Your glutes and core are integral to your ability to perform everyday activities, from walking up stairs to kicking a soccer ball. But did you know that your glutes and core also play an important role in athletic performance? Weak glutes can contribute to hamstring injuries and lower back pain for athletes, so it's important for fitness enthusiasts of all levels—from casual runners to professional athletes—to strengthen these areas. Here are ten exercises that will help you develop strong muscles in these key areas:
Bodyweight Squats
Bodyweight squats are one of the best exercises for strengthening your glutes and core. They're also relatively easy to perform, so it's a great exercise if you're new to working out. Here's how:
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out at about 45 degrees.
Bend your knees until they form 90-degree angles (or as close as possible). Keep them over or behind your ankles--never let them go past them! Your shinbones should be vertical when viewed from the front. If they're not, try bringing them forward slightly so that most of the weight is on their tops rather than bottoms.
Tighten up those abs by drawing in deep breaths through your belly button while keeping your chest high and shoulders relaxed down away from ears; this will help engage the transversus abdominis muscle, which supports proper alignment during any activity involving hip flexion (such as squats).
Cable Pull-Throughs
Cable pull-throughs are a great way to strengthen your glutes and core.
Cable pull-throughs are also a great way to build strength and muscle, which can help you perform better in other exercises like squats or deadlifts.
Single-Leg Deadlift
For this exercise, you'll need either a barbell or a dumbbell. Keep your back straight and chest forward, and use a challenging but not too heavy weight. Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the movement and your feet shoulder-width apart. Use a mirror to check your form as needed!
Back Extensions
Back extensions are a great exercise for the glutes, lower back, and shoulders. They also help build strength in your arms.
To do this move: Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Pull your shoulder blades together while keeping your elbows straight out to the sides of your body (as if you were trying to touch them). Slowly raise yourself until only about 1/3 of the pull is off the ground; then lower yourself back down without touching it! Do not lift too much weight at once—you should feel tension around each repetition as you lift more weight than before, but not strain or pain when lowering yourself down again after each rep.
Goblet Squat with a Band
The Goblet Squat with a Band is a great exercise for strengthening the glutes and core.
● Step 1: Grabbing both ends of the band, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold it in front of you. You should feel tension throughout your entire body as you perform this exercise.
● Step 2: With toes pointed outward, sit back into a deep squat until hips are below knees (without rounding out). Keep the spine straight and head up throughout the entire movement; do not let yourself sag forward or lean backward at any point in time—this will cause injury if performed incorrectly!
● Step 3: Return to standing position by pushing up through heels first before returning to starting position for next rep."
Bodyweight Bench Step Up
This exercise can be done with a bench and a step, or you can use the weight plates at your gym to add resistance. A band or cable attachment can also be used to make this exercise more difficult.
● Bodyweight Bench Step Up - Using a bench, step up onto it with one foot and lower yourself back down (you should feel this in your glute). Repeat for reps on both legs.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are a classic exercise that can be done in various ways. You can do them on your knees or try the plank position (flat on your stomach). If you're feeling ambitious, try doing push-ups with one leg raised in the air.
Push-ups will strengthen your core as well as improve posture!
Side Plank with Leg Raise
To perform a side plank with leg raise, you'll need to be in the standard push-up position on the floor. Next, place your left hand on the floor and then lift yourself onto your right foot so that you're balancing on one leg. Keep your core tight throughout this movement by keeping your hips straight down so they don't sag toward the ground or tilt forward (this will put unnecessary stress on your lower back).
Hold this position for 15-20 seconds before lowering yourself back into the starting position, where both feet are flat on the floor again. Repeat twice before switching sides and perform another set of side planks with leg raises using only one arm at a time instead of two!
If you want an increased challenge for this exercise, try doing it while standing up rather than sitting down - make sure not to let go until 20 seconds have elapsed!
Hip Flexor Stretch (45 Degrees)
The hip flexor stretch is a great way to strengthen your glutes and core. To do this exercise, lie on your back with one leg bent at the knee and one straight up in the air. Hold onto something for support if needed; otherwise, just let go of all thoughts about holding on!
Hold this position for 30 seconds, breathing evenly throughout the entire time. Release slowly from this position as if you were trying not to touch yourself or anything else around you (like another person).
Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is a great exercise for strengthening your glutes and core. To do it properly:
● Start lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
● Lift into a bridge position, keeping the hips up and back flat (don't let them sag). Don't arch or round out your back either--it should be straight from head to toe throughout this exercise!
● Keep your feet close together so they're in line with each other; don't let them splay out too far apart or cross over at any point during this move, either!
There are multiple ways to strengthen your glutes and core.
There are multiple ways to strengthen your glutes and core. You can focus on exercises that work in both areas, or you can do one at a time. Regardless of what you choose, it's important to remember that strengthening the muscles around your pelvis is an essential part of building strength in these areas.
One way to do this is with floor-based core exercises like planks, side planks, and bridges--or even just lying on your back with knees bent up toward the ceiling (a supine bridge). These exercises target all four sides of your abdominal wall and other muscles, such as hamstrings and glutes.
Conclusion
The glutes and core are some of the most important muscles in the body, which is why it's so important to strengthen them. The exercises listed above are great ways to do this, but there are also many others out there that can help you achieve your goals!
