Exercising glutes efficiently at home is possible if you choose the right exercises. In this article we show you some of the best exercises that you can do at home and without material to give shape and strength to your gluteal muscles.
Gluteal anatomy
The muscles that we call the gluteus are actually made up of 3 muscles . These muscles are located in the back of the pelvis and are important for various movements of the lower extremities and the hip.
Gluteus maximus
The gluteus maximus is in the most superficial layer. It is a very powerful and bulky muscle , very thick and very strong.
It originates from the posterior part of the sacrum and ileum and goes towards the iliotibial tract and towards the gluteal tuberosity.
Regarding its function , we can classify it as the most important hip extensor muscle; that is, it performs the movement of bringing the thigh back. It also performs the function of external rotation of the hip and a stabilization function of the pelvis , preventing it from tipping forward.
Gluteus medius
This muscle attaches to the ileum and goes to the greater trochanter of the femur (the ball that we feel when superficially palpating the hip).
It is the main abductor muscle of the hip , that is, it works by separating the thigh, bringing it out. It is also very important in the stability of the pelvis .
Gluteus minus
It is a much smaller, deeper and less powerful muscle than the previous ones. Its function is very similar to that of the gluteus medius, performing hip separation , but it is much weaker.
What you should know before exercising glutes at home
The gluteal muscles are one of the strongest in our body and as it is made up of 3 muscles, you will have to work with different exercises and in different positions, sitting, standing, kneeling …
The gluteus maximus and medius are bulky muscles, so the most optimal training in that area will be carried out with load and with exercises that involve knee and hip flexion.
Exercises to exercise glutes at home
Hip thrust
The hip thrust is one of the best exercises to exercise glutes and legs. In addition to the aesthetic improvement, you can benefit from improving the strength of the lower body.
It is an exercise that can be performed with external load in the gym or at home. To do it at home you will only need your body and you can add intensity by doing it on one leg.
To do it correctly, pay attention to the following aspects:
- You must place your back on the sofa, resting the scapular area on it.
- Your glute remains on the floor.
- Your legs are tucked up and the soles of your feet are flat on the ground.
- Push your hips up to lift your glute off the floor and into a horizontal position.
- Contract and activate the gluteal muscles.
- Descend and descend to the starting position.
Lumbar bridge
It is a super simple and basic exercise that will help you strengthen not only the muscles of your buttocks, but also that of your core as a whole . It is an exercise that is usually recommended to strengthen and gain stability in the middle area of our body and correct imbalances in our back.
To do it correctly, you only need:
- Lie on your back on a mat or mat.
- Stretch your hands on each side of your hips, positioning your palms toward the ground.
- Your legs are bent and with the soles of your feet resting on the floor.
- Raise your hips keeping your glute tight until you maintain an angle of about 45 degrees to your body.
- Keep your back neutral without any bow.
- Go down controlling the movement.
Lunges or split
It is a multi-joint exercise because its execution involves the ankle, knee and hip joints . Therefore, it requires the participation of a large number of muscles. The strides will help you strengthen and shape the gluteal muscles.
You can do it with your own weight (self-loading) or by holding a water bottle filled with sand in each of your hands.
- The legs are with an opening equal to the width of your shoulders.
- Bring one leg forward and bend your knee, as if you were taking a step.
- The leg that is behind should be flexed in the same way, trying to form a 90 degree angle at the knee.
- Move by alternating leg movements and walking forward.
- You can also do the static exercise without displacement, alternating one leg and the other.
Clams with rubber
Rubber clams are one of the simplest exercises you can do to shape your glute. The main muscle that will benefit from this movement is the gluteus medius.
To do it and increase the intensity you will need a mini-band .
- Lie on your side on the floor.
- The knees are bent and the feet together .
- Place the mini-band above your knees.
- Keep your feet together and slightly raise your top leg until you create a little tension in the rubber. This will be the starting point of the movement.
- The feet never separate, and all the tension generated in the rubber is never lost.
- The movement of “down” or back to the starting position must be done in a controlled way, not dropping the leg.
Side lying hip raise
The lateral hip raises are a great exercise to exercise glutes and isolate the work of the gluteus medius , but also, they will strengthen your core and the stabilizing muscles of your spine.
It is an exercise that requires some coordination and technique, so we suggest that you pay special attention to the movement at the beginning of practicing it.
To run it correctly you must:
- Position yourself laterally, adopting a position similar to when you are going to perform the lateral plank exercise.
- The legs are bent backwards, drawing a 90º angle with the knees.
- The hip begins resting on the floor laterally, along with the forearm on the same side.
- Raise your hips and in the same movement perform an abduction movement of the upper leg.
- Work should focus primarily on the leg that is in contact with the ground.
Conclution
Working the glute at home to develop strength and shape the muscles is easy if you choose the exercises to execute correctly.
Remember that the gluteal muscles are mainly composed of three muscles, so your training routine for this area should include exercises in both planes that generate stimulation in each of the areas that make up the gluteal muscles.
To increase the intensity of the exercises, we suggest that you modify the speed of their execution , that you add a greater volume as the weeks go by or use load whenever you can. Do not forget that certain parts of the gluteus, such as the gluteus maximus, benefit from work with loads to generate the hypertrophy that we are looking for.
References
- López Pareja, M. (October 1, 2018). Anatomy: Gluteus maximus, median and minor muscles. Vitonica.com https://www.vitonica.com/anatomia/anatomia-musculos-gluteo-mayor-mediano-y-menor
- Fitness Lady. (July 27, 2020). Clamshell with elastic band: a simple but effective exercise to work the gluteus medius. vitonica.com https://www.vitonica.com/entrenamiento/clamshell-goma-elastica-simple-efectivo-exercise-para-trabajar-gluteo-medio
