It's All About the Glutes - Fitness Incentive

Strong glutes have a lot of benefits; they can support athletic movements, like jumping, sprinting, and changing directions. In general, strong glutes are key to good mobility. An added perk? A nicely lifted, better-looking booty!

Jackie Niciforo

Three Essential Movements to Grow Your Glutes

Growing your glutes can seem like an impossible task. You’ve probably seen these crazy kickback 100-rep glute workouts that may feel super effective and give that “burn.” Unfortunately, they are not helping to grow the muscle as a whole. I’m here to help you make your leg days a whole lot simpler with my three favorite movements for glute growth.

Why The Glutes?

Strong glutes have a lot of benefits; they can support athletic movements, like jumping, sprinting, and changing directions. In general, strong glutes are key to good mobility. An added perk? A nicely lifted, better-looking booty!

The Big 3

1. Barbell back squat

The classic barbell back squat is one of my favorites and oftentimes forgotten. Back squats target the posterior chain, which helps target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. The back squat is one of the most important movements for a balanced body and, most importantly, the booty.

2. Bulgarian split squat

The Bulgarian split squat targets your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves. This is a single-leg exercise that helps you develop a well-balanced body while focusing on one side at a time. The single-leg use also allows you to get more depth, work on stability, and rep range to focus on the booty!

3. Hip Thrust (shown top of page)

Hip thrust can be super effective when done properly. This movement targets the two main muscles in your butt, both the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, and your hamstrings. Hip thrusts are great for the glutes because it helps stabilize your pelvis and lower back, making them ideal for targeting the glutes and promoting better balance.

These are just a few of the many simple glute exercises you can start incorporating into your leg days. Another thing to keep in mind is rep range. You want to keep the reps lower and focus on a full range of motion. These steps, along with the proper nutrients to help build your muscles, are going to help you bring your glutes to the next level!

Glute growth is a lot simpler than you think. Stop making your glute days over-complicated and get back to the basics!