The glutes are a common term for the group of muscles in your buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minims. The buttocks is a scientific name for your rump shaker.
With so many jobs requiring extended periods of sitting, the muscles of the buttocks are going to waste.
Weak glutes can cause low back pain, knee injuries, hamstring pulls, make climbing stairs harder, and many other negative effects.
Besides making you look better working these muscles can also: help prevent or fix a lot of the problems listed above, increase athletic performance, and improve overall strength.
Here are a few of other glute exercises that you might not have tried.
Crossover step ups
Put your right foot next to a step, bench, or even a curb. The height you use and whether or not you use weights will be based on how experienced you are.
Step your left foot across your body up onto the platform. Keeping your hips facing to the front, push hard using your left glute muscles, and step your right foot up onto the platform. Step back down with your right foot and start all over.
Kneeling stand up
Kneel down with your left knee on the ground, your right knee up. Push hard through your right heel and concentrate on using your right side butt muscles to stand all the way up. Stand up fast, then slowly (taking 3-5 seconds) lower yourself back down.
If that version is too hard, get your right side close to a wall and use your right hand to assist you. If you have joint issues that prevent you from doing this exercise, start at the top part of this exercise and slowly lower yourself to the point you can go then stand up.
Rear foot elevated squat with one weight
Like the crossover set ups, you have options depending on your fitness level. You can use a bench, a step, or a curb and you can also choose to use weights or not.
Start with your right foot up on a bench, shoelaces flat on the bench (or some people prefer to put their toe on the bench), and left foot 2-3 foot away from the bench. Keep your chest up (don't round your lower back), lean your torso forward slightly, bend your left knee to lower your right knee toward the ground. Don't let your right knee touch the ground and drive back up to the starting position.
Then one more important exercise.
The Stand Up
To perform this one, simply stop sitting down, and you got it. This might be the most important one. The more you sit, the more those butt muscles are going to feel unwanted, and will deteriorate. Stand up at least once per hour.
This is how we do things in our boot camps. You will have an exercise, then we will provide a way to make it harder as well as a way to make it easier/work around joint issues.
We start our brand new Better Booty and Belly Boot Camp on Monday. Whatever shape you are in now, we can figure out a way to get you looking and feeling your best. Can't wait to get started, come join us!
