We ALL have one… and it seems that EVERYONE is on a quest… for a BETTER one.
Blame it on the Kardashians, JLo, Beyonce, or all the fitspo posting them all over the gram … there is no doubt that our generation is obsessed with … the booty!
If you are trying to build a better back-side and aren’t seeing progress…while your genetics do play a part (in terms of shape, fat storage, etc.) .. there is a good chance you are simply going about it the wrong way!!
Squats, deadlifts, kick-backs, and lunges are all great movements. But if you want the most bang for your buck when it comes to ISOLATED GLUTE TRAINING… you want to focus on THE ONLY EXERCISE that fully loads the glutes!
Yes. Only. One.
This movement is THAT CRUCIAL for glute strength and development.
Aside from being the gold standard for building a better butt, this ONE EXERCISE can also improve your strength, speed, and power. As a result .. you’ll improve your Squats, Deadlifts, and sprint times.
If you haven’t figured it out by now … we are talking about … THE HIP THRUST!
THERE IS ONE PROBLEM WITH THE HIP THRUST….
It is really easy to mess up this (relatively simple) movement.
It may look like you are just thrusting up and down, but much more goes into proper execution.
If you don’t know how to properly thrust, you will end up recruiting more quads or hamstrings and could also hurt your back.
No worries! We’ve got your back(side)
We put together a video that will guide you step-by-step! You will learn proper setup and form, the ideal amount volume/weight to use, and numerous hip thrust equipment variations!
WHY IS GLUTE TRAINING IMPORTANT (other than having a nice butt)
Our Glutes are among the most powerful muscles in your body, making them incredibly important for pretty much every physically demanding thing you do.
Weak glutes are associated with tight hip flexors, sore knees, and can be related to poor movement mechanics.
EVEN IF YOURS ARE SMALL (the muscle itself is huge)
Aside from being powerful… your glutes are also one of your largest muscle groups. Like most parts of the body, the glutes aren’t made up of just ONE muscle.
You have:
The gluteus maximus – (the largest of the gluteal group)
The gluteus medius
The gluteus minimus
So there is a lot of booty ground to cover! The hip thrust works all parts of your glute, but primarily targets the biggest of the three… the gluteus maximus.
HIP THRUSTING TIPS
- Use the right bench height: 16 inches or shorter is ideal. A good way to eyeball this is that it should match your tibia (lower leg) height.
- The bar should be placed directly on your upper thigh. You’ll probably want to use some type of cushion (barbell pad/exercise mat) – as this can be a tad uncomfortable otherwise.
- Your back should be on the edge of the bench pad across the middle part of the back—right below the shoulder blades.
- Keep your feet roughly hip-width apart. They should be directly under your knees, so when you fully extend into the lift, your knees make a 90-degree angle with the ground.
- Your neck should always remain neutral. Tuck your chin and pretend you have an egg under it throughout the entire lift.
- Press through your entire foot (no tippy-toes)
- As you go up, always extend your hips up so that you come totally parallel to the ground. This top part of the lift is where the magic happens! But DO NOT overextend! Think about tilting the pelvis and finishing with the glutes as activated as you can.
- Squeeze for a couple of seconds at the top and lower back down to the starting point in a slow and controlled tempo!
If you want more glute focused exercises (other than the one we are showing you today), we have a FULL BOOTY BUILDING GUIDE.
It goes beyond a workout guide and gives you in-depth information about the mechanics of the glutes and much more.
Download the VINSANITY SHRED Booty Builder workout and guide HERE!!
One more BOOTY TIP we almost forgot about …
We briefly touched on genetics at the beginning of this article. To build a better butt (and reshape your entire body), knowing your BODY TYPE is key! This information will help you understand exactly how you should train and eat to see OPTIMAL results!
We have a FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ that will break it all down for you! You can take it HERE!