Hip dips are a type of dent under the hip bone. When you have them, that body part doesn’t have fullness, but rather a violin-like shape. For this reason, they are also referred to as violin hips in English.
Basically, hip dips are normal, and depending on the genetic predisposition they can be barely visible or very pronounced. Some women don’t have them at all, others have extreme hip dips instead. Targeted muscle building in the hip area can get rid of them and also strengthen the supporting muscles.
Three factors that cause the development of hip dips
1) Genetic predisposition
Depending on the bone structure, the dents in the hips are more pronounced or hardly or not at all visible. You can’t influence this factor, but the combination of workouts and a change in diet still leads to the desired result in most cases.
2) Lifestyle
Those who have a sedentary job and don’t do strength training are more likely to get hip dips. This is because the muscles in the hip area are weakened by the low physical activity and dents appear in the hips. Training works best against these circumstances since the hip dips are not genetic in this case.
3) High body fat percentage
Are Hip Dips Fat? Hip dips are not bodily fats but high body fat can lead to hip dips. The volume of fat is known to be significantly higher than that of muscle mass. And since body fat tends to settle in the hip area, it can lead to unsightly dents in the hip.
Choose The Right Exercise for Hip Dips
The best hip dip exercises can be performed at home using your own body weight. They help you to build muscle in the right area and tone the body at the same time. More specifically, this workout engages the following muscles:
- hip muscles
- Front and rear thigh muscles
- abdominal muscles
6 Exercises To Help Minimize Hip Dip Appearance
It’s best to use a mirror or film yourself doing it to make sure you’re doing all the exercises correctly. This is the only way to ensure that your training is really effective.
Below are detailed instructions for each exercise. In the next section, we’ll show you a workout and associated training plan that includes each of the following exercises.
1) Side squats
- Stand up straight with a straight back and tense your stomach well. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
- Tighten your buttocks and take a wide step to the side with one leg. The toes should point straight ahead. Bend the other leg while coming down with your hips backwards.
- Stay in this position for a moment, keeping your buttocks tight, and then push yourself back to the starting position with the foot of the bent leg.
- Do the exercise on one side as often as indicated in the training plan. Then switch sides and do as many repetitions as indicated.
2) Pelvic raises / hip thrusts
- Lie on your back flat on a fitness mat. Place your lower legs so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Lay your arms loosely next to your body.
- Tighten your butt and lift your pelvis off the floor until your back, buttocks, and thighs form as straight a line as possible.
- Hold this position for a moment and actively tense your buttocks. Then slowly lower your pelvis back down.
- Repeat the exercise again as many times as indicated.
3) Fire hydrant
- Get on all fours. Knees and hands should be hip or shoulder width apart.
- Squeeze your abs and buttocks tightly and then lift your left thigh outwards. The knee remains bent and the hip remains stable.
- The thigh should be parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a moment and then lower the leg back down slowly and in a controlled manner.
- Do the exercise as many times as indicated in the training plan, then switch sides and do the exercise with the other leg.
4) Plank
- Lie on your stomach on the mat and then support yourself on your forearms. The elbows should be under the shoulders. Feet are stretched out parallel to each other, toes pointed up.
- Squeeze your stomach and butt muscles tightly. Your entire body should form a straight line. Be careful not to sag or lift your butt in the air. The head is in line with the spine and the gaze is directed downwards.
- Hold the position for as long as specified in the training plan.
- It is important that you always tighten the entire musculature while performing the exercise. If you can’t do this for the entire duration of the exercise, you can take a short break in between.
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5) Side leg raises
- Lie sideways on your fitness mat. Then position your head on your bent arm. You put the other hand in front of your body.
- Put your legs parallel on top of each other, stretch them out and draw your feet up. Your body should form a straight line.
- Now begin to lift the leg lying on top slowly and in a controlled manner without momentum. Hold the leg at the highest point and then slowly lower it back down almost all the way down.
- Now raise the leg again, do as many repetitions as indicated in the training plan, and then switch sides.
6) Kick squats
- Stand slightly wider than hip-width, toes pointing slightly outwards. Bring your hands together in front of your chest and interlock them.
- Bend your knees and lower your buttocks back into a deep squat. Make sure to shift your weight to your heels.
- Push back up, come back to an upright position, and perform a controlled forward kick in one fluid motion.
- Immediately after, squat again, come up, and do the kick with the other leg.
- Repeat the exercise alternately with both sides as often as indicated in the training plan.