Following my Battle of the bums post I scoured and combed through sources to find out how to get perfect, glorious glutes. So, you're probably thinking the answer has to be the Queen of all exercises; the almighty squat, well, actually, no. In fact, contrary to popular belief squats aren't the best exercise for glutes at all. And, as for heavy squats, it's been found that people actually activate their glutes more while performing body weight exercises.
We've always been told the best exercises for glutes are squats, deadlifts and lunges however, these exercises do not maximally activate the glutes but rather the supporting muscles instead i.e quads.
In descending order the exercises with the most activation are a single-leg bent reverse hyper (122%), hip thrust (119%), pendulum quadruped hip extension (112%), bent-leg reverse hyper (111%), the kneeling squat (67%), the deadlift (55%), sumo deadlift (52%), the zercher squat (45%) and finally the squat (36%) and good mornings (34%).
Now, this doesn't mean quickly cut squats from your program! Squats are an amazing compound movement; meaning it uses all of your body. Squats are also functional; helping you perform daily activities. Squats are a key movement and strengthening your squat can enhance your execution in other exercises.
When trying to attain the perfect bum variety is key. You don't get that pop just from squats. Another important factor are the supporting muscles. Some people overdevelop surrounding muscles, such as their quads, which make it much harder to make the bum pop. In bodybuilding it's important as well to create a smooth glute and hamstring tie-in. Toning the hamstrings will create even more definition around the glute area. In other words, it's all about balance; building your legs enough while ensuring the glutes stay more prominent.
Steps to get a very envied derrier...
Firstly wake up those glutes!
FACT: the majority of people have very poor glute activation - regardless of how strong they think their glutes are or how heavy they squat. So you need to wake those babies up!
Glute bridge: Lie on your back with your knees at a rough 90 degree angle with arms out straight, palms facing the floor, squeeze your glutes and drive your bum off the ground pushing your hips up towards the ceiling. Hold there for a couple seconds, bring back down and repeat. Try a glute bridge single legged or resting your feet on an elevated platform - or both!
Wall sits: Standing straight against a wall with back resting against it, lower yourself to the floor and hold and repeat - or keep held at the lower position for as long as possible.
High knee skips: Stand in one position and sprint on the spot bringing your knees as high as possible. Try this in short second bursts e.g 30 seconds - 60 x 3.
Step ups: Using a box or stepper... anything you can step on! Yes, obviously steps too... step onto the elevated platform with one foot, push up through the heel of that foot to elevate your opposite leg off the ground whilst keeping it stretched out straight and clenching your glutes. Try with either side for a couple reps. Once perfecting this move you can add weight to make it more challenging.
Resistance band walks: Put a resistance band around your ankles and with a hip width stance walk forwards maintaining the tension on the band.
Laying hip abductions: Lie on your side on the floor, keeping the leg touching the floor there, raise the resting top leg up straight (like a pair of scissors), squeezing your glutes and repeat this movement on both sides for a couple of reps. This same move can be done while standing and with weight by using cables or resistance bands.
Plyometric movements: Box jumps: Jump on to a box landing knees bent and jump off, again, with soft knees.
Squat jumps; get yourself into the same position as if you were going to do a regular squat, squat and when reaching your lowest point jump back up and land with soft knees and repeat.
Jumping split squats: Start in a lunge position and jump up off the ground and landing with alternate legs.
Warmed up?
Now we get down to business...
Bent-leg reverse hyperextension: Lie facedown on a stable exercise bench. Grab the end of the bench with an underhand grip. The other end of the bench should be just above your waist so that your legs hang off freely. Bend your knees and brace your core. This is your starting position. Lift your legs in the air so that your knees are in a straight line with your hips and shoulders. Pause then slowly lower legs back to the starting position.
Single-leg bent reverse hyperextension: Using the same instructions above, but only raise one leg at a time. You can also use a resistance band or cables and attach either around the ankle of one leg in a standing position and raise up the leg behind you in similar motion.
Kneeling squat: Set the bar to the proper height in a power rack. Kneel behind the bar; it may be beneficial to put a mat down to pad your knees. Slide under the bar, racking it across the back of your shoulders. Your shoulder blades should be retracted and the bar tight across your back. Unrack the weight. With your head looking forward, sit back with your butt until you touch your calves. Reverse the motion, returning the torso to an upright position.
Hip thrusts: Sit in front of a bench and hinge your back onto the bench (just below the scapula) with a bar resting on your pubic bone (You can use other weighted equipment or no weights at all!). With a medium stance and feet straight, lift up your hips off the ground while keeping you back in position on the bench. This exercise can be switched up exactly like a glute bridge - singled legged or with feet elevated.
Pendulum quadruped hip extension: On all fours, extend one leg up backwards as if kicking the ceiling. You can add weight by using a smith machine and pushing the bar up with one foot or even a leg curl pad attached to a leg curl machine.
The deadlift: Stand shoulder width apart in front of a bar on the floor. Bend your knees so they are parallel to the floor, while keeping your back straight (so that you are sitting back) and pick up the bar off the floor. Draw it up across your thighs keeping your back and arms straight. Using the same steps but with a much wider stance creates a sumo deadlift or, the same movement while keeping legs straight becomes a Romanian deadlift (Great for hamstrings!).
Squat: Stand tall with feet hip width apart and start to lower your body back as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees and pushing your body weight into your heels ( as if you were about to sit on a chair... or a toilet... ) and keeping a neutral spine, then raise back up. This can be performed with altered leg stances and weights. There are tons and tons of squat variations however listing all those would make this article even more longer! So, look these up! Hack squats, sumo squats, pulse squats, front squats... yep... lots of squats!
Zercher squat: Like a normal squat but add a weight to the front of your body; rest a bar in between flexed arms in front of you (as if you were holding a baby) and squat (best with a wider stance).
Good mornings: With a bar across your back and in a wide stance, lower your back straight keeping bum up in the air and then bring your raise your back up to the starting position.
Lunges: Standing upright, step forward with one leg (about 2 feet) and lower your hips towards the ground and push back up. This can be done in a stationary position with or without weight, or carry out the move whilst walking. This exercise is also the base for a split/ Bulgarian squat; one foot is rested on top of a platform behind and you lower yourself into a lunge position.
Swiss ball leg curl: Lay on the floor with your heels dug into the top of a swiss ball, raise your hips of the ground and drag the ball in towards your bum keeping hips raised towards the ceiling and push back.
The extras...
Leg curls: Use a leg curl machine to target your hamstrings - these are in most gyms either seated or laying.
Leg press: Again most gyms have a leg press whether it be assisted or plate loaded.
Assisted chin up machine leg press: Stand by an assisted chin up machine, place one foot on the pad on the machine and push the pad down using one leg. Repeat either side.
Choose from the workouts above and try to maintain a good mix of glute and hamstring exercises. All exercises can be done using heavy loads for minimal reps or with light to no weight loads in volume.