5 Of My Go-To Glute Strengthening Exercises

This week I’m sharing 5 of my go-to glute strengthening exercises. All of these exercises require a fairly minimal amount of equipment.

#1) Negative 1.5 Rep Hip Thrusts

⁣This exercise strengthens the glutes and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.⁣⁣⁣ Make sure you can do this exercise proficiently with just bodyweight before you add any resistance.

Coaching Tips:

Set yourself up so your shoulder blade/upper back area is positioned on a bench, chair, or other stable surface.⁣⁣⁣

If you are using weight, hold the weight on your hips. ⁣⁣

Place your shins in a relatively vertical position.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine). ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣

Take 3-5 seconds and lower your hips to a range where you can maintain proper form.

Once you get to the bottom position, use your glutes to lift your hips halfway to the top position, back to the bottom position, and finally, back to the top position (all at normal speed).

This is one rep.

In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knees.⁣⁣ Hold for a count or more and really squeeze your glutes.⁣⁣⁣

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

Do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#2) Band Resisted Multidirectional Taps For Glutes From Partial Goblet Squat

This exercise strengthens the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, and the muscles in the foot and lower leg. Adding the dumbbell resistance increases the need for lumbo-pelvic stability.

Coaching Tips:

Hold a weight in a goblet style position. For the duration of the exercise, keep the weight tight to your body. Pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Place a band just above your knees (or around your ankles).⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣

Get into a partial squat stance. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.⁣

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣

Perform taps in multiple directions. Aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

On the planted side, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Lower Body And Core Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.

BUY NOW

#3) Feet Elevated Glute/Hamstring Marches

This exercise, which is SO much tougher than it looks, strengthens the glutes and hamstrings, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor, and elevate the back of your feet on a bench, chair, or other stable surface.

In the starting position, your knees should be bent to roughly 90 degrees. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣
Extend your hips by squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage.

In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knees.⁣⁣ Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣While keeping your torso and hips in a fixed position, lift one foot and perform a march. Pause for a count and then lower your foot to the bottom position.

Repeat using the opposite side. ⁣⁣

Do a proper ‘’reset’’ before you perform the march on each side. Many people skip this key step. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

For the duration of the exercise, aside from the moving leg your body should remain in a fixed position.⁣ ⁣⁣Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to drop. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

⁣⁣For the duration of the exercise, squeeze your glute (on the planted side(s)), keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you. ⁣⁣

#4) Single Leg Band Resisted Isometric Deadlift (RDL) + Band Resisted Multidirectional Taps ⁣

This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles, and the muscles in the lower leg and foot.⁣ This exercise is significantly tougher than it looks.

Coaching Tips:

⁣⁣Loop a small resistance band around your knees (or ankles), and rest a long resistance band under the mid to back portion of your foot, and hold the band in both hands.⁣⁣⁣ There should be a significant amount of tension in this long band. ⁣⁣

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣

Get into a RDL position by hinging/pushing your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. ⁣Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise. ⁣ ⁣

While remaining in the hip hinge position, perform taps in multiple directions with your leg.

Aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.⁣ ⁣

On the planted side, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot. ⁣ ⁣

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#5) Feet Elevated Glute Bridges

This exercise strengthens the glutes, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Make sure you can do this exercise proficiently with just bodyweight before you add any resistance.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor, and elevate the back of your feet on a bench, chair, or other stable surface.

If you are using weight, hold the weight on your hips.

In the starting position, your knees should be bent to roughly 90 degrees.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine). ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣

Extend your hips by squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage.

In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knees.⁣⁣ Hold for a count or more and really squeeze your glutes.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to drop. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣