Strong Glutes are important for proper pelvic alignment, propulsion during running, and even single limb stance support. Strong glutes also help to support the lower back during lifting motions, and prevent knee injuries during lifting and running exercises.
Workouts
Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Adductor Magnus, and Hamstrings..
How to do it:
Set up in a squat rack or cage.
Grasp the bar as far apart as is comfortable and step under it. Squeeze your shoulder blades
together and nudge the bar out of the rack. Step back and stand with your feet shoulder-width
and your toes turned slightly outward. Take a deep breath and bend your hips and then knees to
lower your body as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Push your knees
outward as you descend. Extend your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees outward.
Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstring, Gastrocnemius, Gluteus medius, and Gluteus minimus.
How to do it:
Get into a forward lunge position with torso upright, core braced
and hips square to your body, with your back foot elevated on the bench. Your leading leg should be half a metre or so in front
of bench. Lower until your front thigh is almost horizontal, keeping your knee in line with your foot.
Target Muscles: Erector spinae, Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings and Adductors.
How to do it:
Stand with your feet outside
shoulder-width and toes turned out about 15 degrees. Bend your hips back and let your knees
bend as needed until you can grasp the bar at the middle. Keeping your lower back in its
natural arch, push your hips forward to raise the bar to lockout. To begin each subsequent rep,
push your hips back and lower the bar to mid-shin level. Do not bend your knees more and make
it a deadlift—the movement must come almost entirely from your hips.
Target Muscles: Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, the Quadriceps, and the Hamstrings.
How to do it:
Rest your upper back on a bench and sit on the floor with
legs extended. Roll a loaded barbell up your thighs until the bar sits on your lap (you may want to place a towel or mat
on your hips or attach a pad to the bar for comfort). Brace your abs and drive your heels into the floor to extend your hips,
raising them until your thighs and upper body are parallel to the floor.
Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings and Areverse-tabledductor muscles.
How to do it:
Lie faceup on the floor and place your
right heel on the floor and extend the left leg. Brace your abs and contract your glutes to bridge your
hips up off the floor while simultaneously raising your left leg in the air until it’s in line with your right thigh.
Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, hip abductors, hip adductors, hip flexors, and the lumbar spine.
How to do it:
Sit on the floor and place your hands on the floor under your shoulders,
fingers pointing in front of you. Place your feet shoulder width and squeeze your glutes. Push through your heels as you bridge your
hips up. Your body should form a table, with your torso and hips parallel to the floor. Hold for two seconds.
Target Muscles: Gsingle-leg-romanianluteus medius.
How to do it:
Lie on your side on the floor and bend your
knees 90 degrees. Your knees and feet should be stacked. Place one hand on your glutes and push through your
heel as you rotate your hip open, raising your knee until it points to the ceiling. The movement should look
like a clamshell opening.
Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Calves.
How to do it:
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and take a
step forward with your left leg so you’re in a split-stance position. Keeping your front knee slightly
bent, bend at the hips as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Fire your glutes to
straighten your torso as you step forward to begin the next step.
Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Gluteus Maximus.
How to do it:
Starting standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
Jump your left leg forward and your right leg back into a lunge, with both knees at 90 degrees. Jump up and switch
your legs in midair so that you land in a lunge with your right leg in front. Continue jumping back and forth,
pausing as little as possible.
Target Muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Calves.
How to do it:
Lie on the floor facedown
with your arms at your sides. Squeeze your glutes and raise your torso and legs simultaneously
so only your hips touch the floor. Imagine touching your feet with your hands. Hold for a second
at the top, and then return to the starting position so your shoulders touch the floor.
