3 Simple Exercises You Can Do To Target Your Glutes

The benefits of strengthening the glutes is a long list! Strengthening the glutes supports our posture and keeping us upright, balance, supports hip and pelvic alignment, core strength, supports the lower back, prevents knee injuries, improves and support other exercises, and improves our walking/running mechanics.

I am sharing three simple glute exercises that can work for anyone! All of these exercises can be completed with bodyweight, dumbbells, and resistance bands. This will allow you to scale up the intensity with bands and dumbbells, or down the intensity and with bodyweight. Whether you are new to fitness, pregnant, postpartum, exercise regularly, or anything in between, these are great additions to your routine.

Exercise #1: Glute Bridge

This exercises primarily targets the gluteus maximus. Other muscles at work include the hamstrings, transverse abdominius, lower back, and pelvic floor.

Here's how to perform a glute bridge:

1. Lay down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be hip-width apart with your toes pointed straight ahead, Place your arms by your sides.

2. Squeeze your glutes, engage your core, draw the pelvic floor up as you start to lift your hips toward the ceiling. Raise your hips as high as you can go without arching your back.

3. Squeeze the glutes, core, and pelvic floor as tightly as you can in the top position and hold for a few seconds. Making sure you are not holding your breath.

4. Slowly lower the hips down to the floor, keeping tension in the muscles as you lower down. Release the tension all together once your back is flat on the floor.

Exercise #2: Donkey Kick

This exercise targets the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus, which basically means the glutes all together! Other muscles at work inlcude the hamstrings, core, and pelvic floor. This exercise is also great for the hip flexors and helps to stabilize the hips.

Here's how to perform a donkey kick:

1. Start on all fours on the ground with hands shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart. Your back is completely flat and neck is neutral.

2. Engage your core as you lift one leg up, keeping the knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Your foot should be flexed.

3. Lift your leg so that your foot is parallel to the ceiling. You want to make sure you back is still flat.

4. Squeeze the glutes, continue to engage the core, and hold for a few seconds. Lower the leg down to the ground and repeat on the other side.

Exercise #3: Clam Shell

The clamshell exercises targets the gluteus medius, hip flexors, transverse abdominus, and pelvic floor.

Here's how to perform a clam shell:

1. Lay on one side with both knees bent at a 90 degree angle and stacked on top of one another. Make sure your hips are stacked as well. You should not be swaying back and forth during this exercise.

2. Draw the pelvic floor up, engage the core, and lift the top leg as high as you can without rotating your hips.

3. Squeeze and and hold at the top for a few seconds. Slowly lower the leg down.

For each of theses exercises, it is important to start with bodyweight first to fine tune proper form and muscles engagement. Each rep should be slow and controlled. Faster reps do not mean harder/better work, and you honestly won't get the most out of the exercise. Add dumbbells and resistance bands when you feel ready. Keep in mind that you want the added resistance to be challenging, the last few reps should feel really tough to complete, but you are still able to maintain form head to toe. For each exercise, I suggest 10-15 reps and 2-3 sets. Ready to give it a try? You've got this!