Should I feel this in my lower back?

No, you should primarily feel the tension in your glutes and hamstrings. If your back hurts, focus on tucking your pelvis and engaging your abs to keep your spine neutral.

How high should I lift my hips?

Lift until your shoulders, hips, and knees form a straight diagonal line. Pushing higher than this often leads to lower back strain without adding benefit to the glutes.

How do I make the exercise harder without weights?

You can increase the difficulty by slowing down the tempo, particularly during the lowering phase, or by holding the peak contraction for five seconds.

Arco Femorale Una Gamba Guide: Build Glute Strength

Master the Arco Femorale Una Gamba with our expert guide. Learn correct form, avoid common mistakes, and strengthen your glutes using just your bodyweight.

How to Perform

Lie flat on your back on a firm surface with your arms resting at your sides for stability.
Bend one knee and place that foot flat on the floor, while extending the other leg straight out.
Engage your core and press through the heel of the planted foot to lift your hips until your torso forms a straight line with your thigh.
Pause at the top of the movement for one second, focusing on a strong contraction of the gluteal muscle.
Lower your hips back toward the floor in a slow, controlled motion without letting your weight rest fully at the bottom.
Complete the desired number of repetitions on one side before switching to the opposite leg.

Common Mistakes

Arching the lower back excessively instead of driving the movement with the hips.
Pushing off the toes rather than the heel, which shifts tension away from the glutes.
Allowing the knee of the supporting leg to cave inward during the lift.
Using momentum to swing the hips up instead of using a controlled muscular contraction.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

Glutes

Stabilizers

Hamstrings
Core
Lower Back

Related Guides

Glutes · Legs