We use our gluteal muscles every day when we stand, sit, and walk. But what exactly are they? And how can you make them stronger?
The gluteal muscles, which are located in the posterior chain, are having a hard time. You just have to look at the latest fitness trends, scroll through Instagram, or hop on YouTube to see the many ways you can build bigger, stronger glutes. Some people rely on squats to strengthen their back muscles, others prefer deadlifts, while some studies, like this one published in the International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy (opens in a new tab) – I recommend adding some of the best resistance bands (opens in a new tab) to help level out your leg workouts and activate targeted glutes.
To help decipher everything there is to know about your gluteal muscles, including what they are, why they’re important, how you can get stronger glutes, and the best exercises to help you get there, we spoke with Dr. Edward Merritt, who is associate professor of kinesiology at southwestern university (opens in a new tab) and member of the American Physiological Society (opens in a new tab).
Merritt graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise. She earned her Masters in Kinesiology and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas, and did her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
What are the glutes?
The glutes are on your buttocks. The reason we refer to our ‘glutes’ instead of our ‘glute’ is because they are made up of three different muscles. This includes the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
Merritt says, “The gluteus maximus is what most people think of when they think of the glutes. It is the largest of the three and is the largest muscle in the body. It originates at the back of the pelvis and sacrum and inserts at the back of the top of the femur, but it also connects to the IT band that runs down the lateral thigh and past the knee.”
The gluteus medius is also a large muscle. “It originates in the back of your pelvis, where you might have your thumb if you’re standing with your hands on your hips,” says Merritt. “It inserts right on top of your femur, very close to where it connects to your pelvis.”
While the gluteus minimus is a smaller, triangular-shaped muscle just below the gluteus medius, Merritt adds that: “It also originates in the pelvis, below where your thumb would be with your hands on your hips, and also inserts into the top of the femur at the hip joint. It connects there just in front of where the middle connects.
Because they are important?
Our gluteal muscles help us perform all functions such as sitting, standing, walking, running, or jumping. Furthermore, research published in the International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy (opens in a new tab) It shows that our glutes help prevent injury and our ability to maintain an upright upright posture. They also help contribute to optimal movement and athletic performance.
“Because of their size, shape, and connections, the glutes are important in almost all movements that move the leg backwards, extend the leg at the hip (as you go from sitting to standing), rotate the leg around of the hip or move the leg. get out or get back in,” says Merritt. “Because of the way they connect to the top of the femur, parts of the buttocks will either cause the leg or the femur to rotate internally or they can cause the leg to rotate externally.
“Your glutes, especially the gluteus maximus and medius, are also extremely important in the big, powerful movements you have to do to move your full body weight. Like when you get up from a chair, climb stairs, run or jump. But they are also important for stabilizing the hip joint during any movement because they essentially hold the head of the femur in the socket of the pelvis,” she says.
How can you have stronger buttocks?
The best way to strengthen any muscle is to subject it to sufficient resistance.
“One thing a lot of people do wrong, especially when trying to work their gluteus maximus, is not using enough resistance,” says Merritt.
You can do this through heavy exercises or with the use of resistance bands that can support the elevated activation of the gluteus maximus.
Merritt says, “The glutes need big forceful movements/lifts to really get the stress they need to adapt.”
And the research agrees. In a study published in the Medicine and science in sports and exercise (opens in a new tab) Journal, the researchers found that muscle hypertrophy, which is an increase and growth of muscle cells, follows a “dose-response relationship, with increasing gains achieved with higher training volumes.”
The best exercises to build stronger glutes
1. Squats
Along with your gluteus maximus, investigation of the Strength and Conditioning Journal (opens in a new tab) has shown that squats target the quads, hamstrings, calves, and abdominal muscles.
Merrit says, “Even if you just use bodyweight without any barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells, you can still get a great glute workout with all the different variations of squats and lunges, but don’t neglect side-to-side squats and lunges.”
To perform a bodyweight squat:
- Stand with your feet hip-width or shoulder-width apart and point your toes forward.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down and engage your core. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Keep your chest up and make sure your weight stays on your heels.
- Drive your body up through your heels to stand up. You can hold your arms out in front of you if you have trouble keeping your balance.
2. Box jumps
According to Merritt, this exercise is especially key for people training for sports that may require faster, more explosive movements. He says, “Plyometric training with movements like box jumps can be important for gluteal adaptations.”
To perform box jumps:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a box one step away from you
- Slightly bend your knees (in the same way as a squat but not as deep).
- Jump up onto the box allowing your arms to swing in front of you like a counterweight.
3. Deadlift
According to research published in the Strength and Conditioning Magazine (opens in a new tab)Deadlifts will help train your hip extensors, which includes your gluteus maximus.
“The deadlift is a more advanced movement that I wouldn’t recommend for everyone, but for more experienced lifters it can also be great for the glutes,” says Merritt.
To perform a deadlift:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a barbell with an overhand grip.
- Keeping a slight bend in the knees, engage your core and lean forward at the hips.
- As you do, lower the bar down the front of your shins until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Slowly return to neutral foot position. That is a repetition.
4. Fire hydrants
Merritt says, “Don’t neglect rotation exercises. Fire hydrants, especially with resistance bands, are good for the gluteus medius and adduction and internal rotation exercises for the minimum.”
To make fire hydrants:
- Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders above your hands and your hips above your knees.
- Engage your core and lift one leg away from your body at a 45-degree angle.
- Move your raised leg back down to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
