Let’s talk Glutes; Booty Muscles! The gluteus muscles (Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, Gluteus minimus, Tensor Fasciae Latae) are the largest muscles in the human body. These muscles are also extremely powerful because they are responsible for helping hold your body upright while standing or moving. These wonderful muscles are used for walking, going up stairs, squatting down to pick something up (bending at your back can injure your spine, so SQUAT when you want to reach the floor), and a whole lot more.

The next few exercises are ways you can strengthen your glutes and the muscles around them (booty, thighs, back) using little to no equipment.

Glute Extension in Quadruped:

• Start in the quadruped position with a neutral spine
• Bring your leg up and back with knee flexed at a 90-degree angle
  • Try to keep the leg perpendicular with the floor
  • Hold the position for a few seconds and squeeze the muscle once your leg is perpendicular to the floor
  • You can do this with your knee straight
  • Adding ankle weights will help make this exercise more difficult

Modified Glute Extension:

• Start with your hands or elbows resting on a chair (depending how high the chair is) with your feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, and a neutral spine
  • Bending your knees adds a balance, stability, and strengthening component to the stationary leg
    
• Bring your leg up and back with knee flexed at a 90 degree angle
  • Try to keep the leg perpendicular with the floor
  • Hold the position for a few seconds and squeeze the muscle once your leg is perpendicular to the floor
  • You can do this with your knee straight
  • Adding ankle weights will help make this exercise more difficult

Abduction in Quadruped (Fire Hydrant):

• Begin on hands and knees with a neutral spine
• Bring your leg out to the side
  • Keep your knee bent; (this is where the fire hydrant part comes in, use your imagination)
  • Make sure you are activating your buttocks and outer part of your thigh, as opposed to using your back

Modified Abduction (Fire Hydrant):

• Start with your hands or elbows resting on a chair (depending how high the chair is) with your feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, and a neutral spine
  • Bending your kneesadds more of a balance, stability, and strengthening component to the stationary leg
    
• Bring your leg out to the side
  • Keep your knee bent; (this is where the fire hydrant part comes in, use your imagination)
  • Make sure you are activating your buttocks and outer part of your thigh as opposed to using your back

Modified Supine Glute Bridge:

This exercise is a more advanced version of a Glute Bridge that you could do while laying flat on the floor. Begin with the easier version before progressing to this one.

The physioball adds an extra dimension of balance, core stability, and requires more activation of the thighs, glutes, abdominals, and back

Laying on your back past the first trimester might put pressure on the vena cava and should be done with care. Watch out for dizziness/lightheadedness/trouble breathing. Discontinue if you feel any negative symptoms

• Begin with your back resting against the physioball, feet flat on the floor.
  • Find your neutral spine
    
• Bring your buttocks up by activating your glutes
  • Try to keep a 90 degree angle at the knees
  • Activate your core as you squeeze your glutes by bringing your abdominal muscles in and up
    
• Hold the position with glutes activated for 10 sec and slowly release

Modified Single Leg Glute Bridge in Supine:

This is another progression of the glute bridge; it is more difficult because you are using only one leg to stabilize yourself and have to perform this exercise on both sides. You should only progress to this exercise once you are comfortable doing a Glute bridge, can control your core, and have good balance.

• Begin with your back resting againstthe physioball,feetflat on the floor
  • Find your neutral spine
    
• Lift one leg up and find your balance
• Lift your buttocks up slightly off the floor and find your balance
  • Squeeze your glutes and activate your core to bring your buttocks up even further off the floor
  • repeat 10-15 times on each side and then switch legs