Farmers Carry · Hip Drop (Left Stance)

Why this matters

On every left-leg stance, the left gluteus medius has one job: hold the pelvis level while the right leg swings through. When it fatigues, the right (contralateral) side of the pelvis drops. Under a heavy carry that drop is a direct power leak — the pelvis tips instead of the athlete moving forward — and it forces a compensatory trunk lean to keep the load balanced.

A level pelvis means efficient gait under carry weight. A drop is the earliest sign the stance-side glute is giving out, and it appears late in long carries before anything else does.

What good looks like

From behind, during left-foot contact, the line across the top of the hips stays close to horizontal. The right hip does not sag toward the swinging leg; the athlete's stride stays even side to side.

Reading the result

• Ideal (level): pelvic control under load is solid.
• Moderate drop: the glute med is starting to fatigue — a small drop that a compensatory trunk lean often follows.
• Large drop: the stance-side hip stabiliser has given out; gait is inefficient and spinal load climbs.

Coaching cues

• "Level the hips" — the direct fix.
• Off the platform: side planks and clamshell volume build the glute-med endurance this demands.

How to mark

1. Use a posterior-view clip and pause on a frame where the left foot is planted.
2. First point: left iliac crest. Second point: right iliac crest.
3. The tool reports the pelvis line's angle from horizontal (the contralateral hip drop).

Related measurements

• Hip Drop (Right Stance) — the mirror; comparing the two exposes a left/right stabiliser asymmetry.
• Trunk Lateral Lean — the compensation that rides on top of a hip drop.