The clamshell is an isolation train for most of the glute muscle tissues that don’t get stimulated to their full potential with the usual squat or hip thrust actions. For ladies seeking to get probably the most three-dimensional and athletic glutes, they’ll must be coaching the rotation movement of their legs. Clamshells are an ideal train for this. Let’s take a better look.
Clamshell Train Overview
Advantages
To grasp the advantages of the clamshell, it helps to know the 4 foremost motions of the glute muscle tissues.
- Hip extension. That is transferring your legs again behind you, akin to with a Hen Canine train.
- Hip exterior rotation. That is rotating your legs outwardly, just like the clamshell.
- Hip transverse abduction. That is you lifting your leg out away from the opposite leg, just like the aspect leg elevate.
- Posterior pelvic tilt. That is you tilting your pelvis ahead, akin to in any thrusting movement just like the glute bridge or hip thrust.
A girl’s largest glute muscle, the gluteus maximus, will get labored nicely with the posterior pelvic tilt, which is when the hips are transferring ahead. The maximus will get hit nicely with squats, glute bridges, and hip thrusts. Compound workouts like these ones are key for working all the glute muscle tissues because you get to load the train up extra closely (as a result of it really works extra joints directly) and permit the muscle tissues to learn to work nicely as a crew.
However her glutes, particularly the gluteus medius and minimus, additionally play a big position in serving to rotate the legs outward. Whereas these smaller glute muscle tissues will get stimulated throughout her compound lifts and see some development, she will additionally goal them straight for much more development, resulting in a extra outstanding form.
These muscle tissues are situated on the aspect of the butt, a bit extra towards the highest. The clamshell train might help any lady goal these usually uncared for glute muscle tissues, serving to to make her hips look extra three-dimensional, fuller, perkier (extra form up prime), wider, and extra athletic.
Muscle groups Labored
The clamshells primarily work the gluteus medius and minimus, two muscle tissues on the higher aspect of your butt. Its foremost profit is that the clamshell can activate this gluteus medius muscle with out permitting the TFL (tensor fasciae latae) muscle from leaping in an excessive amount of (2013) as it would with different glute workouts.
Required Gear
You don’t want a lot gear for this one. You possibly can even begin with only a heavy e-book. Nonetheless, to maintain issues progressing as you get stronger, it could assist to have entry to the next:
- Weight plates in quite a lot of weights
- For some selection, short-loop resistance bands
How To Do The Clamshell Train: Video Demonstration
Right here’s Bony to Bombshell coach Marco demonstrating tips on how to do the clamshells correctly in an unweighted kind, utilizing a weight plate and utilizing loop resistance bands.
Correct Kind Breakdown
- Lay down on one aspect of your physique, supporting your head together with your hand.
- Deliver your knees up a bit.
- Rotate your knee out whereas conserving your toes shut collectively.
- Don’t overextend. We’re solely making an attempt to work the glute muscle tissues, not rotating your pelvis.
- Decrease the knee down beneath management.
- That’s one rep. Do the variety of reps in your exercise sheet.
- It is best to really feel a burn on the outer aspect of your butt because the reps climb larger.
- Ensure that to flip over and repeat it on the opposite aspect.
Frequent Errors With The Clamshell
- Not including any resistance. With isolation / single-joint workouts like this, you may simply go too heavy. However you may also go too gentle. Doing the clamshell with none resistance is okay, however as soon as you might be getting past 15 reps per aspect with no drawback, it’s time so as to add some weight. You should use a e-book or perhaps a gentle 5-pound weight plate.
- Going too heavy. That is an isolation train—we’re making an attempt to isolate the gluteus medius and minimus. Should you begin off by utilizing a 20-pound plate, you’ll begin utilizing your greater muscle tissues that haven’t any enterprise serving to out to rotate your pelvis. Take your time, and use an applicable weight. Your glutes will get stronger over time.
- Rotating the pelvis. Typically to get additional “vary,” some individuals will begin transferring their entire physique. The aim right here is just to maneuver the leg, rotating it out, which can isolate the glutes. Nothing else needs to be transferring.
Utilizing The Clamshells In A Exercise
Use A Average-to-Excessive Rep Vary
In analysis, to optimize for muscle development and muscle measurement, you need to select a weight that you are able to do 4–40 repetitions with. With that mentioned, you don’t need to be hitting any one-rep maxes with this train, although. The clamshell train may be very remoted, so it’ll must be fairly gentle. Not solely will that stop any accidents, however a lighter weight will even cease different, bigger, extra highly effective muscle tissues from leaping in to assist. Retaining the burden lighter will naturally preserve the rep vary larger. Something within the 8-12 rep vary (per aspect) is right, however you might additionally work as much as 15 or 20 reps per aspect.
If you end up not in a position to do 7 reps, use a lighter weight. If you are able to do greater than 15 reps, use a heavier weight. Be sure you all the time match the reps on all sides.
Problem Your self However Cease Quick Of Failing
Ideally, you’ll cease the clamshells simply once you’re nearly to fail, however you might nonetheless do a few reps extra. However in the event you’re a newbie, it’s arduous to know precisely how arduous you’re pushing your self. Should you aren’t positive in the event you’re taking your units near failure, attempt doing extra reps. Strive pushing your self all the best way till you may now not do any extra reps with good kind. That manner, you’ll know what it appears like. You could be stunned that you just had been loads stronger than you thought. Subsequent time, cease proper earlier than that time of failure.
Begin With Two Units, Then Add Extra
Begin with simply a few units, then over time, add extra units as you get stronger. We suggest doing two units within the first week. Observe your kind, discover the precise weights, and take your time studying the clamshell motion.
Subsequent week, if the perimeters of your glutes aren’t too sore in the beginning of every exercise, attempt including a set to every train. If that goes nicely and you are feeling prepared for extra, add one other set subsequent week. You are able to do round 3–6 units per train. Most girls will do finest with 3–4 units. Should you ever begin to really feel worn down, or in the event you’re coming again after a protracted break, begin the cycle over once more, going again to simply two units and rebuilding from there.
Relaxation 1 Minute Between Units
How lengthy you relaxation between units of clamshells isn’t that vital. Whether or not you relaxation for two minutes or 10 minutes, you’ll nonetheless stimulate an identical quantity of muscle development. The vital factor is that you just relaxation lengthy sufficient to catch your breath, making certain that your cardiovascular system doesn’t restrict the efficiency of your muscle tissues. We need to problem your glute muscle tissues, not simply your coronary heart (although your coronary heart will get a superb exercise, too!).
The primary cause to relaxation for just one minute is as a result of with this isolation train, it isn’t too demanding on the entire physique, and also you gained’t want a considerable quantity of relaxation. Retaining your relaxation occasions shorter will preserve your exercises shorter. You don’t need to spend all day within the gymnasium. However in the event you want extra relaxation or get interrupted partway by way of your exercise, no drawback. Simply choose up the place you left off.
If you wish to blast by way of your exercise even sooner, you are able to do the lifts in a circuit/superset. Do a set of clamshells, relaxation a minute, then do a set of glute bridges, relaxation a minute, then do your second set of clamshells, after which do your second set of glute bridges. That manner, you’re nonetheless giving totally different muscle tissues in your glutes time to get well between units, however you’re doing one other train concentrating on a special space throughout the remainder interval.
Free Routine For Feminine Novices: Glute Emphasis With Full Physique Exercise: Contains The Clamshells
Should you don’t have a exercise, you could be fascinated with our full Bony to Bombshell program. A pattern newbie’s exercise for ladies that features glute bridges may appear like this:
- Weighted Glute Bridge: 2 units of 6 reps per aspect.
- Weighed Clamshells: 2 units of 10 reps per aspect.
- Raised Push-Ups: 2 units of as many reps as you may.
- 1-Arm Dumbbell Row: 2 units of 10 repetitions.
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 2 units of 10 repetitions.
- Lateral Raises: 2 units of 10 repetitions.
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Q&A About The Clamshells
Q: How usually must you do the clamshell?
A: As a result of it’s not a heavy compound train, it gained’t take days of restoration. You possibly can theoretically do it each day so long as you’re recovering nicely. However in the event you’re simply in search of optimum outcomes, doing it 1-3x per week, a the tip of your lifting exercise, which incorporates compound lifts already hitting the glutes, is a lot.
Q: What are some alternate options to the clamshell?
A: There are many variations of the clamshell train. Resembling feet-raised clamshells, clamshells together with your toes pressed towards the wall, neutral-ankle clamshells, and many others. However these minor variations aren’t all that vital for the common feminine lifter. All of them work the identical muscle tissues nicely.
You possibly can attempt the seated banded abduction for a change of tempo:
However so long as you’re hitting the glutes and legs nicely with compound lifts (Goblet squats, Romanian Deadlifts, step-ups, and many others.), then that can maintain most of what you’re physique wants. Then the clamshells can work as a focused strategy to hit the muscle tissues doing leg rotation.
If you wish to do some leg rotation in another manner, there are many other ways to do that, akin to with bowler squats or hearth hydrants.
Bowler Squats
Hearth Hydrants
What Subsequent?
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Marco Walker-Ng is the co-founder and power coach of Outlift, Bony to Beastly, and Bony to Bombshell. He is additionally a licensed coach (PTS) and diet coach (PN) with a Bachelor’s diploma in Well being Sciences (BHSc) from the College of Ottawa. His specialty helps individuals construct muscle to enhance their power and efficiency, with purchasers together with faculty, skilled, and Olympic athletes.