Did you know that the Gluteus Maximus is the largest muscle of the human body? The glutes main function is to aid movement in walking, running, going up stairs, etc. So, training legs/glutes 2-3x times a week might actually be to your advantage!
Leg day can either be your favorite day to train or the absolute worst day of the week. Some people can roll with 2-3 leg days a week and others like to stick with 1; and that's OKAY! However, are you using these leg days with full intensity to increase size and strength?
Keep on reading to find out the top 5 glute exercisesto strengthen the booty!
Yes, we did put Bulgarian split squats before the good ol' back squat. Why is that? Bulgarian split squats (BSS) not only work the glutes through having the back leg elevated, but also the quads with the lunge motion performed.
Bulgarian split squats are identified as a unilateral exercise because we are working one leg at a time.The BSS can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell, or even body weight are just as effective! Although these bad boys are difficult, they are 100% effective and worth the pain!
One of the best compound leg day exercises: the back squat. This movement will help develop power and strength in your glutes and quads.
By keeping your core engaged and focusing on proper form, the back squat can be one of the best glute exercises to increase strength, power, and size!
If light weight and high rep is more comfortable to you, that's 100% okay. No need to go overly heavy on these!
Similar to the back squat, the sumo squat is also one of the best glute exercises to be added to your leg day!
In the same set up as a back squat, the sumo squat is performed with the same movement, just a wider stance with your toes and knees pointed outward! They can be done with a barbell, kettlebell, and/or dumbbell!
Due to the wider stance the sumo squat fires up the Gluteus Medius and Minimus along with working the inner thighs. The reason as to why these maximize glute size and strength is because this movement targets all the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors!
Hip thrusts can be intimidating when you see someone racking up the heavy plates on each side. However, it is important to note that hip thrusts are a very effective glute maximizer when done at a light weight as well!
Hip thrusts can be performed in many different variations: barbell with plates, a dumbbell, banded, and bodyweight. All of which are effective! You can load heavy to build more strength and size as well as repping out lighter weight thrusts to increase glute endurance!
Romanian deadlifts are a top must-add to your leg day. These are great for targeting not only the glutes, but also strongly emphasize hamstring movement.
Romanians can be tricky when it comes to form. Having your shoulders retracted, proper stance, and an engaged core is essential to performing this exercise properly and adequately.
Of course there are many variations you can perform with the deadlift (conventional, stiff leg, single leg); however, Romanians are a bit easier on the back and don't require a heavy load! Next time, try Romanian single leg for a unilateral movement!
Even though the glutes are the largest muscle of the body, it's safe to say they can be stubborn in activation of the muscle. So, now that we know how to train our glutes for maximum muscle gains, it's important to keep that mind-to-muscle focus and proper form in all these exercises!
