Did you know your gluteal muscles are actually the strongest muscles in your body? So it’s no wonder really, we’re all trying to grow ourselves a peach. Basic movements become smoother and more efficient with stronger glutes, your stability and support improve and strong glutes are vital for physical sports, providing you with more power helping your speed, power and all round movement.
Glute exercises are often overlooked, with many of us thinking squatting is the only way. Even though squats are a great exercise for glute activation, it is always good to have varied exercises in your routine. There are many great glute exercises, here are our top 3.
Lunges: Whether weighted or not, lunges are safe and easy to learn. Whether you are a beginner or expert, lunges are super effective for when targeting glutes!
How to do it:
Stand straight (with weights or without), move one leg forward in line with your ankle and lower your hips until both knees are at a 90-degree angle. It’s important to make sure your knee doesn’t touch the ground. Steadily come back up to a standing position and repeat, make sure you swap longs during the workout.
Barbell hip thrusts: These are a game changer for growing the booty and can be done at any level, just adjust the weight to suit you.
How to do it:
Leaning back, rest the bottom of your shoulder blades on a bench/box. Roll the barbell over your legs so that it is sat directly above your hips. Begin the movement by extending your hips up, driving through your feet. Top tip: keep your chin down and look forward, try not to fling your head back as this may cause injury!
Bulgarian split squats: We’ve all seen the memes, and yes, these are the worst for some people. However, they work, so it’s worth it.
How to do it:
Standing up straight, place one leg behind you onto a bench/box/step so the top of your foot is flat against the surface. Either bodyweight or holding dumbbell each side, slowly lower your hips down until your knee is almost touching the ground. Top tip: leaning forward will target your glutes more, whereas standing straight will activate your quads more.
REMEMBER, form is everything. With any exercise, no matter how heavy the weight or amount of reps done, if your form isn’t on point, you won’t activate the right muscles and feel the movement. Think ‘mind to muscle’, make sure you’re slowing the movement down, thinking about the muscles you’re using!
