5 EXERCISES TO ACTIVATE THE GLUTES

Strong glutes not only enhance your physical appearance but also play a crucial role in overall lower body strength and stability. However, due to our sedentary lifestyles and prolonged sitting, our glute muscles often become inactive and weak. To counteract this, it’s important to incorporate exercises that specifically target and activate the glutes.

In this article, we will explore five effective exercises that will help you activate and strengthen your glute muscles. Get ready to activate those buns and unleash their full potential!

5 exercises to activate the glutes

You still have to remember to squeeze those glutes, but these exercises are some of the best for glute activation:

Donkey kick

• Start in a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
• Activate your right glute before lifting your right leg off the ground, maintaining the 90-degree angle at the knee.
• Raise your right leg as high as you can without arching your back.
• Hold the top position for a couple of seconds, keeping your glutes engaged.
• Slowly lower your right leg back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.
• Make sure you don’t arch your back while doing this exercise. The important thing is the activation of the glutes, not the height of the leg in the air.

Bird dog

• Start in a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
• Activate your core and right glute as you lift your right leg and left arm off the ground.
• Bring them up until they extend straight and in line with your back.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds before returning your arm and leg to the starting position.
• Repeat the operation with the left leg and right arm.

Prone leg extension

• Start lying face down. You can bend your arms and use them as a pillow if that is more comfortable for you.
• Squeeze your glutes and slowly lift your legs off the ground a couple of inches while keeping your knees straight.
• Hold the top position while squeezing your glutes for a couple of seconds before placing your legs back on the floor.

Glute bridge

• Start by lying on the floor with your hands at your sides.
• Bend your knees and pull your feet toward your butt until they are just below your knees.
• Focus on squeezing your glutes to lift your back and glutes off the floor.
• Lift yourself up with your glutes until your body is in a straight line from your chest to your knees.
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds while squeezing your glutes.
• Using your glutes to support your weight, slowly lower yourself to the floor.

Goblet squat

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a light dumbbell with both hands just in front of your chest.
• Shift your weight toward your glutes as you bend your knees and push your hips back and sit in a squat position. Do not go beyond 90 degrees with your knees.
• Maintain glute tension at the bottom of the movement and use that glute tension to return to the starting position.