2 – Banded Dumbbell Frog Pump + RKC Plank Finisher

The next step is to train this movement pattern with more intensity to generate
the greatest muscular training effect possible while sparing the spine.

People forget they can load the bodyweight glute bridge by simply adding a
plate or dumbbell to the lap. This variation is written off since it's not super
likely you'll be pulling a 200-pound dumbbell onto your lap for max effort glute
bridges. But don't write it off.

By positioning your hips further into an externally rotated and abducted

position, you can isolate the glutes more while minimizing recruitment of the
hams and lower back. This is called the "frog" position and is one hell of a way
to increase neural activation of the glutes while making smaller loads placed
on the front of the hips more effective for pain-free loading. Like the glute
bridge, you can also add a band around the knees to create a greater
activation.

Remember, the gluteal complex consists of the gluteus maximus, medius, and
minimus. They're largely tonic postural stabilizing muscles that act on the both
hip and pelvis to create static and dynamic stability. That means this group of
muscles will respond best to hypertrophy-work, endurance, and set/rep
schemes that increase metabolic stress. It also means they may respond less
favorably to heavy power and pure strength-based schemes of lower reps.

But as the load increases and relative intensity increases, the likelihood for
injury and form falling to shit is also increased, which is never a good thing. So
isolating the glutes should be more about time under tension with moderate
weight than it is about throwing your back out for one second of glory using
too much weight.
This is one reason I love the banded-frog pump exercise. You get a strong
mind-muscle connection with a relatively light dumbbell placed on the lap. You
increase the time under tension using a higher rep scheme (between 15-30
reps). It's a metabolic stress based movement combined with an isolation hold
of the glutes.

Combined with a movement like the RKC plank it'll create the perfect storm of
joint-friendly glute work. Try it as a finisher.

3 – Barbell Glute Bridge

Bodyweight glute training is useful but limited. The next progression is the
barbell glute bridge. This exercise looks and feels almost exactly the same as
its bodyweight counterpart. Don't let the ego drive you to adding more weight
than necessary, especially if you want direct glute training to stay in your
future.

The addition of the bar makes it more challenging to keep the pelvis in a
neutral position. To minimize uncontrolled pelvic tilting, actively and forcefully
posteriorly rotate the pelvis and add tension to the glutes before ever lifting
the bar up off the ground.

While most people can achieve a slightly posterior pelvic tilt, it's far harder to
maintain that position, especially at the top of this lift where your hips are
driving vertically. Your spine will want to get into an extension position to
extend the range of motion.