Direct glute training
is VERY important for a variety of reasons...lower body
power, explosiveness, posterior chain, and, of course,
vanity...heck, I wrote a book completely about building
bigger glutes!
Gluteus
to the Maximus -
Build a Bigger Butt NOW!
I recently (and totally
by accident - I was actually trying to do something
else) discovered a variation of the stiff-legged deadlift
that targets the glutes like a LASER beam. I couldn't
believe how well it worked for targeting the glutes.
This is especially useful if you find in most glute-related
exercises (like squats or lunges) that your quads end
up doing most of the work.
That's going to change
witih this exercise because your quads are hardly even
involved in the exercise.
So here it is...this one
looks suspiciously like a Bulgarian Split Squat but
without the squatting...
That exercise is where
you set your back leg up on a bench then come down in
the lunge position (aka split squat).
With THIS exercise, however,
you're going to be doing a one-legged stiff-legged deadlift
with your back leg up on the bench.
I was actually quite amazed
at how strongly this one targeted the glutes...the best
part is, it hits the glutes without involving knee flexion
to any substantial degree.
What THIS means is that
you can build bigger glutes (and/or maintain glute size)
when you have knee problems or injuries that prevent
you from squatting or lunging.
Now there's no excuse...unless
you have back problems, too, then you're totally @&#$ed,
of course (just kidding :)
So here's what the exercise
looks like...you'll need two dumbells and a bench for
this one. Set the dumbells in front of the bench (I'm
using a couple of 85 lb dumbells - start lighter than
this when you try these the first time).
Now set your ENTIRE SHIN
on the top of the bench. You'll need this for some degree
of stability. We're not trying to make this exercise
unstable, per se. What we're trying to do is get your
body in the right position to force the glutes to activate.
You may need to slide
the dumbels forward a bit. Set your front foot in between
the two dumbells, get into position on the bench (like
you were going to do that split squat movement). Both
knees should be bent but held in that same position
throughout the exercise.
Bend forward and grab
the dumbells. Keep your core tight.
Now pick the dumbells
up off the floor. The pressure should be on the heel
of your front foot and your glute should be feeling
it. Your glute will not only be providing the hip extension
that gets you to the upright position, it's also contracting
isometrically to maintain that bent-knee split position
- double whammy!
Come all the up until
your torso is vertical then lower the dumbells slowly
back down and set them on the ground. Repeat the movement,
lifting the dumbells off the ground - setting them down
allows you to reset your body position and keep your
lower back well stabilized.
Do your reps on one leg
then switch legs. I prefer lower reps with this exercise
since the glutes are powerful muscles and need to be
hit hard.
Remember, you're setting
the dumbells completely on the floor in between reps.
Breathe out on the way up and keep your core tight.
Try to keep an arch in your lower back throughout the
movement as well.
Do a few sets of this
then post a note below about how hard it was to sit
down for the next few days after trying this one...
