What is it?
Glute workouts are exercises that target the gluteal muscles, the three muscles in the buttocks (gluteus medius, maximus and minimus) that help with hip extension (moving/driving leg backward), abduction (moving leg away from the body), and rotation.
What are the benefits?
Benefits of strengthening these muscles include improved posture, core strength, reduced risk of injury (especially for runners—the glutes are dominant muscles while running—think of driving the leg down and back with every stride), enhanced sports performance, and better overall mobility.
What mode of training?
The best mode of training for glute strengthening is strength training! Some of my favorite moves that target the glutes the most are the step-up, hip thrust (or glute bridge), reverse lunge, Bulgarian split squat, sumo squats and deadlifts (in a variety of forms!).
Tips:
A good rule of thumb for training the glutes is to strength train them AT LEAST 1X a week—in an ideal world, you focus on movements that target the glutes 2-3X a week, especially if you’re a runner. The glutes are undeniably important for everyday movement.
