On all fours, fire your leg out to the side.
Keep your hips facing the floor, don't rotate your torso to lift higher.
Lifting a bent leg out to the side from all fours makes the glutes open the hip against gravity, with the hamstrings assisting as the leg holds its height. The whole battle is keeping your hips square to the floor, because the moment your torso rotates, the movement comes from your spine instead of your hip. One side at a time, squeeze at the top, and the side of your glutes lights up quickly.
Same family, lifting a bent knee out to the side from all fours. Whatever you call it, the standard is identical, hips square, knee bent, and the lift coming from the hip opening rather than the torso tipping.
Hip range and glute strength limit everyone at first, and forcing height by rotating your torso just fakes it. Lift only as high as your hips can stay level, squeeze at the top, and the honest range grows with practice.
Sets of 10 to 15 slow reps per side work well as a warm-up or glute finisher. Control and a deliberate squeeze at the top matter far more than rep count.
