The 5 best exercises to work the glutes

Exercising the glutes brings a great number of benefits, especially those related to hip mobility, but also to have a more stable core and reduce the risk of back injuries. Additionally, to define and tone this part of our body. The vast majority of people spend a lot of time sitting due to work, which can negatively affect muscle health. Sedentary behavior manifests in various ways in people, so it is advisable to exercise regularly and work on different parts of our body. Below, we explain how to do glute exercises. We analyze the 5 best glute exercises. Pay attention!

Glute exercises at home: What are the 5 best?

One of the most notable advantages of glute exercises is that we can practice them both at home and at the gym. In the first case, you won't need to leave your home to get in shape and work this area of your body. In this section, we explain which are the 5 best glute exercises.

Glute exercises: squats

One of the most basic exercises is squats, although, watch out!, these can be of many types, such as basic squats, jump squats, isometric squats, sumo squats, sissy squats, bounce squats, and many more. To properly work the glutes with squats, place your feet parallel to hip width, then bend your knees at a 90-degree angle or more (the lower you go, the more you work) and contract your abdomen. It is essential that you always keep your spine straight, you should notice how the glutes move backward as you bend your legs.

Glute exercises: Superman

The Superman exercise is very effective for working the glutes, as well as the lumbar muscles. The correct way to do this type of glute exercise at home is as follows:

• The first thing you should do is lie face down and rest your arms and legs on the floor.
• Then, slowly extend your arms forward and your legs backward. It is important to keep them flat on the floor.
• Next, tense your abdominal muscles so that your torso is stable. Then you will have to raise your arms a few inches, as well as the upper chest and legs. Remember, you must do it simultaneously — this position simulates Superman's flying posture, hence the name of the exercise —.
• Hold the position for a few seconds before lowering your arms and legs again to complete the first repetition.

We recommend that you gradually increase the intensity. You can start with a set of 10 repetitions. As you get used to it, you will gain more endurance and strength.

Glute exercises: deadlift

Among the (glute) exercises at home, the deadlift is one of the most practical and easy to perform. Especially because it doesn't require much space. In fact, the deadlift is considered one of the most effective for working the posterior part of the body because involves the simultaneous work of several muscles. To perform this exercise correctly what you should do is separate your feet hip-width apart and hold a weight bar with your hands while keeping your arms stretched down (as in deadlift). Then, contract your glutes and bend at the hips forward. You should slightly bend your knees until you bring the bar to the floor as much as you can. Finally, push your glutes back until you are in an upright position. Remember that your back should always be in a straight position. 

Our recommendation is that to start you do a maximum of 12 repetitions in three sets and as you gain strength and endurance increase the weight bar load. You can also switch to the deadlift variant which is more intense. In this case the feet are placed in a wider position (and slightly turned outward) and the hands should grip the bar at shoulder width.

Glute exercises: step up

The step up is an exercise that simulates climbing a large step, so it is very useful for working the glutes. To do this, place one foot on the box and keep your back straight. Then stretch your arms so that the work is done in the hip. Finally, lean forward a bit and step up onto the box. Do several repetitions of this exercise with one leg and then with the other.

Glute exercises: lateral leg abduction

Finally, we conclude with glute exercises with the lateral leg abduction. This is one of the simplest that exist. To do it all you need is a mat. Lie on your side on it with your legs fully extended. Then lift the leg on top as high as you can and hold it for 10 seconds in that position. Finally, return to the original posture and rest. You can do 10 repetitions per leg and a total of three sets.

Equipment for glute exercises

To make glute exercises more intense you can incorporate various pieces of professional equipment. For example, the weights and dumbbells to do squats. Another piece of equipment you can use are weight bars (you can also use it for the deadlift) and the kettlebells (or kettlebell). By increasing the resistance the effort will be greater and, therefore, the exercises will be worked with greater intensity. That said, depending on the equipment you choose the way to do squats (or the exercise in general) may vary. You can also use the yoga ball (or fitball ball) to do other exercises in order to work out the glutes. The truth is that the possibilities are very varied and if you use professional equipment the exercises will be easier to do and the results will be visible more quickly.