Pigeon Strength Guide

Pin your front knee at roughly 45 degrees on an incline bench (or the floor in a pigeon position), keeping the back leg straight and back knee lifted off the ground. Hinge forward at the hip and place your body weight onto the front glute. Actively push the front knee into the bench to create a strong glute contraction. The goal is to hold this position hands-free — use fingertips only for balance if needed, and work to reduce reliance on them over time.

This is loaded strength work, not passive stretching. To make it easier, increase the incline height.

Recommended Volume

1 set × 20 reps each side, or 2 sets × 2 minutes each side as a held stretch.

Key Cues

• Flat back: Hinge at the hip — don't round the spine to get lower.
• Back knee off the ground: Keeping it lifted places the load on the front glute rather than passively sinking into the stretch.
• Push the knee down: Actively pressing the front knee into the surface fires the outer glute and piriformis.
• Hands-free goal: Full body weight through the front glute is the target position.

Purpose

This exercise directly targets the outer glute complex, including the piriformis — the muscle that sits directly on top of the sciatic nerve. Building strength here (not just passive flexibility) reduces compression on the nerve over time. Performing this after the Outer Hip Circuit takes advantage of the pre-pump effect: the prior work increases internal tissue pressure, allowing for a more effective loaded stretch without forcing extreme range of motion.