The glutes are one of the most powerful muscles in the body and have had quite a lot of attention in recent times when it comes to aesthetic bodybuilding.
The glutes consist of 3 main muscles – the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
Many experts say squats provide the maximum glute activation, BUT multiple studies have shown that squats do not activate the muscle fibers in the glutes the most. Here is our list of top 3 exercises for glutes that will give you the most bang for the buck.
• *Hip Thrusts:* is by far the most effective glute exercise. EMG studies (electromyography), which is a scientific method that measures muscle fiber activity, show tremendous amounts of glute activation during the hip thrust.
Hips trusts are so effective that many people experience more glute activation during a bodyweight hip thrust than on a maximal effort squat. Make sure you focus on squeezing your glutes as hard as possible throughout the whole movement.
1. *Step-up:* The step-up is one of the best butt-building exercises in existence.
• A motion that we perform every day—going up and downstairs and stepping on and off. If you can’t properly perform it with a slow and controlled tempo, then you have no business lunging, squatting, running, or jumping.
1. *Walking Dumbbell Lunges:*
Lunges are another great exercise when it comes to adding muscle mass and definition to your glute muscles. When going down during a lunge, the glutes are stretched and a high load is exerted on them at the most difficult part of the movement. This is the reason why walking dumbbell has a nasty reputation for preventing people from sitting down the next day.
*Final word:*
So include these glute exercises into your workouts and your lower body will have better shape and be able to produce more power which is good for overall performance.