Best glute exercises
In the grand narrative of aesthetic physiques, where biceps and chest often steal the spotlight, the glutes quietly play a vital role behind the scenes. They lay the foundation of the lower body, support the lower back, maintain pelvic alignment, and provide stability during compound movements. All of which are important for achieving a complete and impressive physique. That said, despite their importance, they hardly receive the attention they deserve. So on that note, in this blog, you’ll discover the best glute exercises and what stops most gym rats from developing them despite putting in the reps. But before we dive deeper into that, it’s essential to understand the anatomy of these underappreciated powerhouses.
Anatomy of the glutes
You can think of your glutes as a strong team with three important players: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, and Gluteus Minimus. The Gluteus Maximus is the star player. It’s the largest and strongest out of all and helps you squat and lift heavy things. It’s also the primary muscle that gives your glutes its round shape.
Next is the Gluteus Medius, which you can think of as the “helper” muscle. It helps you balance and stand straight while also providing stability. Lastly, the Gluteus Minimus is a small muscle that works with the Medius to stabilize your hips and legs during movements like walking and running. It may be tiny, but it plays an important role in keeping you steady and balanced.
All these glute muscles work together to give ensure proper stability, power and movement. And by doing the best glute exercises you’re about to read, you”ll be able to target all of them effectively.
Best glute exercises
When it comes to the lists of bests and top 10s, much of what you’ll read is mostly subjective. But if there’s one exercise that is consensus one of the best glute exercises, it’s the romanian deadlift. It targets the Gluteus Maximus, hamstrings, and lower back. To perform this exercise, you’ll need a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the weight in front of your thighs. Start the movement by hinging at your hips, pushing your buttocks back, and slightly bending your knees. As you lower the weight, slide it down your legs while keeping your back straight. Then continue the descent until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings.
Additionally, the barbell hip thrust is also a very solid contender to be one of the best glute exercises. It mainly targets the Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, and hamstrings. You can perform this exercise by sitting on the ground with your upper back against a bench.
Place a barbell across your hips, and roll it over your thighs. Plant your feet shoulder-width apart and push through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Then squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower back down. To ensure your form is correct, keep your chin tucked, engage your core, and avoid over-arching your lower back. Lastly, focus on pushing through your heels and maintaining a neutral spine.
Apart from this, you can also do the bulgarian split squat. One of the reasons why we believe it’s one of the best glute exercises is that it will add a new dimension to your workouts, making them more well-rounded. That is because most glute exercises target the combination of Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, and hamstrings. While the Bulgarian Split Squat does that too, it also targets the quadriceps. And well-developed quadriceps not only add balance and proportion to the lower body but also contribute to the overall symmetry and appeal of your physique.
Start by standing facing away from a bench and place one foot on the bench behind you. Lower your body by bending your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground. As you descend, ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes to maintain proper alignment. To return to the starting position, push through your front heel and engage your leg muscles. Throughout the movement, keep your chest upright to avoid leaning forward excessively.void letting your front knee cave inward as this can strain the knee joint. Instead, focus on maintaining stability and balance throughout the exercise.
Now that you know what are some of the best glute exercises, let’s take a closer look at what stops most gym rats from building impressive glutes.
What stops most gym rats from building impressive glutes despite doing some of the best glute exercises?
The #1 reason why most gym rats struggle to build impressive glutes is that they don’t stick to the principles of progressive overload. As mentioned above, the glutes comprise of one of the human body’s largest muscles and can quickly become resistant to your routine and weights. That’s why it’s essential to include different exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, hip thrusts, and glute bridges in your workouts while also adding more weights or repetitions.
But that’s just one side of it as another reason why gym rats struggle with building the glutes is neglecting proper form. Having improper form while performing glute exercises can shift the focus away from the glutes and place strain on other muscles, resulting in less progress. This is usually the result of lifting more weights than a person can handle.
All of this is why you should consistently challenge your muscles and do it in a way where you’re not compromising form for more repetitions or weights.
How to build glutes faster apart from doing the best glute exercises?
Assuming you’re doing all the right things regarding diet, workouts, and recovery, one of the ways you can speed up your muscle growth big time is by taking supplements. More specifically, supplements that increase testosterone levels, like SARMS and prohormones.
You can get such supplements at SD Matrix. Over the last few years, we’ve helped countless gym rats achieve all kinds of goals. Some of them became the leanest versions of themselves. Others became the biggest they’ve ever been. And then there are the third ones who were able to do both.
All of this is to say that our supplements flat-out work. What you’ll order is what you’ll get. For building muscle mass quickly, we suggest supplements like SD Matrix, RAD-140, and Matrix Black. That said, if want some extra help figuring out which supplement would suit you the best, feel free to drop us a line. We’d love to give you personalized advice! Rest assured, all of our supplements come with an ironclad money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy, then we’re not happy either. Just send us an email for a quick and prompt refund.
Conclusion: best glute exercises
Conclusively, the glutes play a crucial yet often underestimated role in achieving an impressive and well-rounded physique. Understanding the anatomy of these powerhouse muscles is essential before diving into the best glute exercises. Exercises like romanian deadlift and barbell hip thrust are consensus choices for targeting the glutes effectively.
To accelerate glute development, it is vital to challenge the muscles while maintaining proper form. By adhering to these principles and staying dedicated, you can sculpt strong and beautiful glutes that enhance your overall physical strength and confidence. Focus on these best glute exercises, and watch your lower body transform into sculpted powerhouses. Happy lifting!