HOW TO Activate Your Glutes | Tips for Better Results, by BC nation on YouTube. 11 min 27 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 27 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes with brisk walking, marching on the spot or easy cycling. Warm muscles switch on faster and you will feel the glutes working sooner.
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze at the top for 2 seconds, lower slowly, and do 10 to 15 reps.
Do clamshells on your side with knees bent to 90 degrees and heels together. Keep your hips still and lift the top knee about 15 cm, hold for a second, then lower. Do 12 to 15 per side.
Move onto all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Keeping your back flat, lift one knee out to the side to hip height, then lower. Do 10 to 12 per side as fire hydrants.
Loop a resistance band just above your knees and sink into a half squat. Take 10 to 15 small side steps in each direction, keeping the band tight and your feet pointing forward.
Finish with 8 to 10 slow frog pumps or single-leg glute bridges per side. Pause at the top and check the effort sits in your glutes, not your lower back.
Start your run or workout within 10 minutes while the muscles are still warm. Keep the first set of your main exercise lighter so you can feel the glutes doing the work.
Tips and common mistakes
If you feel the move in your lower back, tuck your ribs down and push through your heels instead.
Keep every rep slow and controlled, since speed lets other muscles take over.
Do this routine before each lower body session or run, not just once.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in your hips, knees or back, and check your form before continuing.
Questions
How long do activated glutes stay switched on?
The effect fades after roughly 10 to 20 minutes, so go straight from this routine into your run or workout. If you wait longer, repeat a few bridges first.
How do I know my glutes are actually working?
You should feel a firm squeeze in the back of your hips and a mild burn, not a pull in your lower back or the front of your thighs. Place a hand on each glute during bridges to check.
Can I do this without a resistance band?
Yes. Do the bridges, clamshells, fire hydrants and frog pumps on their own and add a longer 2 second squeeze at the top of each rep.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
