Exercise Comparison
Hip Circles (prone) vs Monster Walk
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Hip Circles (prone)
Instructions
Hip Circles (prone)
Position yourself on your hands and knees on the ground. Maintaining good posture, raise one bent knee off of the ground. This will be your starting position.
Keeping the knee in a bent position, rotate the femur in an arc, attempting to make a big circle with your knee.
Perform this slowly for a number of repetitions, and repeat on the other side.
Monster Walk
Place a band around both ankles and another around both knees. There should be enough tension that they are tight when your feet are shoulder width apart.
To begin, take short steps forward alternating your left and right foot.
After several steps, do just the opposite and walk backward to where you started.
Verdict
Both exercises target the abductors. Hip Circles (prone) is a beginner exercise using bodyweight, while Monster Walk is beginner and uses bands. Choose Hip Circles (prone) if you have access to bodyweight, or Monster Walk if you prefer bands. Monster Walk is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Hip Circles (prone) isolates the target muscle for focused development.