Sep06The Exercise You Need To Be Doing For a Stronger Butt
Everyone wants – or at least should want – a strong and well-developed butt. Two reasons:
- A strong, developed pair of glutes look good.
- A strong, developed pair of glutes prevents injury and has the potential to be some of the strongest muscles in the body.
Okay, so technically 3 reasons, but you get the point. Strong glutes create a strong and good-looking body. There are plenty of exercises that can help, but which ones are the best? One stands out as a sure top-tier exercise: The glute bridge.
We’re not talking about the basic variation which involves you flat on your back lifting just your bodyweight (although if that is where you’re at, start there), but the more advanced variations that can really pack on the strength. Let’s go over the different variations that can really change your glute game.
Shoulders Elevated Glute Bridge
This variation is the most basic variation besides laying flat on the floor. By itself, it may not be too difficult; but in this position you can load up the exercise to have a good amount of resistance, thus allowing you to focus on maximal strength in the glute bridge. You also get more range of motion with the shoulders elevated vs on the floor.
You can load this movement with sandbags, dumbbells, barbells, and more. We program these in our workouts pretty often at H4.
Single Leg Glute Bridge (Shoulders Elevated)
This takes the exercise we covered above and takes it up a notch. You can still load the movement, but with not nearly as much weight; actually, it can be helpful in loading less weight on the spine and other joints while still providing an adequate challenge.
It can also be very beneficial for athletes, as many movements are done on a single leg.
Frog Bridge
Another great bridge variation is the frog bridge. This adds a great twist to the regular foot positioning.
You’ll keep the bottoms of the feet together and keep the knees extra wide, which adds hip abduction – that means the leg is moving away from the midline of the body – which in turn activates the glutes to a much greater degree. You can also load this movement as well.
Feet Elevated Glute Bridge
Now we’re switching it up. Instead of having the shoulders elevated, we are performing this exercise with the feet elevated and back on the floor.
This changes the angle, and puts a little more stress on the hamstrings; just make sure not to let them take over, and really emphasize shifting the knees forward and pushing the hips upward. For an extra challenge, do this on a ball or perform it single leg.
Bonus: 20 Random Exercises For Strong Glutes (Besides Glute Bridges)
Glute bridges and hip thrusts are great, but there is more than one way to sculpt that perfect backside. Below is a video showcasing 20 great exercises for just that. In the video there are bridge variations, but plenty of other movements that also work the glutes and leg musculature to a great degree.
Hopefully this info has been helpful, and happy bridging!