Big butts are really in right now because they look great, but (see what I did there) having strong glutes are also really important in regards to reducing lower back pain and knee pain. So just getting surgery for your butt might make it look good but it won’t help you for your pain and health issues. So in this article I’m going to give you guys 2 exercises I would say are the gold standard for building strong healthy glutes.
The first exercise is the hip thrust. The main function of the glutes is hip extension, so this exercise trains that movement under load. To set up the exercise you will need a gym bench and a barbell. Rest your mid-back on the edge of the bench, and place the bar on the crease of your hips. To perform the exercise you push your hips up towards the ceiling and focus on squeezing your glutes. On the way down keep your core tight so you are creating a V shape with your torso and your legs. I would recommend performing a weight you can do 10 repetitions with about 2 repetitions left in the tank. And you want to do this for 4 sets. (e.g. 4×10 60kg 8/10 difficulty)
The 2nd exercise is the reverse lunge off a step. To set up the exercise you will need a step and some dumbbells. Start the exercise by standing on the step and then step back off the step with one foot (keep heel up) and lunge backwards. Then alternate. You should feel a big stretch through your glute on the foot that isn’t stepping back. Once again you want to do a weight that you can do about 10 times but not 13 times (2 left in your energy tank). (e.g. 4×10 5kg db each hand 8/10 difficulty)
Why these exercises compliment each other so well is because the hip thrust works the glute in its peak contraction (the big squeeze at the top) while the reverse lunge works the glute in its most lengthened position. By doing both you will be able to exercise the glute through its full range of motion
By Jonathon Lau
Exercise Physiologist/Physiotherapist
