Glutes: moves, progressions and balance

Set up. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat about hip width apart, arms by your sides.

1. Brace your stomach and push through your heels to lift your hips.
2. Rise until your body is in a line from shoulders to knees.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
4. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Push through the heels.
• Keep the ribs down.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back to get higher.
• Pushing through the toes.

Set up. Lie on your back with one knee bent and that foot flat, the other leg held straight or bent in the air.

1. Push through the planted heel to lift your hips.
2. Rise until your body forms a line from shoulders to knee.
3. Lower under control.
4. Finish the set and switch legs.

Form cues

• Keep the hips level.
• Push through the heel.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Letting one hip drop.
• Arching the lower back.

Set up. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together and your knees falling out to the sides, heels close to your backside.

1. Push through the outside edges of your feet to lift your hips.
2. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
3. Lower and repeat at a steady pace.

Form cues

• Keep the knees wide.
• Keep the ribs down.
• Squeeze hard at the top.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back.
• Letting the knees close.

Set up. Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

1. Keeping the knee bent, lift one leg out to the side.
2. Pause at the top.
3. Lower under control.
4. Finish the set and switch legs.

Form cues

• Keep the hips level.
• Keep the stomach braced.
• Move slowly.

Common mistakes

• Leaning the body away to lift higher.
• Rushing the reps.

Set up. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and a kettlebell on the floor a short way in front. Hinge down with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands.

1. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs.
2. Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about chest height.
3. Let it swing back down and hinge to meet it.
4. At the end, hinge and park the bell on the floor in front of you.

Form cues

• It is a hip hinge, not a squat.
• The arms guide the bell, the hips move it.
• Stand tall with glutes tight at the top.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the bell with the arms.
• Rounding the back as the bell swings down.

Set up. Attach a rope to a low cable. Face away from the machine, take the rope between your legs and walk forward until there is tension.

1. Hinge at the hips, letting the rope pull your hands back between your legs.
2. Keep your back flat and knees softly bent.
3. Drive your hips forward to stand tall.

Form cues

• Push the hips back, not down.
• Keep the arms relaxed.
• Squeeze the glutes at the top.

Common mistakes

• Squatting instead of hinging.
• Pulling with the arms.

Set up. Sit in the hip thrust machine with your upper back on the pad, the belt or pad across your hips and your feet flat on the platform.

1. Push through your heels to lift your hips.
2. Finish with your hips in line with your knees and shoulders.
3. Squeeze, then lower under control.

Form cues

• Tuck the chin.
• Keep the ribs down.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back at the top.
• Using a short range.

Set up. Place a bench beside the Smith machine. Sit with your upper back on the bench, the padded bar over your hips and your feet flat.

1. Unhook the bar and drive your hips up through your heels.
2. Finish level with your knees and shoulders.
3. Squeeze, then lower under control.
4. Hook the bar back after the set.

Form cues

• Tuck the chin.
• Keep the shins vertical at the top.
• Pad the bar.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back.
• Placing the bench where the bar path is awkward.

Set up. Stand with a kettlebell on the floor between your feet, feet about hip width apart.

1. Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands.
2. Push the floor away and stand up tall.
3. Lower the bell by pushing the hips back.

Form cues

• Keep the bell between your feet.
• Keep the back flat.
• Squeeze the glutes at the top.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back to reach the bell.
• Squatting it up with the knees forward.

Set up. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand.

1. Step one foot back and across behind the other.
2. Lower the back knee toward the floor.
3. Push through the front foot to return.
4. Alternate sides or finish one side first.

Form cues

• Keep the hips facing forward.
• Keep the front knee over the foot.
• Move with control.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the hips.
• Stepping so far across you lose balance.

Set up. Set up on the kickback machine with your chest or forearms on the pad and one foot on the footplate.

1. Push the footplate back by extending the hip.
2. Squeeze the glute at the end.
3. Return under control.
4. Finish the set and switch legs.

Form cues

• Keep the lower back still.
• Drive through the heel.
• Move slowly.

Common mistakes

• Arching the back to push further.
• Kicking with momentum.

Set up. Attach an ankle cuff to a low cable. Face the machine, hold it for support and hinge forward slightly.

1. Kick the cuffed leg back by extending the hip.
2. Squeeze the glute at the end.
3. Return under control.
4. Finish the set and switch legs.

Form cues

• Keep the lower back still.
• Lead with the heel.
• Move slowly.

Common mistakes

• Arching the back to kick higher.
• Swinging.

Set up. Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and a padded barbell over your hips. Bend your knees and plant your feet about hip width apart.

1. Brace and drive through your heels to lift your hips.
2. Finish with your hips level with your knees and shoulders, shins vertical.
3. Squeeze the glutes at the top.
4. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Tuck your chin and look forward.
• Keep the ribs down at the top.
• Push through the heels.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back instead of extending the hips.
• Placing the feet so far out that the hamstrings take over.

Set up. Set up as for a hip thrust with your upper back on a bench and a padded bar over your hips, then move one foot forward so only its heel rests on the floor.

1. Drive through the working foot to lift your hips.
2. Finish level with your knees and shoulders.
3. Lower under control.
4. Finish the set and switch sides.

Form cues

• Most of the weight is on the back foot.
• Keep the hips level.
• Tuck the chin.

Common mistakes

• Pushing evenly through both feet.
• Letting the hips tilt.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.

1. Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins.
3. As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall.
4. Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.

Form cues

• Keep the bar touching or close to your legs.
• Keep your back flat from start to finish.
• Brace your stomach before each rep.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor.
• Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting.

Take care. Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.

Set up. Stand between two heavy dumbbells, squat down with a flat back and grip one in each hand.

1. Stand up tall with the dumbbells at your sides.
2. Walk forward with short, steady steps.
3. Set the dumbbells down by squatting at the end of the distance or time.

Form cues

• Stand tall with the shoulders back.
• Grip hard.
• Walk smoothly, without rushing.

Common mistakes

• Leaning forward or to one side.
• Bending over to put the weights down with a round back.

Set up. Set the bar in a rack at about upper chest height. Step under it, rest it across your upper back and grip it just outside your shoulders, then stand up and step back with feet about shoulder width apart.

1. Brace your stomach and take a breath.
2. Bend your hips and knees together to sit down between your heels.
3. Go as deep as you can while keeping your back flat and heels down.
4. Drive up through the whole foot to stand tall.

Form cues

• Keep your knees in line with your toes.
• Keep your chest up.
• Keep the bar over the middle of your feet.

Common mistakes

• Letting the knees cave inward.
• Rising with the hips first so the chest drops.

Take care. Squat inside a rack with the safety pins set just below your lowest point, so a missed rep can be set down.

Set up. Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders against your throat, fingertips under the bar or arms crossed, elbows high. Stand with feet about shoulder width apart.

1. Brace and keep your elbows up.
2. Squat down between your heels with an upright torso.
3. Go as deep as your mobility allows with a flat back.
4. Drive up to standing, leading with the elbows.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows high.
• Stay upright.
• Keep the knees tracking over the toes.

Common mistakes

• Dropping the elbows so the bar rolls forward.
• Rounding the upper back.

Take care. Squat inside a rack with the safety pins set, and if a rep fails, push the bar forward off the shoulders onto them.

Set up. Sit in the leg press with your back and hips against the pad and your feet about shoulder width apart in the middle of the platform.

1. Push the platform up and release the safety handles.
2. Lower the platform by bending your knees toward your chest.
3. Stop before your lower back lifts off the pad.
4. Press back up without locking your knees hard.

Form cues

• Keep your hips on the seat.
• Keep your knees in line with your toes.
• Push through the whole foot.

Common mistakes

• Lowering so far that the lower back rounds off the pad.
• Snapping the knees straight at the top.

Set up. Stand a long step in front of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, and place the top of your back foot on the bench.

1. Lower your back knee toward the floor, bending the front knee.
2. Go down until the front thigh is about level with the floor.
3. Drive through the front foot to stand back up.
4. Finish the set and switch legs.

Form cues

• Keep most of your weight on the front foot.
• Keep the front knee in line with the toes.
• Keep the torso tall or leaning slightly forward.

Common mistakes

• Standing too close to the bench.
• Pushing off the back foot.

Set up. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and clear space in front of you.

1. Take a long step forward and lower your back knee toward the floor.
2. Go down until both knees are bent at roughly right angles.
3. Push through the front foot and bring the back leg through into the next step.
4. Keep alternating legs as you walk.

Form cues

• Keep your torso upright.
• Keep the front knee over the foot.
• Lower the back knee gently.

Common mistakes

• Taking steps so short the front heel lifts.
• Banging the back knee on the floor.

Set up. Stand tall holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart, feet hip width apart and knees softly bent.

1. Push your hips back and let the bar slide down the front of your legs.
2. Keep your back flat and the knee bend fixed.
3. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings, usually around mid-shin.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up.

Form cues

• Think hips back, not chest down.
• Keep the bar against your legs.
• Keep the shins nearly vertical.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back to reach lower.
• Bending the knees more so it becomes a squat.

Set up. Hold a kettlebell by its horns against your chest. Stand with feet about shoulder width apart, toes turned slightly out.

1. Brace your stomach.
2. Squat down between your heels, keeping your chest up.
3. Let your elbows travel inside your knees at the bottom.
4. Drive up to standing.

Form cues

• Keep the weight close to your chest.
• Keep the knees out over the toes.
• Keep the heels down.

Common mistakes

• Letting the chest fall forward.
• Rising onto the toes.

Set up. Stand with a wide stance and toes turned out, the bar over the middle of your feet. Reach down between your legs and grip the bar about shoulder width apart.

1. Push your knees out over your toes and bring your hips close to the bar.
2. Flatten your back, lift your chest and take the slack out of the bar.
3. Push the floor apart and stand up, keeping the bar close.
4. Lower the bar under control the same way.

Form cues

• Keep your knees in line with your toes.
• Keep your torso fairly upright.
• Keep the bar against your legs.

Common mistakes

• Letting the knees cave in.
• Lifting the hips before the bar leaves the floor.