Strong glutes are essential for more than aesthetics—they improve posture, prevent injuries, and enhance athletic performance. Whether you're an athlete or looking to strengthen your lower body, focusing on glute exercises can help you achieve these goals. In this article, we’ll cover eight of the best exercises to build better, stronger glutes and highlight the top fitness equipment from Active Fitness Store that can enhance your workout routine.
Barbell hip thrusts are a powerful exercise for targeting the glutes, engaging the gluteus maximus more than many other movements, making it perfect for building strength and muscle size. To perform the exercise, position your upper back against a bench and place your feet flat on the floor. Roll an Olympic barbell loaded with weight over your hips. With your core engaged, press through your heels to lift your hips, bringing your torso parallel to the ground. Use a sturdy bench setup for optimal comfort and stability throughout the movement.
Romanian deadlifts are excellent for targeting both the hamstrings and glutes, making them a key lower-body exercise. To perform, hold a pair of adjustable dumbbells in front of your thighs. With a slight bend in your knees, hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells along your legs, feeling the stretch in your hamstrings. Engage your glutes to return to the starting position. Adjustable dumbbells allow you to customize the weight as you progress, enhancing the intensity of the workout.
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Glute bridges are a great way to activate the glutes, ideal for both beginners and advanced athletes. To perform, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push through your heels to lift your hips, squeezing your glutes at the top for maximum activation. To increase resistance and enhance muscle engagement, place resistance bands around your thighs to intensify the workout.
Bulgarian split squats are an excellent exercise for targeting the glutes, quads, and hamstrings while enhancing balance and core stability. To perform, stand in front of a bench, placing one foot on the bench behind you. Holding dumbbells or a barbell for added resistance, lower your body into a squat by bending your front knee, keeping your torso upright, and pressing through your front heel to return to the starting position.
Step-ups are a functional exercise that helps build glute strength and improve stability. To perform, step onto a plyo box or adjustable step platform with one leg, driving through your heel to lift your body. Slowly lower yourself back down and repeat on the opposite leg, ensuring proper control and balance throughout the movement.
Cable kickbacks are ideal for isolating the glutes and strengthening the gluteus medius and minimus. To perform, attach an ankle strap to a cable machine. Stand facing the machine, and kick one leg back in a controlled motion, squeezing your glutes at the top. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg, adjusting the resistance on the cable machine to suit your strength level.
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Kettlebell swings are a powerful, explosive movement that targets the glutes, core, and hamstrings. To perform, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell between your legs. Drive the kettlebell forward by thrusting your hips and engaging your glutes, keeping your core tight throughout the motion for control and stability.
Fire hydrants are a great bodyweight exercise to isolate and strengthen the glutes while activating the hips and stabilizers. To perform, start on all fours, and lift one leg to the side, keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower your leg and repeat on the other side. For added challenge and intensity, use resistance bands to increase resistance.
Building better, stronger glutes requires a consistent workout routine that includes a variety of exercises targeting different parts of the glute muscles. Incorporating the exercises above, along with quality fitness equipment from Active Fitness Store, will help you achieve your strength and aesthetic goals.