My 4 Favourite Glute Exercises

 

If you’re following many fitness social media accounts at the moment, you would know that it’s all about having a round peachy tush!

You have three gluteal muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Apart from looking good, strong, well-developed glutes also help improve posture, relieve lower back, hip and knee pain and enhance your athletic ability (e.g being able to run faster and jump higher). Plus, being the largest muscle in the body, the gluteus maximus has the most potential to increase your metabolic rate when it grows in size.

I had a hard time choosing my favourite glute exercises but I have narrowed it down to these four:

Glute Bridges

These are great because they don’t activate the leg muscles much at all. Done properly, they primarily activate and target the gluteus maximus. You can do these unweighted or with a plate or barbell across your hips.

1. Lie face-up on a mat with your feet flat on the floor, close to your bottom.
2. Place arms down on mat to each side of hips. Or, if using a plate or barbell, place over hips and keep hands there to steady it.
3. Contract your abs and glutes as you lift your hips off the floor as high as you can and give them a good squeeze for a second. Push your weight especially through the heels of your feet to really engage the glutes.
4. Return to the starting position with control.

 

 

 

Sumo Deadlifts

1. Start with feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointed out slightly. Squat down and grasp the bar with shoulder width grip. Remember to look forward throughout the movement, and keep your arms straight, chest high and back straight.
2. Pull bar up by driving through the feet and keeping your knees pushed out in-line with your second toe. When the bar gets to knee height,  straighten your knees, stand tall and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
3. Return weight to the floor by bending hips back and bending the knees until the bar reaches the floor.

Kettlebell Swings

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grasp the kettle bell with both hands and let it hang naturally in front of you, keeping your shoulders back. Throughout the movement, look straight ahead.
2. Sink low, keeping your back straight and knees in line with your second toe.
3. Powerfully drive your hips forward and straighten your knees. The kettle bell will swing forward from the momentum your hips have created. Don’t worry how high you get your kettle bell. Just focus on a good, strong glute squeeze at the top of the moment.
4. Sink back down low and repeat.

 

Plie Squat

1. Stand with your feet wide and toes slightly turned out. Grasp the dumbbell at the top with both hands. (You could also try this with a a kettle bell.)
2. Squat down keeping your back straight, eyes forward and knees pushed out.
3. Once the weight touches the ground lightly drive through your heels to stand tall.

 

I hope you enjoy adding these glute exercises to your workouts, or, if you already do them, checking that your technique is perfect. If you think some of your friends would be interested in this post I would love it if you would click the facebook icon below to share it on Facebook.

Holly x

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