The strangest-looking exercise you should be doing
Chances are if you are reading this, you're sitting down right now. And odds are you most likely sit for the majority of the day – on your commute to work, at work, the commute home, and in front of the TV at night. Which means there's a strong possibility your glutes aren't functioning as effectively as they should be.
Strong glutes can help take the stress off of your lower back and help to maintain proper mechanics of your hips, knees, ankles and feet. Strong glutes will also help you to perform better during everyday activities - walking, climbing the stairs at work, or running after your children. And if that isn't enough motivation for you, strong glutes also lead to a more aesthetically pleasing derriere - higher, rounder, firmer - and who doesn't want that?
So how can you build stronger glutes? Enter the hip thrust. The hip thrust will help to build glute strength while working the hamstrings, quadriceps and adductors. Here's how to perform the exercise:
Start sitting on the ground with the bottom of your shoulder blades against a bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor, hip distance apart. The arms can be spread across the bench for extra stability.
Take a deep breath, brace your core muscles and drive through your heels as you lift your hips until they are fully extended.
In the top position contract your glutes hard. Your shoulders, hips and knees should be in one straight line and parallel to the floor. Your shins should be vertical.
Exhale as you lower the hips, returning to the starting position.
Your back is a pivot point. Be careful to not let your back slide back and forth on the bench. Make sure your neck stays neutral throughout the movement (don't let your head drop back at the top).
Try adding these into your weekly workout routine. Start with 3 sets of 8-10 reps, three times per week. Once you've mastered the bodyweight hip thrust you can move on to the bodyweight single leg hip thrust. Use the same technique with the exception of raising one foot off of the floor.
After you've become proficient at bodyweight hip thrusts, the weighted hip thrusts variations are endless. Weighted variations can be done using barbells, dumbbells, bands or chains.
Veronica McNelis is a personal trainer at RISE gym in King of Prussia. You can reach her here.
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.