Can You Get Rid of Hip Dips? (9 Best Exercises)

Do you want to know how to get rid of hip dips?

You are in the right place.

After reading this post, you’ll learn:

What hip dips are and what causes them,
9 effective exercises to help you get rounder hips, and
A workout routine you can do at home in 20 minutes!

Alright, let’s get started.

What Are Hip Dips?

Hip dips are indentations that run along the side of your body, right underneath your hip bone.

When looking from the front, they look like an inward curve on the side of your hips.

Some have even called them hip dents or violin hips.

As you can see, I also have them.

Are Hip Dips Bad?

Hip dips aren’t good or bad. They are simply a reflection of your anatomy and the shape of your pelvis.

We are often fed propaganda that women need to have a perfectly symmetrical ” hourglass figure. ” This is nonsense, and most of us simply don’t look like that.

We are all beautiful, with or without hip dips.

So please, do not worry!

What Causes Hip Dips?

There is no one specific thing that causes hip dips. They are primarily due to your body type, your bone structure, and your body fat distribution.

Your pelvis, your hip muscles, and your body structure are unique to you. Therefore, you may or may not have prominent hip dips.

With that said, women with “ high hips ” are more likely to have more noticeable hip dips.

That’s because the distance between your hip bone and your thigh bone is longer – creating more opportunity for a crease to form in the hip area.

Is It Truly Possible To Get Rid Of Them?

Unfortunately, you may not be able to get rid of hip dips completely. You cannot significantly change your anatomy.

With that said, there are two things you can do to minimize their prominence.

Perform exercises to develop and strengthen the muscle groups around your hips.

Lower your body weight/body fat level if you are overweight.

Weight loss may or may not help – but maintaining a normal body fat level is always a good thing.

As simple as this sounds, diet and exercise is usually the best answer to most things :).

Now, what exercises should you do?

The 9 Best Hip Dip Exercises You Can Do From Home

Okay now let’s get to the exercises.

These exercises can change the way your hips look, but they may not completely eliminate hip dips.

Either way, training these muscles can help create an appealing look to the muscles around your hips.

So these exercises will help you train:

The Glutes (which includes the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius),
The Outer thighs, and
The Inner thighs.

The effectiveness of all these exercises can be increased with the use of Hip Resistance bands (which you can get here).

Squats

Squats are one of the best exercises of all time. They train a functional movement pattern and are the best way to develop your thighs and your glutes. They strengthen the quadriceps and the adductors (inner thighs).

You can do squats with:

your bodyweight
using external resistance (dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells)
with hip resistance bands
both external resistance and a hip resistance band

Here is how to get into the proper squat position:

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Point your toes out, approximately 15-30 degrees.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes before starting.
Begin the squat by bending at the hips and the knees at the same time.
Push your butt slightly back as if you are sitting on a chair that’s behind you.
As you descend, keep your back flat, and your heels completely flat on the floor.
Also, make sure that you don’t let your knees collapse inward.
After you reach a depth that brings your upper thighs parallel to the floor, reverse the movement by keeping your core tight and your back flat.
As you reach the top, squeeze your butt muscles to finish the movement.

Curtsy Lunges

The next exercise is the curtsy lunge. This exercise adds a twist to the normal lunge by making you cross your leg behind your body.

This angle will help target the gluteus medius muscles (aka the upper glute) more, as well as your inner thighs.

You can hold onto a dumbbell to make this movement harder.

Here’s how to do it:

Stand with your feet together and hands by your waist or up to your chest. (To make it even more challenging, you can hold a dumbbell up by your chest).
From here, begin stepping back with your left leg.
Before placing your foot down, begin crossing it back behind your right leg.
Keep your toes pointing forward.
When you plant your foot, begin bending down with both knees.
You do not have to let your knee touch the floor to make this movement effective.
Hold the bottom position for a 1 count, and then reverse the movement back to the starting position.

Curtsy Step Downs

The curtsy step down is similar to the curtsy lunge, but it increases the range of motion- making your glutes and thighs work harder.

You can hold onto a dumbbell to make this movement harder.

Here’s how to do it.

Stand on top of a bench or a sturdy platform that can support your full weight.
From here brace your core and keep your glutes squeezed.
Begin stepping down your left leg off the platform so that it crosses behind your right leg.
Do this in a controlled manner, bending your front knee slowly (the one that is still on the bench).
Once the bottom foot touches the ground, reverse the movement and bring both feet back up on the platform.
Do all the repetitions on one side before moving on to the other side.

Banded Lateral Walks

This next exercise is one of my favorites.

The banded lateral walk is one of the best ways to activate the gluteus medius muscle and the abductors of the hips. These muscle groups are important for abducting (lifting away from the body), and externally rotating (rotating away from the body) your legs.

To do it, you will need a hip/glute resistance band.

You can get a 3 pack here!

Place a medium strength hip resistance band around your legs, at the level of your knees.
Next, assume a comfortable stance with your knees bent, your feet shoulder width apart, and toes pointing forward.
Be sure to keep your core engaged and your chest up.
From here, begin stepping out laterally without changing the orientation of your feet.
Slowly, step your other leg back to the center to get back to the starting position.
Continue walking laterally for the desired number of repetitions.
Finish all the reps on one side before moving on to the next side.

Banded Clamshells

The next exercise is the banded clamshell aka hip openers. This exercise also strengthens the gluteus medius (and minimus) by training external rotation.

This exercise works great with a light resistance band.

Lie on your side with a light resistance band around your legs at the level of your knees.
Then, bend your knees and stack your feet on top of each other.
From here, all you are going to do is rotate your top knee up toward the sky while keeping your heels together.
You should feel a nice burn on your buttock muscles.
Pause for 1 second and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Side Lying Banded Leg Lifts (AKA Side Leg Raises)

The side-lying leg lift is similar to the previous two exercises. It focuses on strengthening the glute muscles via hip abduction.

Again, having a glute resistance band will make this exercise more beneficial.

Lie on your side with a light resistance band around your legs just above your knees, or lower, around your ankles to make the exercise more difficult.
Keep your legs straight and your feet stacked on top of each other.
Next, all you have to do is lift your top leg straight up toward the sky.
Make sure to keep your feet pointing straight throughout the exercise.
Pause for 1 second and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Repeat on your other leg.

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants are another great exercise to strengthen the glutes as well as improve you hip mobility and core stability.

*Adding ankle weights to this exercise will increase the benefits of this movement.*

Get into a quadruped position, (on your hands and knees with your back flat).
Next, brace your core and try to maintain a flat back throughout the entire movement.
Lift one leg off the ground, and rotate that hip out directly to your side while keeping your knee bent.
From here, draw a big circle with your knee, keeping your core engaged and your back flat.
Draw a big circle going forward for the desired number of repetitions, and then again going backward.
Be sure to train both sides evenly.

Glute Bridge

I have saved the best exercise for last. The glute bridge is single handedly one of the best exercises for strengthening the butt as well as the core.

Plus, this exercise can be modified to much harder progressions. That way, you can find a variation that works for your skill level.

In the picture below, I’m using the hip resistance band to bias the lateral hip muscles more.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
From here, posteriorly tilt your pelvis so that your lower back is completely flat against the floor.
Next, squeeze your buttocks hard so that your hips extend.
Don’t extend too far – you don’t want your lower back to arch.
Hold the top position for 3-5 seconds, and then slowly release.
To make this exercise challenging, you can do one leg at a time and/or elevate your feet on a chair.

Hip Thrusts

Another variation of the glute bridge is the hip thrust. Some experts say this is the best glute exercise ever!

You will need a bench or a couch to do it.

This is what it looks like.

Add a hip resistance band around your knees to get the best results.

See The Video Of These Exercises Below!

A Simple Hip Dip Workout Routine

Here is a simple 20-minute workout routine you can do twice per week to strengthen your hips and glutes.

I am a big proponent of strength training for several reasons:

You get

lean muscle mass development,
an increased basal metabolic rate,
stronger bones and joints, and
improved confidence!

WORKOUT A

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Banded Squat	3	10-12
Banded Clamshell	3	12-15 each
Fire Hydrants	3	10-12 each

WORKOUT B

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Curtsy Lunge	3	10-12 each
Side Lying Leg Lifts	3	10-12 each
Glute Bridge	3	12-15

And if you want to see a complete glute and lower body workout designed for postpartum women, check out my 6 Week Leg & Booty Guide!

the-postpartum-6-week-leg-and-booty-guide

Final Words On Getting Rounder Hips

So beautiful momma, which camp are you in?

What kind of body shape do you have?

Did this article make you like your hip dips more?

Or do you want to do whatever it takes to get rid of them?

Leave me a comment and let me know!

Can You Get Rid of Hip Dips? (9 Best Exercises)

What Are Hip Dips?

Are Hip Dips Bad?

What Causes Hip Dips?

Is It Truly Possible To Get Rid Of Them?

The 9 Best Hip Dip Exercises You Can Do From Home

Squats

Curtsy Lunges

Curtsy Step Downs

Banded Lateral Walks

Banded Clamshells

Side Lying Banded Leg Lifts (AKA Side Leg Raises)

Fire Hydrants

Glute Bridge

Hip Thrusts

A Simple Hip Dip Workout Routine

WORKOUT A

WORKOUT B

Other Related Questions

Can You Lose Hip Dips Without Exercise?

Should I Consider Surgery?

Are Hip Dips Attractive?

Hip Dips Vs Love Handles – What’s The Difference?

Are Hip Dips and Saddle Bags The Same?

Final Words On Getting Rounder Hips

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