Glute Activation – 10 Must-Do Exercises

by Cori Lefkowith | Mar 21, 2014 | Blog, Butt, Exercises | 6 comments

Many of the
AMAZING glute
activation exercises
that we should all be
doing are those
funny looking moves
that Jane Fonda
used to do in her
leotard with ankle
weights.
They are the moves
that most people, especially guys, avoid.
However, everyone from the professional athlete to the guy or gal sitting behind
the desk for 9 hours a day, should do those funny looking glute activation
moves!
By activating your glutes, you reduce your risk of injury and can even alleviate
the back pain you may be suffering from because of sitting hunched over all
day.
You can also improve your speed, lift more and have strong, sexy legs all by
doing those stupid looking moves.
Glute activation exercises should be included in your warm up to get your butt
ready and activated for the bigger exercises you plan to do in your workout so
that your low back doesn’t try and take over.
They can also be included in your actual workout to make sure your glutes
continue to work.
Below are 10 Must-Do Glute Activation Exercises:
1. Glute Bridge – The glute bridge is a versatile move that can be used for
activation as well as developing great glute strength. It is a great move to
strengthen your glutes and open up your hips. You can do it with just your own
bodyweight or even add weight! A great variation of the glute bridge for
activation is the mini band glute bridge shown below. Just make sure that as
you do the glute bridge, you don’t hyperextend your low back to get your hips
up higher. You want your glutes to really have to work to raise your hips up.

If you are using the glute bridge for activation, make sure to slow down the
tempo and even hold for a few seconds at the top of the bridge.
Click here for the basic glute bridge, which is great for activation, as well as
some other variations like the Bridge with Curl or Barbell Hip Thruster that are
great strength moves.
Another great glute bridge variation to use in your warm up is the Thoracic
Bridge. This move activates your glutes while also stretching your thoracic
spine. Below is the Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge. To learn how to do this great
bridge variations, click here.
2. Donkey Kick – This move will wake up your entire core, activating your
glutes and warming up your abs and shoulders.

To do the donkey kick,  start on your hands and knees with your knees under
your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet.
Then keeping the knee bent close to 90 and the foot flexed, kick one leg back
and drive the heel up toward the ceiling. Don’t let the low back arch and make
sure you draw your belly button in toward your spine. Make sure that as you lift
you are squeezing the glute of the leg you are raising.
The foot should drive straight up to the ceiling and the knee shouldn’t flare out.
Do not let your elbows bend to get the leg higher. Hold at the top and squeeze
the glute then lower and repeat. Make sure you are driving straight back and
that the knee of the raised leg is bent to 90 and isn’t flaring in or out.
There is no need to weight down this move if you are using it in your warm up,
although you can if you really want to use it to develop strength. To get the most
out of this activation move, hold at the top for 2-5 seconds. Do not rush through
the reps.
3. Fire Hydrant – The fire hydrant is a great way to wake up the glute medius,
which is a critical muscle for maintaining balance and preventing knee and
ankle injuries. Strengthening your glute medius will also improve your hip’s
stability as well as help you run faster and change direction more quickly.

To do the fire hydrant, place your hands underneath your shoulders and your
knees underneath your hips. Flex your feet and keep both your feet flexed even
as you raise one leg.
Then raise one leg out to the side, keeping the knee bent to 90 degrees. Lift it
as high as you can while keeping your arms straight. Try to not let the foot get
higher than the knee or the knee get higher than the foot. Really squeeze the
butt cheek as you lift.
Hold for a second or two at the top. Lower down and then repeat. Complete all
reps on one side before switching.
4. Hip Circles – This move combines the donkey kick with the fire hydrant while
also adding in a great ab activation movement. To prevent and even ease your
low back pain, you need your glutes AND your abs to be active. This move
activates both.

To do hip circles, setup on your hands and knees with your knees under your
hips and your hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet.
Then drive one heel back toward the ceiling, keeping the knee bent to 90 and
the foot flexed (this is the donkey kick). Then without lowering to the ground,
bring that same leg out to the side, keeping the knee bent to 90 and the foot
flexed. It should look like the top of the fire hydrant move.
Then without setting the knee down, drive it forward into the elbow. Keep the
foot flexed the entire time and your elbows straight. When you drive into the
elbow, you should really feel your abs engage. Then lower the knee down and
repeat.
5. Posterior Plank – The posterior plank is a great glute activation move as
well as a great stretch for your chest and hips. This is a tougher move because
your legs are out straight. You can also regress this move by bending your
knees and bringing your feet in closer to your butt.
To do the posterior plank, start seated on the ground with your legs out straight
in front of you and your hands on the ground behind your butt. Your fingertips
should be pointing toward your butt or out to the side.

Drive through your hands and heels and raise your hips up off the ground
toward the ceiling, keeping your legs straight. Press your chest up and out as
you raise your hips. Keep your legs straight as you bridge up and relax your
head back.  Your body should be in a nice straight line at the top.
Beginners may need to bend their legs a bit to hold the bridge at the top. Hold
for a few seconds and then lower back down and repeat.
6. Band Monster Walks and Side Shuffle – Mini bands are a great tool to
activate your glutes from every angle. Two of my favorite moves are the
Monster Walks and Side Shuffle since they hit everything. If you even just
include these two moves in your warm up, you are good to go in terms of glute
activation!
The key with both of these moves is to keep your feet apart and the band tight.
To make it easier, put the band around your knees. To make it harder, put the
band around your feet. Do not let your knees cave in as you walk or your glutes
won’t be forced to work.
Click here for these two moves as well as other great mini band activation
exercises (like the clams below)!
7. Clams – This is another move to isolate the glute medius. This move is
commonly used by people rehabbing hip injuries and low back pain BUT it is
also a great move to activate the glutes and PREVENT those problems!
You can do this move without a mini band, however, the mini band does provide
resistance. You can also push down with your own hand if you don’t have a
band.

For tips on how to do the clam, click here!

8. Bird Dog –  This is a great core stabilizer exercise. It wakes up everything
from your shoulders to your knees.
The key with the bird dog is to move slowly. You can add a band connecting
your hand to your heel if you want to add resistance.
You can also advance the bird dog by doing this from the push up position
instead of from your hands and knees.

To do the basic bird dog, place your hands under your shoulders and your
knees under your hips. Flex your feet.
Kick one leg out straight back as if kicking it into the wall behind you while you
reach the other arm out straight toward the wall in front of your head (reaching
opposite arm and opposite leg in opposite directions). Don’t worry about lifting
your leg or arm up high.
Really try to drive your arm and leg toward opposite walls. Squeeze your glutes
and keep your belly button pulled in toward your spine.
As you lower your arm and leg, bend them and bring them together under your
body. Try to touch your knee to your elbow before extending back out.
Repeat all reps on one side before switching to the other side. All reps should
be done in a slow and controlled manner. You should even hold for a second or
two at the top of the move.
9. Reverse Hypers (Single Leg Reverse Hypers) – Reverse Hypers are a
great move to activate the glutes and strengthen them. I often use these in my
workouts paired with a bigger, compound lift.
To do the basic two-leg reverse hyper, lie face down on a table, bench or box.
Make sure your hips are right at the edge. Hold on to something in front of you if
you want. Keep your upper body relaxed. Squeeze your legs together and point
your toes out a bit if you are having trouble activating your glutes. Lift your legs
to basically parallel to the ground, keeping your legs straight. Do not
hyperextend your back and lift way higher than parallel. You do not want to feel
this in your low back. Hold for 2-5 seconds and then lower down. Keep your
core tight and really squeeze your glutes as you lift.

The two-leg reverse hyper can also be done from the ground, however, I prefer
to do a single-leg reverse hyper (or lying kickback) from the ground.
I actually like doing the single-leg reverse hyper with a mini band, which is
pictured below.

10. Side Plank with Leg Lift – You wouldn’t think of a plank as a glute
activation exercise, necessarily, but it is. Especially a side plank with a leg lift!
The side plank with leg lift is an advanced move. You can regress this move
and do a lying abductor lift.
To do the lying abductor lift, place the band around your ankle and lie on your
side on the ground. You can support your head in your hand while lying on your
side and place the other hand in front of you on the ground. Stack your feet on
top of each other and then lift your top leg straight up as high as you can.
Do not lean forward or backward or let your hips rotate forward or backward.
Keep your core engaged as you lift. Also, keep the foot that you lift parallel to
the one on the ground. If you rotate the toe up toward the ceiling, you will be
working your external rotators, which is a great variation that you can also
include.

To do the side plank with leg raise, set up on your side. Prop yourself up with
your forearm right below your shoulder (or your hand to advance the move) and
stack your feet one on top of the other. Then lift your bottom hip up off the
ground as high as possible while keeping your body in a nice straight line.
Squeeze your belly button in toward your spine and keep your glutes tight.
Do not let your chest rotate forward toward the ground or your top hand touch
the ground. Keep your top hand on your hip or reach it up toward the ceiling.
Then lift and lower the top leg up toward the ceiling, keeping the bottom hip up
and the body in a nice straight line. Even as you lift, do not let your chest rotate
toward the ground. You can lift and lower straight back down or you can lift and
then lower to touch the ground behind you and then in front of you.