Everyone wants a stronger and more shapely set of gluteal muscles for many reasons including the fact that they are the largest and most powerful muscle group in the body. The gluteal muscle group is made up of three muscles: Gluteus Maximus (Glute Max for short!), Gluteus Medius, and Gluteus Minimus. Glute Max makes up the bulk of your rear end, and its main function is to extend the hip and also prevent the upper body from falling forward relative to the lower body and hip.
The most powerful
exercise for targeting the Glute Max is the hip thrust because it
emphasizes the fully contracted position which is how we get the maximum activation of
the Glute Max. Initially hip thrusts aka glute bridges can be done on
the floor lying on the back with knees flexed at 90% and lift the hips up as
far as possible (without arching the back!) and lower back down again.
However, most people
quickly need more load than just bodyweight to keep progressing.
This is where things get tricky because loading this movement is not easy
or comfortable and can even be unsafe!
What most people do is
place the back of their shoulders on a bench facing up with knees flexed and
feet flat on the floor then use a barbell across the
hips. Not only is this highly uncomfortable it is really
challenging to get into position without people handing you the loaded
barbell. It also takes up a lot of space.
Another option is to use
something softer like a sandbag across the hips which is more comfortable but
is still awkward and hard to get enough load to do the exercise
properly.
Hip Thrust Machine
By far the best option
for comfort, safety, and effectiveness is using a machine designed specifically for this exercise. Two great options are the Matrix Glute Trainer - see video here:
https://youtu.be/Dl4_ECUA6Tg and the Abs Company Glute Lift - see video here:
Male or female -
beginner to Olympic athlete can all use this machine!
The hip thrust does NOT
involve a large range of motion and the key is holding the top position and
squeezing the glutes without arching the back. Try a
couple sets of 15 – 25 deliberate reps and you will immediately see why this is
such a powerful exercise for the glutes. It is important to NOT
arch your back and to get a sense of exactly how to perform a hip thrust check
out this tutorial from Bret Contreras who literally put the Hip Thrust Exercise
on the map!: https://youtu.be/LM8XHLYJoYs
If you couple this with
exercises that place maximum stress on the glutes in the fully extended
position like lunges, step-ups, and Split Squats with the rear foot elevated –
you will get all the glute development you want. Then
you just need to add in hip abduction for a complete glute routine!
