Your glutes are the most important muscle in your body. They're responsible for most of your movements and help you maintain posture and balance, which is why they get a lot of attention in popular workouts like squats, deadlifts and lunges. However, even if you're doing those exercises regularly, there's still room to improve them by adding in some glute-specific moves that target this muscle group specifically. You'll be able to stand up taller and have more control over everyday tasks—and save yourself from lower back pain when sitting down or getting out of bed! So let's get started!
Glute bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your back flat throughout the exercise, and don't let it arch or sag toward the floor as you lift.
Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor, then hold for two seconds before slowly lowering back down to finish one rep. Do three sets of 10 reps each day (or as many days per week as possible).
Single leg glute bridge
To do a single leg glute bridge:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Lift one foot off the ground and keep that leg straight, then place it on top of your other knee (so that you're resting on two cushions).
- Keeping both knees together, perform a regular glute bridge by pushing through the heel of your planted foot until you feel it in your glutes (the muscles at the backside of each thigh). Hold for one second before lowering down slowly under control until you reach starting position again--don't just drop down! Repeat 10 times per side; if this is too easy for you add a resistance band around both ankles while performing these reps to make things harder!
Variations: You can also do this exercise with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Or if you want to really challenge yourself, try doing it with one leg raised in front of you. This will put more emphasis on the hips and glutes than regular squats do.
Glute march
- Glute march
- How to perform a glute march:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and arms at your sides.
- Lift one foot off the floor and slowly lower it back down while keeping both knees straight. Repeat this motion for 30 seconds or more before switching legs and repeating on the opposite side of your body (you can also use weights if you'd like).
- Try to do two sets of 15 reps per leg three times per week for best results!
Sumo squat
The sumo squat is a great exercise for your glutes and hamstrings, as well as the quadriceps and calves. To do this move:
- Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Hold a dumbbell in both hands at chest level.
- Lower your body as if you were sitting into a chair; keep knees behind toes, back flat (no rounding) and chest up throughout the entire movement. Push back up to starting position by driving through heels while engaging glutes to stand tall again.
Single leg box step up
- Stand on a step or box with one foot, and then lift the other foot off the floor.
- Step up with your right leg, and place it on top of the box or step. Your left foot will remain on the floor throughout this exercise (it can be in front or behind your right leg).
- Lower yourself back down to starting position by bringing your left leg down first, followed by your right--then repeat!
Your glutes are the most important muscle in your body.
Your glutes are the largest muscles in your body, and they're responsible for everything from walking to running to jumping. The glutes help you stabilize and move through space, which means that they can prevent injuries as well as cause them.
If you want strong, healthy glutes, then you need to make sure that they're getting enough stimulation during exercise--and especially during strength training!
15. Single-leg deadlift: Stand on one leg with a dumbbell in each hand and your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend over at the waist so that your torso is parallel to the floor, keeping your back straight and abs tight; then extend one leg backwards while keeping it straight (you should look like an upside down V). Use both arms to lift the dumbbells up until they're at chest level then lower them slowly back down again into starting position. Repeat 10 times per side, then switch legs and perform another set of 10 reps for each side!
Conclusion
Your glutes are the most important muscle in your body. They help you stand up, walk, run and even jump. If you have strong glutes then you can lift more weight with less risk of injury.
Step ups can be done with a single dumbbell in one hand, but this is not recommended. It’s better to have both hands on the box or step so that you have more stability when stepping up. The higher your step, the harder this exercise will be—so start out with a low step and work your way up from there.
The glutes are a muscle group that needs a lot of stimulation, which is why they're often called the "forgotten muscle." Most people don't get enough exercise, let alone focus on exercises that target their glutes.
