So get this: Saddlebags aren’t really saddlebags. I know, I know—one more fitness thing that's confusing. The truth, though, is that there's no body part called the saddlebag, and saddlebags aren’t simply fat that is attached to the side of your thigh. "Saddlebags" are an optical illusion, an underdeveloped area just under your tush where the back of your thigh (your hamstring) “ties into” your glutes. We call this area the "glute-hamstring tie-in."
When the muscles of this area are underdeveloped, the area becomes soft, fat accumulates, and it falls outward to the side, causing the appearance of what people refer to as "saddlebags." The solution here is to strengthen the muscles that lay under the body fat in this region. This makes the corresponding muscle stronger and more metabolically active, thereby pulling up and inward on the area. Muscle is also a great way to combat extra body fat.
The Workout: For this routine, you’ll complete “straight sets.” That means you’ll perform all sets for each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. The reps, sets, and rest phases are noted in the exercise descriptions below.
Check out our handy pin-able graphic of the workout right here, then keep on scrolling for instructions on each move.
For more workouts like the one below, pick up Lift to Get Lean, by Holly Perkins. Published by Rodale Inc., publisher of Women's Health. Available wherever books are sold.
1. Single-leg Hip Raise
Begin on the floor, on your back, with your right knee bent and left leg resting straight on the floor. Keeping your left leg straight, raise it up to a 45-degree angle so that it is in line with your right thigh. Allow your arms to relax on the floor out from your sides (A). Brace your core muscles, press your right heel into the floor, and raise your hips up (B). Your hips should end at the height that is a straight line from your shoulders through your hips, thighs, and foot. Pause for two seconds, then lower back to the floor. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement for a total of 15 reps. Then, switch sides and complete all reps on the other leg. Continue alternating legs for a total of three sets, with no rest in between sets.
2. Bent-knee Reverse Hip Raise
Lie facedown on top of a Roman chair, an exercise step, or a sturdy bench so that your hipbones are on but your legs hang off and can move freely. Anchor onto the chair with your hands and arms if needed. Brace your core muscles, contract your butt, and lift both legs until they are straight and parallel with the floor. Keep your head and neck in alignment, resting it on the bench if necessary. Hold your legs in place, parallel to the floor, then bend your knees (A). Immediately straighten them (B). That’s one rep. Continue doing the movement for a total 20 reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat two more times for a total of three sets.
3. Grasshopper Beats
Lie facedown on the floor with your neck in alignment so that your forehead rests on your crossed arms. Brace your core muscles by contracting as if someone were about to punch you in your tummy (lovingly, of course). Contract your butt muscles, and lift your legs six to eight inches off the ground, keeping them separated (A). Bring your feet toward each other and press them together, squeezing with your butt and inner thigh muscles (B). Open your feet back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement, keeping your feet up, for a total of 20 reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat two more times for a total of three sets.
4. Prone Hip Extension
Using a sturdy exercise bench, lie facedown so that your legs hang off the end of the bench. You should feel your hipbones on the bench, but feel free to hinge at your hips. Keep your neck in alignment with your back and spine, and brace your core muscles. Anchor yourself down by holding onto the bench (A). Squeeze your glutes and lift your legs up simultaneously, allowing them to separate to slightly wider that your hips. Lift as high as possible to get a strong contraction in your butt, but not so high that you feel much effort in your lower back. Continue squeezing your glute muscles to hold at the top for a full two seconds (B). Release both legs down to the floor briefly. That’s one rep. Immediately contract and lift your legs again, moving through the exercise for a total of 20 reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat two more times for a total of three sets.
5. Lying Glute Release
Begin with your back on the floor, your knees bent, and feet flat. Bend your right knee, and twist it outward so that your right foot is on the top of your left thigh. Keep your left knee bent, and wrap your hands around the middle of your left thigh to pull your legs inward toward your chest. You will feel a stretch in the outside of your right hip. Once you feel the stretch, relax, breathe, and hold for 20 seconds. Release, then perform this movement on the other side. Do this stretch a total of two times on each side.
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Holly Perkins is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, founder of Women’s Strength Nation, and author of Lift to Get Lean.
More from Women's Health:
The 5-Move Workout That Tones Your Entire Body
The Short-on-Time, High-on-Intensity Circuit Workout
10 Strength Moves That Are Better Together
