Bear Sit Kick Out
Bear Sit Kick Out Exercise Description
The Bear Sit Kickout is a ground-based bodyweight movement that starts from a bear position and rotates into a controlled “kickout” of one leg. It emphasizes the thighs—especially the quadriceps of the kicking leg—while the supporting leg’s hips and thighs stabilize the hover. Your trunk and shoulder girdle work isometricly to keep a neutral spine and steady base as you rotate, promoting core control and shoulder stability. Because you move from a quadruped hover into a partial “sit-through,” it also challenges hip mobility and coordination without external load. Use slow, deliberate rotations, keeping joints stacked and tension through the midline to protect the low back and wrists.
- Muscle Groups: Quads
- Target Muscles: Vastus Lateralis
- Assisting Muscles: Vastus Medialis
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Medius, Multifidus, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Side
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Knee Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Outer Quad
- Movement Direction: Rotational
- Muscle Position: Lateral
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Bear Sit Kick Out Exercise
‘- Set up on hands and knees, hands under shoulders, knees under hips, toes tucked.
– Brace your core and lift both knees 1–2 inches off the floor; keep a neutral spine and level hips.
– Press the floor away to protract the shoulder blades; keep elbows soft and wrists stacked.
– Shift weight to your right hand and left foot without letting the hips drop.
– Rotate your hips and torso to the left as you lift the right hand slightly and thread the right leg under your body.
– Extend the right leg straight to the left side (heel leading, toes up); keep the left knee hovering under the hip.
– Keep the pelvis controlled—rotate through the hips and mid/upper back, not the low back.
– Pause briefly with the shoulders stable over the planted hand; avoid collapsing into the wrist.
– Reverse the path: retract the right leg, square the hips, and return to the bear hover.
– Repeat on the opposite side, maintaining steady breathing and a quiet, controlled torso.
Bear Sit Kick Out Tips
‘- Set up with hands under shoulders, knees under hips, and toes tucked to create a solid base.
– Brace your core before lifting the knees and keep a neutral spine with level hips as they hover 1–2 inches off the floor.
– Press the floor away to protract the shoulder blades, keeping elbows soft and wrists stacked.
– Maintain slow, deliberate rotations with joints stacked and tension through the midline to protect the low back and wrists.
– As you shift weight to the right hand and left foot, prevent the hips from dropping.
– Rotate your hips and torso to the left while slightly lifting the right hand and threading the right leg under your body.
– In the kickout, extend the right leg straight with the heel leading and toes up, while the left knee continues hovering under the hip.
– Keep the pelvis controlled and emphasize rotation through the hips and mid/upper back, not the low back.
– Pause with the shoulders stable over the planted hand and avoid collapsing into the wrist.
– Reverse the same path back to the bear hover, keeping the torso quiet, controlled, and your breathing steady.
Bear Sit Kick Out Beginner Introduction
The Bear Sit Kickout is a ground-based bodyweight drill that blends a hovering all-fours stance with a partial sit-through and leg extension. One leg sweeps underneath the body and reaches out to the side, while the opposite hand and foot stay planted, creating a rotating, sweeping motion on the floor. This shifting position asks the front of the kicking thigh to work hard, while the supporting hip and thigh handle the job of keeping the lower body lifted and steady.
Throughout the movement, the midsection and shoulders act as a solid frame so the spine stays organized as the body turns. The planted arm and upper body resist sagging, helping build a feeling of strong shoulder support. Because the move transitions from a crawl-like hover into a semi-seated position, the hips travel through a larger arc, giving them a mobility and coordination challenge without any added weight. Controlled pacing and smooth rotation are at the heart of this exercise’s challenge.