts, and getting up off the floor. Skip it while a knee is acutely swollen or painful, since both knees bear weight through the full range.

Intermediate

Shinbox to Tall Kneeling

Think of this as the first half of a get-up, isolated so you can hammer the glutes. From a seated 90/90 you rotate to face the front knee and thrust the hips forward until you are upright on both knees. It teaches a clean hip hinge and hip extension from a deep, rotated start, which carries over to squats, deadlifts, and everyday floor work.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Thighs
Type: Functional
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Sit in a 90/90 shinbox with both knees bent and stacked to the same side.
2
Rotate your torso and hips to square up over the front knee.
3
Bring the trailing leg around so both knees point forward and you are sitting back on your heels.
4
Squeeze the glutes and push the hips forward to rise into a tall-kneeling posture with a straight line from knees to head.
5
Lower back down under control and settle into the shinbox on the other side.
6
Alternate the leading side each repetition.

Tips

Finish by squeezing your glutes, not by arching your lower back.
Keep the ribs stacked over the pelvis so the movement comes from the hips.
Pause a beat in tall kneeling to prove you have real control before descending.

Variations

Common mistakes

The trailing leg drags across the floor with a scrape instead of lifting clear as it swings around to square up.
Before the hips even shift, the shoulders lean back to try to help, which pulls the rise off balance from the start.
The two knees end up staggered instead of level once tall kneeling is reached, hiding which hip actually did the work.
Rushing straight back down from tall kneeling without the pause turns a strength drill into a quick bounce.
The hips stay well behind the knees at the top instead of finishing stacked, leaving the position short of true tall kneeling.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the shinbox to tall kneeling should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 5 to 6 reps per leading side, pausing for a full second in tall kneeling every time before lowering back down. Add reps only once both sides feel equally strong.
How do I make the shinbox to tall kneeling easier or harder?: If the rise is hard, use a hand lightly on the floor for balance while the hips learn the pattern, then remove it as strength builds. To make it harder, cross the arms over the chest or add a two-count pause at the top of every rep.
What is the shinbox to tall kneeling good for and who is it not for?: It isolates the hip hinge and hip extension half of a full get-up, building glute strength from a deep, rotated position that carries over to squats, deadlifts, and getting up off the floor. Skip it while a knee is acutely swollen or painful, since both knees bear weight through the full range.

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