Science-Based Exercises for the Glutes (No Hip Thrusts)

This is how you should train your glutes. If you think one of the must-have exercises for that is the hip thrust, you are mistaken. Check out these science-based exercises for the glutes that do not include hip thrusts.

Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, is a well-respected professor in the bodybuilding community. You cannot go wrong when listening to him, so check below his list of science-based exercises for the glutes.

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Science-Based Exercises for the Glutes (No Hip Thrusts)

Mike Israetel, a fitness expert and coach, leads a workout session with a guest, a fellow fitness enthusiast and IFBB bikini pro named Laura Stalinkeviciute. In the video, Mike guides Laura through a series of exercises, providing instructions, cues, and encouragement throughout the session.

At the beginning of the video, Mike pushes Laura to do her best, reminding her that she wanted to be on the channel. He lightens the atmosphere by joking that it’s okay to cry on camera, as others have done before.

Mike introduces various exercises, such as front-foot-elevated lunges, deadlifts, and Romanian deadlifts (RDLs). He offers cues and techniques to ensure proper form and effectiveness. They perform sets of exercises with an emphasis on slow and controlled movements, engaging different muscle groups and targeting hamstrings, glutes, and quads.

The video captures moments of exertion, occasional playful interactions, and the shared experience of pushing through challenging exercises. Mike’s coaching style includes both technical guidance and motivational remarks, which Laura responds to with effort and determination.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

Towards the end of the session, Mike introduces a set of squats, encouraging Laura to perform as many reps as possible while maintaining good form. The exchange between them showcases Mike’s coaching approach and Laura’s dedication to pushing her limits.

As the session concludes, Laura expresses feelings of satisfaction and pump in her muscles, despite the challenging workout. The video ends with a brief conversation about where viewers can find Laura’s content on Instagram and YouTube, along with playful banter between Mike and Laura.

In a nutshell, the science-based exercises for the glutes without including hip thrusts are:

• Foot-elevated lunge on the Smith machine
• Deficit deadlift
• Stiff-legged deadlift
• Squat drop set Renassaince Periodization style

Throughout the video, the dynamic between Mike and Laura demonstrates a mix of humour, camaraderie, and fitness-focused dedication.

Watch the full video below for all the information, reps and sets recommended too.

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Why Should You Exercise Your Glutes

Simply because every muscle group should get the attention it deserves. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. To understand the importance of a strong butt, you need to learn what muscles you have on your behind.

The gluteal muscles are often referred to as glutes, which are a group of three muscles that make up your buttocks. They are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

Source: Your House Fitness

The glutes are connected to your pelvis to the top of your femur (thigh bone), which is connected to the side of your knee. The main purpose of the glutes is to help hip extension, lateral rotation, abduction of the leg and provide support during single-leg positions.

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Strong glutes will:

• Help prevent injuries – by protecting your pelvis with strong glutes, you can prevent the famous lower back pain. It will also lower the chances of you having a knee injury.
• Help you run faster – your glutes and hamstrings are a major role in the power of a stride while running. Hip extension is the act of moving your leg backwards after it hits the ground and the glutes are responsible for hip extension.
• Make you fitter generally speaking – not only you will run faster, but also jump higher, and squat deeper and heavier loads.
• Help you lose weight and increase your metabolism – the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and one of the strongest as well. Strengthening your glutes will increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories since it’s a large muscle group that requires energy to function.

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