5 exercises that will pump your glutes as well as squats

This weekend, Championship continues to share short video workouts with its subscribers on Instagram. Every Saturday and Sunday we publish videos in which instructors of the World Class fitness centers chain show a variety of exercises for home and gym. Follow the updates in the current “Be in shape”, save useful posts and exercise regularly to achieve your goals!

Today we’ll break down a workout for the glutes, which can be performed at home. To work this area, most often resort to squats. This exercise is extremely effective, but some amateur athletes try to avoid it. Together with Olga Andrianova, supervisor of the World Class Triumph gym, we find out why this happens and how to replace the unloved squat.

Why don’t some fitness fans like squats?

Squats are a basic exercise, and most often it is not used because of the active work of the front surface of the thigh, which increases its volume. However, it is impossible to locally pump only the glutes – they can not work separately from the posterior surface of the thigh and the stabilizer of the front. Legs are in any case included in the process, so it is important not to be afraid that they will “grow” and learn to feel exactly the gluteal muscle.

Also, everything depends on the technique of movements. In squats there are the most injury-prone areas – the lower back and knees. If performed incorrectly, they most often take all the load on themselves, and this leads to complications.

Exercises that will pump your glutes without squatting

Fortunately, if you don’t like squatting either, it’s not that hard to find an alternative to it. There are several exercises that work the glutes just as effectively. To perform them, you will need minimal equipment: a mat for sports, dumbbells or water bottles, a towel or a pillow.

Perform each exercise 20 times in 5 approaches. Rest between approaches – 30 seconds.

Back lunges with dumbbells or bottles

Sākuma pozīcija: standing, back straight, hands lowered and holding dumbbells or water bottles.

Take a step back with one leg and drop to your knee. The other leg is in place and always acts as a support – do not remove or relax it. Slowly return to the starting position. Do not push off with the back foot.

Remember that the backward movement starts at the hip joint. The pelvis goes diagonally backward, the body tilts slightly forward, and the back remains straight. The lower back and abs are always tense. The shoulders are directed downward and backward, they are in projection on the anterior arch of the foot.

It is very important that when bending both legs, the angle at the knee joint is 90 degrees.

Dead pull with dumbbells or bottles

Sākuma pozīcija: standing, support on the heels and the outer edge of the foot. Feet at the width of the hip joints or slightly narrower. Keep your back straight, arms down and hold dumbbells or water bottles.

Gently pull your pelvis back and tilt your body forward. Feel the stretching of the back of the thigh and gluteal muscles. Then tense it strongly and return to the starting position.

During the downward movement, do not round or bend your back. The shoulders are always lowered and flat above the feet, the lower back is fixed. Throughout the exercise, the position of the body does not change.
The legs may bend slightly when the pelvis is pulled back, but not too much – this is not a squat.

Gluteālais tilts

Sākuma pozīcija: lying down, legs bent at the knees and resting on the floor at a distance of about two feet from the buttocks, arms along the torso. The feet are slightly wider than the pelvis, knees do not fall inward.

Lift your pelvis up to a straight line with your shoulders, resting on your heels and shoulders. At the top point, squeeze your buttocks and then gradually lower to the floor. During all movements, fix a flat back position and keep your shoulder blades down.

Gluteal bridge on one leg

Sākuma pozīcija: lying down, one leg bent at the knee and resting the heel on the floor, the second leg stretched forward and up. A towel is clamped between the knees.

Raise the pelvis up to a straight line with the shoulders, resting on one heel and on the shoulders. At the top point, squeeze the buttocks, then lower to the floor. The body is lifted upward only by pushing out with the pelvis. The position of the hips and lower back does not change throughout the exercise. The shoulder blades are pulled downward and backward.

During the upward movement of the pelvis, pull the abdomen in strongly to keep the back straight. There should be no curves in the body line.

Backward hip thrust

Sākuma pozīcija: rest on your forearms and knee. It is flat under the hip joint and the elbows are under the shoulder joints.

Pull your hip back, as if pushing the ceiling with your heel, until it continues to line up evenly with the body. The knee joint remains bent at a right angle. Lower your leg back down, tucking your knee toward you and without touching the floor with it.

The main thing to fix is the lower back. There should be no upward or downward movement in it. The abs hold the back strongly. The straight line from the back of the head to the hip joint does not change.

Arc-shaped hip abduction

Sākuma pozīcija: rest on the forearms and the knee. It is flat under the hip joint and the elbows are under the shoulder joints. The other leg is straightened and slightly to the side.

The arched hip extension is a harder version of the previous exercise. Take your straight leg off the floor and perform an arc-shaped movement with it, as if drawing a semicircle in the air. Touch the floor with your toe on the opposite side.

During the arc, there should be no bend in the lower back. The body is fixed, the shoulders are pulled down and back, and the abs are tense. The leg is always straight, with the heel reaching for the ceiling. The load is evenly distributed between the three anchor points.