Training guide
Hip dips, sometimes called violin hips, are the inward curves on the sides of your hips, between your hip bone and the top of your thigh bone. They're common in women and men at every size, and they come mostly from the shape of your pelvis and thigh bone, which no exercise changes. That rests on anatomy and one plastic surgery series of 11 women: no study has measured what shapes hip dips or whether training changes them.
What training can change is the muscle: side-hip work grew the upper and side glutes a little in one small trial, and a full glute plan builds stronger, fuller glutes. This guide explains what hip dips are, why they don't mean you're overweight, what side-glute training can and can't do, the moves and sets, fat, fillers and fat transfer, and what to expect.
Hip dips are the inward curve on each side of your hips, between your hip bone and the top of your thigh bone. Plastic surgeons call it the trochanteric depression: it sits around the greater trochanter, the bony bump at the top of the thigh bone, where several glute and thigh muscles attach.
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The width of your pelvis and where the top of your thigh bone sits set most of the outline, with muscle and fat over it. That comes from anatomy and one plastic surgery series of 11 women: no study has measured how much bone, muscle and fat each contribute. Pelvic shape already differs between the sexes before birth.
Plastic surgeons describe hip dips as part of many people's natural build, more visible in athletes with well-defined muscles and with age, and typical of the male hip shape. They don't mean you're overweight, and where your body keeps fat is largely inherited.
In one 10-week trial of 17 adults, hip abduction (moving the leg out to the side against resistance) grew the upper part of the main glute muscle by about 10% and the side glutes by about 4%. Hip thrusts and squats grew the main glute muscle but the side glutes little. No study has measured whether training changes the outline of the hip.
If you want stronger, fuller glutes, follow our glute guide's plan: a hip thrust or bridge, a squat or split squat, a hinge and side-hip work, building towards 10 to 20 hard glute sets a week over 2 sessions.
See a GP if one hip sticks out more than the other, or if your legs are out of proportion with the rest of your body, painful or heavy, and bruise easily.
The inward curve on the side of each hip, below the hip bone and around the greater trochanter. Plastic surgeons describe it as made up of the greater trochanter and the attachments of several thigh and buttock muscles: the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, vastus lateralis and quadratus femoris. Some people call them violin hips.
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The width of your pelvis, the shape of your hip bones, and where the top of your thigh bone sits and how far it sticks out. Adult bone shape doesn't change with training (our reading). Pelvic shape differs by sex from the start of bone formation: in 72 fetuses, girls already had a wider angle under the pubic bone than boys.
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The gluteus medius and minimus sit above the bony bump, the gluteus maximus behind and below it, the tensor fasciae latae in front and the vastus lateralis down the outer thigh. Our muscle pages show each one.
Fat over the hips and upper thighs, which your genes and sex hormones distribute, and skin that loosens with age. You can't choose where your body stores or loses fat.
Women and men, at every size. Plastic surgeons describe the dip as constitutional (part of your build), more visible with well-defined muscles in athletes or with age, and as typical of the male hip shape. We found no study of how common hip dips are.
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Love handles are fat above your hip bone; hip dips are the curve below it. Some people have both, and our love handles guide covers the fat above.
Our searches of the medical research found no study of how much bone, muscle and fat each contribute to hip dips, how common they are, or whether training changes the hip's outline. What's known comes from anatomy and one plastic surgery series of 11 women.
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Surgeons who fill hip dips describe them as made up of the greater trochanter and the attachments of several thigh and buttock muscles. They write that the dip can be constitutional, more visible with pronounced muscle definition in athletes, or part of ageing as skin loosens and fat gathers lower on the buttocks, and that in men it's a typical part of the hip shape.
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In 72 fetuses, girls had a larger angle under the pubic bone than boys (68.1 against 64.0 degrees), among other differences, from the start of bone formation.
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In one 10-week trial, 17 adults trained one leg with cable hip extension and the other with hip abduction, twice a week. Abduction grew the upper part of the gluteus maximus by about 10% and the gluteus medius and minimus by about 4%; extension grew the gluteus maximus more overall (9% against 5%), mostly lower down. It's one small trial, and we could read only its summary.
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In 34 untrained adults over 9 weeks, hip thrusts and back squats grew the glutes about equally on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, but the gluteus medius and minimus grew little or not at all, and squats grew the front and inner thighs more.
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Across 11 studies, strength training had a moderate effect on the size of the main glute muscle, with single or combined exercises, including full or parallel squats, leg presses and kneeling hip extensions.
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In 17 men over 10 weeks, full squats grew the gluteus maximus by 6.7%, against 2.2% for half squats.
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Across 56 muscle activity studies, the hip hitch, side-lying leg raises with the hip turned slightly in, single-leg bridges, lateral step-ups and resisted standing side steps worked the gluteus medius hardest. In 11 men, the abduction machine, clamshells and side-lying raises worked it alike, with the least help from the front of the hip on the machine. Muscle activity in a few reps isn't a validated guide to growth.
In 1,357 adults aged 50 to 75, larger hips and thighs went with lower odds of type 2 diabetes over 6 years, while a larger waist went with higher odds, and hip and thigh fat is a long-term store linked with better blood fat and sugar levels. These are associations, not proof, and no reason to want bigger or smaller hips.
About 10 or more hard sets per muscle a week builds more muscle, with diminishing returns, and how often you train matters little once the weekly sets match.
One or two each glute day: the abduction machine at 3 sets of 12 to 20 (our glute gym workout), or side-lying leg raises (12 each side) and band walks (10 steps each way) from our glute workout at home. The hip hitch, monster walk and standing wall-press hold have their own doses on their move pages. These build the side glutes a little; they don't move fat or change your bones.
3D demoHip abduction machineBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoSide-lying leg raiseBeginner · No equipment
3D demoClamshellBeginner · No equipment
3D demoLateral band walkBeginner · A band
3D demoLateral band walk, band at the feetIntermediate · A band
3D demoStanding band hip abductionBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoSide plank with leg liftAdvanced · No equipment
3D demoHip hitch (pelvic drop)Beginner · A step
3D demoMonster walkBeginner · A band
3D demoStanding wall-press hip abductionBeginner · A wallPick a hip thrust or bridge, a squat or split squat and a hinge for each glute day, as our glute guide explains; its how-to guides cover the technique.
3D demoBarbell hip thrustIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box
3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoRear-foot-elevated split squat (Bulgarian split squat)Intermediate · A bench or box
3D demoReverse lungeIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step
3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoLeg pressBeginner · Strength machineBuild towards 10 to 20 hard glute sets a week over 2 sessions, as our glute guide suggests, counting squats, split squats, lunges, deadlifts and leg presses. More sets build more muscle, with diminishing returns.
On days apart. Training a muscle more often added little growth once the weekly sets matched.
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Hip thrusts at 3 sets of 6 to 10, resting 2 to 3 minutes and stopping 1 to 3 reps short of failure, and Bulgarian split squats at 2 sets of 8 to 12 each side, as in our glute gym workout. At home, single-leg bridges (10 each side) and reverse lunges (8 each side), as in our glute workout at home.
The hip abduction machine at 3 sets of 12 to 20, resting 60 seconds, with the last set 0 to 2 reps short of failure (our glute gym workout); or side-lying leg raises (12 each side) and band walks (10 steps each way) from our glute workout at home. The hip hitch's move page gives 3 sets of 15 slow reps each side, 3 times a week, the dose in a runners' trial, starting with 2 sets of 10. The monster walk's gives 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 steps forward and the same back.
Light and heavy loads built similar muscle when the sets were hard, and training to failure wasn't needed.
Add reps until every set reaches the top of its range, then add the smallest weight step or a stronger band. A simple ladder: clamshells, then side-lying leg raises, then band walks, then the abduction machine with more weight and the side plank with a leg lift (our progression).
From our glute gym workout and glute workout at home, twice a week on days apart; technique from the side-lying leg raise's move page and guide.
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The movement on the figure: Side-lying leg raise
Bridges and single-leg bridges, split squats and reverse lunges, side-lying leg raises, band walks, the hip hitch on a stair and the standing wall-press hold all work at home. Light loads build muscle when the sets are hard.
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A standing hold, pressing your leg out against a wall. Its move page gives 3 to 5 holds of 5 to 15 seconds each side, twice a day: the standing hold in the LEAP trial programme.
They aren't in our 3D library, so we use clamshells instead, as our strength workout for dancers does.
Strength rises within weeks; in 9 and 10-week trials the glutes grew by a few percent. People vary a lot: on the same programme, muscle size changes ranged from 2% smaller to 59% bigger in 585 adults.
Track your weights and reps, and take photos in the same light every 4 weeks. A tape round your hips measures fat as well as muscle (our glute guide's suggestion).
Nobody can promise how your hips will look, because the bone underneath sets most of the outline.
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The evidence for filling hip dips with hyaluronic acid is one case series of 11 women, reported by the doctors who developed the technique, who reported high satisfaction and no complications at 10 months. There was no comparison group.
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A UK plastic surgeons' safety review notes that fat grafting is used to fill a hip dip, and describes the risks of fat grafting to the buttocks: death from fat reaching the lungs (estimated in later data at nearer 1 in 15,000 Brazilian butt lifts), dangerous cooling, serious infection, skin death and poor results.
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These are medical procedures with real risks. A UK plastic surgeons' review says complications are better managed in strictly regulated healthcare settings, and that people treated in unregulated clinics or abroad face higher risk.
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No workout fills in hip dips. These build your glutes and side hips; the lateral pelvic tilt routine is a side-hip session.
A 25-minute glute workout with bodyweight and a mini band: bridges, clamshells, band walks, kickbacks and lunges.
25 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A bandA 50-minute gym glute workout: hip thrusts, deep squats, Bulgarian split squats, back extensions and hip abduction, with sets, reps and rest.
50 minIntermediate11 movesA band, A barbellSession A of the 30-day glute challenge: a bridge-to-hip-thrust ladder, a split squat ladder and side-hip work, at home or in the gym.
20 minBeginner16 movesA wall, A bandSession B of the 30-day glute challenge: a hinge ladder to Romanian deadlifts, step-ups and standing band work, at home or in the gym.
20 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A dumbbellA 25-minute routine for uneven hips: side-hip holds, leg raises, single-leg bridges, step-ups, side planks and balance, for hip strength and pelvic control.
25 minBeginner10 movesA wall, A stepA 25-minute Pilates class for your glutes: bridges, the side kick series, face-down kicks and standing work at a wall, with a band to make it harder.
25 minBeginner16 movesA wall, A bandA 25-minute yoga class for your glutes: bridges and locust, chair pose and lunges, warrior III and half moon, side work, then a short stretch and rest.
25 minBeginner16 movesA step, A wallA full-body resistance band workout: squats, rows, push-ups, presses, pull-aparts, band walks, good mornings and flyes.
30 minBeginner9 movesA band, An anchor pointA lower body workout at home: split squats, slider hamstring curls, single-leg bridges, step-ups, band walks and calf raises, with dumbbell options.
30 minIntermediate12 movesA wall, A stepThe glute workout plan is the main one; the 30-day glute challenge is a gentler start.
An 8-week glute workout plan: two glute days and two upper-body days a week, with hip thrusts, squats, hinges and side-hip work, plus a home option.
4 training days50 minIntermediate3 days a weekA free 30-day glute challenge for home or the gym: three 20-minute sessions a week with bridges, split squats, hinges and side-hip work, and rest days.
3 training days20 minBeginner3 days a weekA weekly workout plan for women: three strength days, cardio and pelvic floor training, with the evidence on periods, pregnancy and menopause.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 3-day workout plan: three full-body gym sessions a week, alternating workouts A and B, with sets, reps, rest and an 8-week progression.
3 training days45 minBeginnerSwap the back squat for the leg press, keep hip thrusts and back extensions light, and see our back pain guides, as our glute plan suggests. Our back pain rule: discomfort up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable if it settles within an hour or so and is no worse the next morning; stop any move that sends pain down a leg.
A pinch at the front of the hip in deep squats or split squats: go a little shallower, or use a lower bench for your back foot, and see our hip impingement guide. With pain on the outside of the hip, keep side-hip work light and aim for no increase in that pain, as our hip bursitis guide advises.
With pain on the outside of the hip, start with lying and standing holds and bridges, and leave side-lying leg raises out while it hurts at night: the trial that did best for this pain didn't use them. When they come back, lie on your good side with a pillow between your knees, keep the top leg level with your hip or slightly behind, keep the lift small, and stop if the bony point on the side of your hip gets sorer or your nights get worse.
Favour hip thrusts and deadlifts, and shorten your squats. Our knee rule: pain up to 2 out of 10 is fine, and up to 5 is acceptable if it settles by the next morning; for pain at one point just above or below the kneecap, keep it to 3 or less.
In later pregnancy, the NHS advises avoiding lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes. Our rule starts after the first trimester: use a propped-up or side-lying bridge instead of floor bridges, and with pelvic girdle pain, limit one-sided moves such as single-leg bridges, split squats and step-ups, as our hip thrust and pregnancy guides say.
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For back pain with numbness around your genitals or bottom, new problems controlling your bladder or bowels, or pain, tingling or weakness in both legs, as our back pain guide explains. For severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or if you can't walk or put weight on your leg. During any exercise, stop and get help for chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting, as our plans advise.
For severe hip pain that started suddenly without a fall, a swollen hip that feels hot, or hip pain with a high temperature and feeling unwell, as our hip pain guide explains. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.
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If hip pain stops your normal activities, affects your sleep or hasn't improved after 2 weeks, or back pain hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home. And if your bottom, thighs and lower legs are out of proportion with the rest of your body, feel painful, tender or heavy, and bruise easily: ask your GP about lipoedema, as our weight-loss guide explains.
See a GP if you think you might have scoliosis: the NHS lists uneven shoulders, one shoulder or hip sticking out, and the ribs sticking out on one side among the signs.
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The NHS lists spending a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape, eating very little food, exercising too much, and having very strict routines around food among the signs of an eating disorder, and says to see a GP as soon as you can. Worrying a lot about one area of your body can be body dysmorphic disorder. Beat's helpline in England is 0808 801 0677, and our eating disorders guide has the other numbers.
Plastic surgeons describe them as part of many people's natural build, more visible with well-defined muscles in athletes, and typical of the male hip shape. They're seen at every size; we found no study of how common they are.
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Side-hip training grew the upper and side glutes a little (about 10% and 4% in 10 weeks) in one small trial, but no study has measured whether training changes the hip's outline, and the bone underneath doesn't change.
They work the side of the hip, but they're light, and hip dips are mostly bone shape, as our clamshell and band walk guides say.
We found no study suggesting it. Squats grew the front and inner thighs more than hip thrusts did, which changes the thighs a little, not the bone.
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Training one area doesn't burn the fat over it: across 13 studies, training one limb didn't take more fat off it, and when adults trained one leg for 12 weeks, fat came off the arms and trunk, not the legs.
They're medical procedures. Fat grafting to the buttocks carries serious risks, higher in unregulated settings, and the evidence for hip dip fillers is a case series of 11 women.
The inward curve on each side of your hips, below the hip bone and around the bony bump at the top of your thigh bone. Doctors call it the trochanteric depression, and it's a normal part of many people's shape.
Usually not completely, because they mostly come from the shape of your pelvis and thigh bone, which training can't change. Side-glute training can add a little muscle above them, but no study has measured whether that changes the outline.
Yes. They're common in women and men, at every size, and plastic surgeons describe them as part of many people's natural shape.
No. They're seen at every body size, and in athletes, well-defined muscles can make them more visible.
The ones that build the glutes: hip thrusts or bridges, squats or split squats, a hinge, and side-hip work such as the hip abduction machine, side-lying leg raises and band walks, twice a week. In one small trial, hip abduction grew the upper glutes by about 10% and the side glutes by about 4% in 10 weeks.
Losing fat changes the shape around them, but not the bone underneath. Where you lose fat first is partly inherited, so it's hard to predict how your hips will change.
Muscle can fill the area above them a little. You can't steer fat to your hips, though: your genes and hormones decide where it goes.
Mostly bone: the width of your pelvis and where the top of your thigh bone sits, with the muscles that attach around it and the fat over them. Your pelvis's shape differs by sex even before birth.
Yes. Plastic surgeons describe the dip as a typical part of the male hip shape.
They're medical procedures with real risks: a UK plastic surgeons' review of fat grafting to the buttocks describes serious complications, and says unregulated clinics and treatment abroad carry higher risk. The evidence for fillers in hip dips is a small case series.
Bodies are a little uneven. But one hip sticking out can be a sign of scoliosis, a sideways curve in the spine, so see a GP if you think you might have it.
Strength rises within weeks, and in 9 and 10-week trials the glutes grew by a few percent. People vary a lot, so track your weights and take photos in the same light.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
