Butt exercises for you
Our buttock consists of three parts: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. If you are interested in building a larger backside, it is important to activate your glutes before performing exercises. Many of the exercises often focus on the thighs and hips. Here you will get an introduction on how to perform the exercises for maximum benefit to your glutes. Remember to be patient, change does not happen overnight, but if you are consistent and use enough load, you will notice a significant difference over time.
How to get started with training?
Read more about strength programs for beginners.
How to activate your glutes?
Almost all activities you perform on a daily basis involve your glutes, yet this is one of the "lazy" muscles. Therefore, it is necessary to activate it to get the most benefit from the exercises you do. A glute that is weak or inactive can cause improper loading in exercises, which can lead to injury in the body.
- Stretching: One of the most important things you do before you start the exercises is to stretch your body, this is to gain flexibility and better blood circulation in the muscles that will be engaged. Why warm up before training
- Light weights: Another way to activate your glutes is to gradually increase the weight during your exercises. For example, if you plan to do squats with 60kg, you should start with a 20kg bar, then 40kg, and finally 60kg to perform the exercise. You can either increase the number of squats or decrease them. Let's say your exercise involves six repetitions. When you only use the bar, you may want to do ten repetitions. 40kg would then be eight repetitions and 60kg is six repetitions.
Glute exercises
Here we have gathered our favorite exercises to target all the muscles in the glutes, in both the shortened and elongated phases.
Squats
This exercise activates the gluteus maximus.
Train the glutes in the elongated phase along with the front thighs. Remember that squats can be a thigh-dominant exercise, so the focus here is on technique. The first thing to remember is to have a narrow foot position; the feet should be hip-width or shoulder-width apart. To be a glute-dominant exercise, it is important to push your hips back rather than bending your knees. Go as low as you need to achieve full hip flexion; it can be helpful to have small weight plates of 1.25kg under your heels to help you go lower.
Read more about our selection of squat-proof activewear leggings.
Romanian deadlift
This exercise activates the gluteus maximus.
Train the glutes in the elongated phase along with the back thighs. Start the exercise in an upright position with a slight bend in the knees, holding the barbell in front of you. Push your butt back and tighten your lower back. You should maintain a tight and straight back; as the butt goes back, the upper body leans forward, focusing on the glutes. Make sure the bar slides down along your body and never "falls" out of line towards the ground. When the bar is just below the midpoint of your shins, stop the movement. Lift the bar to the starting position by forcefully pressing your hips forward while squeezing your glutes once you have completed the movement.
Hip thrust
This exercise activates the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.
Train the glutes in the shortened phase. In hip thrust, it is important that your gaze is straight ahead; it is better to have a double chin than to throw your head back and risk neck injury. Engage your core and tilt your pelvis back, bend your hips deeply and controlled towards the ground, then drive your hips up powerfully while pressing your heels down into the floor.
Read more about injury prevention training
Pistol squat
The pistol squat has really taken over the internet as an exercise that fascinates many. This exercise requires both stability in balance and strength in the legs. This is truly an exercise that everyone should try.
Sidekick on cable
This exercise activates the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Train the "upper glutes." The left foot should go past the right foot in the starting position, which extends the gluteus medius, stretching the muscle to its maximum flexion.