Your glutes consist of three different muscles, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Each muscle plays an important role in moving your legs and stabilizing your pelvis and torso. You can work out your glutes in many different positions and with many different exercises, but the hands-and-knees position is especially beneficial for beginners and pregnant women.
Hands and Knees
Maintaining a technically correct hands-and-knees position will ensure you get the most out of your glutes exercises with the least risk of injury. Make sure your hands are aligned with your shoulder joints and your knees are aligned with your hip joints. Fold a towel or yoga mat under your knees if you experience pain from the contact of your knees with the floor. You may feel a mild to intense stretch in your wrists from having your palms flat on the floor; Use pushup bars to minimize the stretch on your wrists or curl your hands into fists. Keep your arms straight from shoulders to wrist bones. Avoid letting your elbow bend backward, also called hyperextension.
Bent Leg Raise
The bent leg raise primarily challenges your gluteus maximus. Begin in the hands-and-knees position. Shift your weight to your right leg and lift your left leg up behind you. Keep your leg bent at the knee, forming a 90-degree angle, and flex your foot so the sole of your foot points toward the ceiling. Align your hip bones parallel to the floor and your leg bone with your hip socket, preventing your leg from drifting to the side or rotating outward. Raise your leg as high as you can without arching your lower back. Your leg may not rise very high at first, either because of muscle weakness or tightness in your hips. Hold your leg as high as you can for three to five seconds and slowly lower it back to the ground. Repeat 10 to 20 times per leg for two or three sets, depending upon your fitness level and desired goal. Make the exercise more challenging using ankle weights or resistance from a partner.
Straight Leg Raise
Perform the bent leg raise with a straight leg to incorporate assistance from your hamstrings. Straighten your leg as you begin to lift it off the ground, reaching full knee extension when your leg reaches its maximum height. Keep your knee and thigh pointing straight down to the ground. Make the exercise more challenging using ankle weights or resistance from a partner.
Side Leg Raise
The side leg raise challenges your gluteus medius and minimus. Begin in the hands-and-knees position. Shift your weight to your right leg and lift your left leg up to the side of your body. Keep your leg bent at the knee and hip, forming a 90-degree angle at each. Align your hip bones parallel to the floor. Raise your leg as high as you can without arching your lower back, rotating your pelvis towards your leg or collapsing to your right. Hold for three to five seconds and slowly lower your leg back to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 20 times per leg for two or three sets.
Member Comments