This Move Is Better Than Squats at Building Butt Strength — and You Can Do It Lying Down

Constructing a even larger butt has unquestionably turn out to be a trend, and as a coach, I’m not entirely opposed to it. Which is for the reason that consistently carrying out routines focusing on the glute muscle tissue will reinforce and activate these muscle mass, which overall is a great matter. When your glute muscle tissues are firing appropriately (which is what it means to have “lively” glutes), your athletic overall performance advantages, you are considerably less most likely to working experience dormant butt syndrome (a prevalent result in of back again and knee suffering), and you happen to be usually greater able to shift your system without the need of discomfort.

But also generally these times, people today equate “glute exercise” with “squats.” And I’m listed here to notify you that squats are not the only way to fireplace up your glute muscle mass. To be guaranteed, squats — and all their versions — can assist you make a more robust butt. But so can the humble glute bridge — and in actuality, study in the Journal of Sports activities Science and Drugs has revealed that energy routines in which you bend at only the hip are a lot more efficient at concentrating on the glutes than exercise routines in which you bend at the hip and knee. That will make glute bridges far better for partaking your glutes than actions like squats or lunges — and when you make it a weighted glute bridge, you can make some severe muscle mass.

That is just one particular benefit of this transfer, though. In addition to strengthening your glutes, the glute bridge also engages your hamstrings and your deep main muscles, so it’s handy for making core stability as nicely, for each the Nationwide Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Plus, glute bridges can be gentler on the knees than squats.

Here is your primer on glute bridges — weighted and or else — which includes the variance concerning a hip thrust and a glute bridge, how to do a glute bridge move by move, and kind tips to keep in head.

Weighted Glute Bridge vs. Hip Thrust

Right before we get into it, it can be important to know the change among a weighted glute bridge and one more similar training: the hip thrust, which is normally done with a barbell. You have possibly observed that physical exercise all in excess of your Instagram or TikTok feeds, many thanks to physical fitness influencers and famous people (such as Brie Larson, who’s proven off a barbell hip thrust lifting 275 kilos, for case in point).

The hip-thrust movement is very similar to a glute bridge, but in its place of resting your back on the ground, you brace it towards a thing 1 to two feet off the floor, these kinds of as a work out bench. By elevating your torso, there is certainly a increased assortment of movement included in the hip thrust, resulting in a extra considerable extend of the glutes, per NASM. Over-all, this helps make the hip thrust a little bit additional challenging than the glute bridge.

While hip thrusts are generally performed with a barbell, you can also do this go with your bodyweight or applying a resistance band or dumbbell. Value noting: when completed with a barbell, the hip thrust is not suited for newcomers, given that it can be an state-of-the-art raise. As an alternative, start out with bodyweight hip thrusts and glute bridges to get at ease with the movement sample. Then, bit by bit increase bodyweight to create energy.

How to Do a Weighted Glute Bridge

1st points initial: if you are not cozy performing bodyweight glute bridges, do the job on mastering all those. You can comply with the same measures underneath, just without a fat. At the time you can do a few sets of 12 reps easily and with extra power still left in the tank, you can consider introducing body weight. Bodyweight physical exercises are continue to wonderful at constructing strength, so don’t rush by that move of the course of action — particularly when you are new to work out.

To do this shift, you can will need a medium to large dumbbell, from 8 to 20 kilos. (Here is a lot more on how to choose the ideal excess weight.) Or, you can use just your bodyweight. Test utilizing the glute bridge physical exercise into your exercise session regime two to a few moments a week.

Weighted Glute Bridge Ideas

If you are doubtful about your sort, check with a coach or other exercise skilled for assistance. And if the exercising ever hurts, cease doing it.

If you discover the pounds to be uncomfortable resting on your stomach, test placing a folded-up yoga mat, towel, or other cushion under the weight. Or, you can often return to bodyweight glute bridges and make them tougher by striving diverse versions, like solitary-leg glute bridges.

Building glute energy is advantageous for most folks, but you should not restrict your workout routines to only butt-centered moves. If you might be strengthening your glutes but not all the other muscle tissues in your overall body, it could outcome in muscle imbalances or personal injury. Rather, integrate weighted glute bridges and other glute-strengthening physical exercises as part of a thorough exercise approach.

Tamara Pridgett was an affiliate editor with PS Exercise. She’s a NASM-qualified own coach and Precision Nourishment level 1 mentor, and was a Division 1 All-American sprinter.

Lauren Mazzo was the senior fitness editor at POPSUGAR. She is a accredited private coach and exercise nutrition professional via the American Council on Training. Prior to becoming a member of POPSUGAR, she labored for six decades as a author and editor for Form Journal covering health and fitness, exercise, nourishment, psychological wellness, intercourse and associations, natural beauty, and astrology.