5 Exercises for Your Strongest Glutes Yet
- Yelena Miller-Noonan
- Jun 6, 2024
- 5 min read
Transform Your Lower Body: The Ultimate Guide to Strongest Glutes for Women Over 30
Get ready to reshape and strengthen your glutes with these five powerful exercises designed for busy women looking to make the most of their workouts.
Hey, ladies! Yelena is here, your go-to fitness coach specializing in helping busy women over 30 achieve their strongest, healthiest selves.
Today, we're diving into a topic that’s close to my heart (and glutes) – building strong, powerful glutes. Whether you’re juggling work, family, or a million other responsibilities, finding time to strengthen your glutes is a game-changer for your overall fitness and well-being.
Why Strong Glutes Matter
Before we get into the exercises, let’s talk about why glute strength is so important. Your glutes are the largest muscle group in your body and play a crucial role in almost every movement you make, from standing and walking to lifting and climbing.
Strong glutes can:
Improve your posture: Strong glutes support your lower back and pelvis, helping you stand taller and reducing back pain.
Enhance athletic performance: Whether you love running, hiking, biking, or just playing with your kids, strong glutes boost your power and endurance.
Prevent injuries: Weak glutes can lead to overcompensation by other muscles, increasing your risk of injury.
Shaped Look: Let’s not forget the aesthetic benefits. Strong shaped glutes can help you feel confident and fabulous in any outfit.
Now, let’s get to the fun part – the exercises!
1. Single Leg Rear Foot Elevated RDL
Why It Works
This exercise isolates the glutes and hamstrings on one side, improving balance and strength.
How to Do It
Set up: Stand a few feet in front of a wall or bench with one foot resting on the wall/bench behind you.
Lower down: As you hinge at your hips, simultaneously lower the dumbbells down the front of your thighs. Keep the dumbbells close to your body and maintaining neutral spine and the standing knee slightly bent.
Lift up: Engage your hamstrings and glutes and begin to rise by driving your hips forward and standing up straight. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement to fully engage your posterior chain.
Tips
Brace your core with a 360-degree contraction around your spine and activate your glutes on the planted side.
As you hinge at your hips, envision a rope gently pulling your hips or as if you're pressing your hips back against an imaginary wall.
Ensure your head, torso, and hips in a stacked position. Avoid hyperextension, rounding, lateral flexion of the lower back, ribcage flare, torso, spine, or hip rotation. Ensure both hips remain level.
2. Front Foot Elevated Reverse Lunge
Why It Works
Elevating the front foot increases the range of motion, providing a greater stretch and activation of the glutes.
How to Do It
Step up: Place your front foot on a low step or platform.
Lower down: Step back into a lunge, lowering your back knee towards the floor.
Push up: Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
Tips
Ensure your lunging/rear knee is tracking behind your hip, your rear foot has 70-90 degrees of flexion, and your front knee is aligned with your front foot, preventing it from collapsing inward.
Keep your weight evenly distributed between your feet and posterior chain muscles activated for overall stability.
3. Kickstand Glute Bridge
Why It Works
The kickstand glute bridge targets the glutes with a single-leg emphasis, enhancing glute activation.
How to Do It
Set up: Lie on your back with one foot flat on the floor and the other leg slightly extended with the foot flexed and heel grounded.
Lift up: Push through your planted foot to lift your hips towards the ceiling, keeping the extended leg's heel on the ground.
Lower down: Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.
Tips
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement. Be cautious of allowing your hips to drop towards one side. Keep them level for balanced muscle activation.
Throughout the exercise, maintain a neutral spine. Avoid hyperextension, rounding, or lateral flexion of the lower back, ribcage flare.
4. Goblet Lateral Lunge
Why It Works
This exercise targets the glutes, quads, and inner thighs, enhancing overall lower body strength and stability.
How to Do It
Hold a weight: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest.
Step out: Step out to the side, bending your knee and pushing your hips back into a lunge.
Return: Push through your heel to return to the starting position.
Tips
As you hinge at your hips, envision a rope gently pulling your hips or as if you're pressing your hips back against an imaginary wall.
Ensure your lunging knee is aligned with your foot, preventing it from collapsing inward or outward.
5. Weighted Roman Chair Back Extension
Why It Works
This exercise strengthens the glutes and lower back, crucial for overall posterior chain strength.
How to Do It
Set up: Position yourself on a Roman chair or back extension machine (or couch).
Lower down: Lower your torso towards the floor while maintaining a neutral spine.
Lift up: Squeeze your glutes to raise your torso back to the starting position.
Tips
Focus on using your glutes and your lower back muscles to lift your upper body back to the start position. Maintain the engagement of your deep core muscles to support your spine as you descend.
Keep your movement slow and controlled. Avoid hyperextension, rounding, or lateral flexion of the lower back, ribcage flare.
Start with 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps of each exercise, and gradually increase the weight and intensity as you get stronger. Remember, consistency is key!
Actionable Takeaways: Incorporating these five exercises into your routine will help you build stronger, more powerful glutes, improving both your performance and appearance.
Here’s a quick recap:
Single Leg Rear Foot Elevated RDL: Isolate and strengthen glutes and hamstrings.
Front Foot Elevated Reverse Lunge: Enhance range of motion and glute activation.
Kickstand Glute Bridge: Single-leg emphasis for targeted glute work.
Goblet Lateral Lunge: Multi-directional strength and stability.
Weighted Roman Chair Back Extension: Boost posterior chain strength.
Ready to reshape and strengthen your glutes?
Don't just read about these exercises—make them part of your daily routine! Commit to your fitness journey today and watch as your hard work pays off. Join our community of busy women over 30 who are transforming their lives, one workout at a time. Sign up for our free trial workout program now and start seeing real results!
Try Before You Commit. Kickstart Your Fitness Journey with Our Beginner Strength Program
Join our 2-Week Strength Training Program for Busy Women—FREE trial, REAL results!
Ready to take your fitness journey to the next level?
If you're looking for more guidance, accountability, and support on your fitness journey, consider enrolling in my online fitness coaching program. You'll receive personalized workouts, nutrition guidance, and regular check-ins to help you reach your goals.
Got questions, need modifications, or want to share your progress? I'm here for you every step of the way.
In Health and Strength,
Coach Yelena 💕
Comments