7 Glute Activation Moves You Don’t Need To Get Down On The Ground For

7 Glute Activation Moves You Don’t Need To Get Down On The Ground For

When we think “Glute Activation,” we think about all of those amazing moves done on the ground – glute bridges, donkey kicks, fire hydrants…

But what if you can’t get down on the ground?

What if you have knee pain that makes kneeling uncomfortable?

Or what if you have shoulder issues that don’t allow you to really support yourself with your upper body?

You can STILL get those glutes activated and working to strengthen that oh so important muscle group WITHOUT getting down on the ground!

Work your glutes from every angle without getting down on the ground with these 7 Glute Activation Moves!

Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises And Kickbacks:

A must-do glute activation series if you don’t want to get down on the ground is the Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises and Kickbacks.

Pairing these two moves together, allows you to work all three gluteal muscles and you can do so while standing in one place even! No space? No problem!

To do the Standing Lateral Raises, place the band around both legs. Placing it around your ankles will make the movement harder. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with. Standing tall, lift one leg out to the side.

standing-mini-band-abduction

Keep the leg straight (but don’t lock out the knee) and lift to the side. Try not to let the toe rotate open so that you don’t turn this into external rotation instead of abduction, unless you WANT to. Keep the foot you are lifting parallel to the foot on the ground. Squeeze your butt as you lift.

Do not lean to the side just to lift the leg higher. Keep the core tight and stand up nice and tall. Then lower the leg back down and repeat. You can even pulse more at the end range of motion, never fully bringing the foot back down.

Kick BACKWARD slightly instead of straight out to the side to help yourself focus on the glute medius if you are only feeling your TFL or the front, outside of your hip working instead of your glute.

Complete all reps on that side before switching.

You may also feel this in the standing glute as well because that leg is working to resist the band and keep you stable.

To do the Standing Kickback, place the band around your ankles. Higher up on your leg will make the movement a bit easier. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with and help make sure you engage your core.

mini-band-standing-kickback

Stand tall and then kick one leg back behind you. Keep the leg fairly straight and flex your foot so you are driving the heel back into the wall behind you. Squeeze your glute as you lift. Do not rock forward to try to get the leg up higher. Height doesn’t matter. Just focus on squeezing your glute and keeping your core tight.

You may have a very slight lean forward as you stabilize on the standing leg, but you don’t want to rock forward and open up your hip just to kick back higher. You also want to engage your abs so you don’t hyperextend your lower back. Rocking forward may also put the move in your low back instead of forcing your glute to work to lift the leg.

It may not be a huge range of motion. The important part is to really feel your glute extending your hip to kick back. You can even pulse at the end range of motion to create a pump.

Two tips to get even more out of these moves:

  1. Place the mini band up below your knees to start to help you focus on the right muscles working.
  2. For the Lateral Raises, place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top of your glute. As you do the raises, feel the muscle under your thumb work. This can help you make sure the right muscles are working AND even help establish that mind-body connection!
Mini Band Side Step Squats:

If you have no knee pain that would limit your knee flexion and want a great way to get your glutes firing during squats, plus a glute activation move that will get your blood pumping a little bit more, Mini Band Side Step Squats are a great option!

To do Mini Band Side Step Squats, start standing tall with the mini band right below your knees and your feet a few inches apart. To make the move easier, use a lighter resistance or place the band above your knees.

Then step out to one side so your feet are about shoulder-width apart and squat down. Make sure to sit back and keep your chest up. Make sure you also press out against the band. You don’t want your knees to cave in.

Squat down then stand up and step your feet back together. Then step out to the other side and squat down. Alternate stepping out to each side and squatting down. Do not step out too wide and make sure to press your knees out against the band.

Band Pull Throughs:

This hip hinge exercise is a great way to prime, aka ACTIVATE, your glutes before more compound hinging exercises like the deadlift. It is also the perfect way to really target that glute max.

And while it may look a bit awkward, the pump you’ll feel from this move is worth the awkward looks you may get! (Plus if you are trying to teach anyone a proper hinge hinge, this is a great way to do it!)

band-pull-through

To do Resistance Band Pull Throughs, anchor the band around a pole, furniture or in a doorway. Step over the band and reach down between your legs to grab the handles. Walk away from the anchor point with your back to it, holding the handles between your legs.

Then hinge over, keeping your knees soft. Push your butt back toward the anchor point as you lean forward and reach your hands with the bands back between your legs.

Then squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to come back up to standing. Keep your arms relaxed and straight down, holding the handles between your legs. Stand up nice and tall, fully extending your hips and squeezing your glutes.

Don’t hyperextend your low back as you extend your hips and squeeze your glutes or lean back too much at the top. Almost tuck your hips up forward as you squeeze and contract your glutes.

Then hinge back over, pushing your butt back toward the anchor point. Keep your core tight so that you don’t feel this move in your low back. Also, do not pull the bands with your arms. Your glutes should do all the work. And make sure to keep your back flat. Do not round over as you hinge over.

To make the move harder, use a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point.

Band Hip Rotations:

For strong glutes and stable hips, you want to work your body in every plane of motion. And that means, including some rotational exercises like the Band Hip Rotations as well. Plus, this glute activation exercise will get your abs working as well!

band-hip-rotations

To do Band Hip Rotations, anchor the band and hold one end in both hands. Stand with your side to the anchor point and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Your front toe should be turned slightly open while your back toe should point straight ahead.

Then squat down very slightly, pushing your butt back as you reach your arms back toward the anchor point. Make sure there is tension in the band even as you reach back. Brace your abs and keep your chest up nice and tall. Do not shrug your shoulders.

Keeping your arms fairly straight (aka do not actively bend them, but they may have a slight bend to start), bring the band across your body and up outside your far shoulder. Feel the glute of the leg closest to the anchor point engage and power the rotation. Do not turn it into an arm movement or simply rotate at the waist.

Your back glute should power the rotation. Feel it squeeze as you rotate. Concentrate on using it to power the move. Do not get to focused on bringing the band to a certain point. If you rotate and you don’t bring it up to the shoulder that is ok as long as the glute powers the rotation across.

Bring the band back across your body to the starting position in a controlled fashion. Do not pivot your feet as you perform the move. You want to rotate at the hip because the glute is powering the movement. You do not want your feet to move.

Complete all reps on one side before switching. Focus on squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. Do not shrug your shoulders or round over.

Seated Mini Band Clams:

Seated glute activation exercises are another great option if you can’t get down on the ground. They can also be an option if you have an ankle issue that doesn’t allow you to balance on one side.

One essential seated move to use is the Seated Mini Band Clams. They are a great way to work your glute medius and minimus to improve your hip stability!

To do the Seated Mini Band Clams, place the mini band right below (more advanced) or right above (a bit easier) your knees. Whichever place you choose or whatever weight mini band you use, just make sure you feel your glutes and outside your hips actually working.

Sit up nice and tall with your hands on the edge of the bench and your feet about hip-width apart. Then press your knees open against the band as you sit up tall. Really use your glutes to open the band.

Do not slouch or rock back. Press your hips forward as you press your knees open. You may rock open on your feet, but don’t simply rock and bend your ankles. Really press the band open with your knees.

You can change the way you focus on your glutes by changing your body positioning. You can lean back, not rock back as you do the move, but actually lean back through the entire move, sit up straight or even lean forward. Playing around with all three positions can even help make sure your glutes are firing no matter the degree of hip flexion.

Bench Hip Thrusters:

Improve your hip extension and get your core working with this bridging variation that you don’t have to get down on the ground for – the Bench Hip Thruster!

You can do Hip Thrusters as purely a bodyweight movement, as a feet-raised movement or even perform a single leg variation to help work on correcting imbalances.

Or you can try the Mini Band Bench Hip Thruster Variation below.

To do Mini Band Hip Thrusters, place the mini band right below your knees to make it harder and right above to make it easier. Lie with your back on a bench and feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press out on the band. Don’t let your knees cave in.

Then bridge up, driving through your heels and upper back on the bench. Make sure to press out on the band as you bridge up. Keep your abs engaged with a pelvic tilt so you don’t hyperextend your back at the top. Pause and engage those glutes then lower back down and repeat. Even slightly tuck your chin to look down at your knees to help engage your abs more.

Feel your glutes working and do not let your knees cave in at any point. Keep constant tension on the band.

Bench Reverse Hypers:

Work on your hip hyperextension with this lying glute activation move you can do off a bench! No need to get down on the ground while you can still reap the benefits of a prone glute activation exercise.

You must be careful though with this movement to not allow your lower back to simply take over. If you feel your lower back trying to compensate for your glutes, modify the movement or pause and reset, even rolling out your hips and lower back to relax the overactive and tight muscles.

reverse-hyper-glute-exercise

To do a Straight Leg Reverse Hyper (top photos), lie face down on a bench with your hips right at the edge of the bench. Make sure you aren’t too far off or you will engage your low back. You will keep your legs straight. You can let your feet stay apart or bring your legs together.

You may need to play around with the positioning to start to see which allows you to get the best glute contraction, especially if you are struggling to engage your glutes. You can also put your heels together and choose to turn your toes out. The external rotation can sometimes make it easier to get your glutes to fire.

Then, keeping your legs straight, raise your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back.

If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Hold at the top and lower back down. Really contract your glutes at the top and don’t worry about swinging your legs up higher. Only lift as high as you need to feel those glutes engage and contract.

To mix things up with the Reverse Hypers, you can even do a bent-knee (bottom photos) or mini band variation!

Ready to get those glutes activated and working?

Check out my Booty Burner Program! 15 minute workouts to get those glutes firing!

15 Moves To Improve Your Hip Mobility

15 Moves To Improve Your Hip Mobility

Mobility is not the same as flexibility. Nor is it the same as stability. But for true mobility, you need both a certain amount of stability and flexibility of the muscles around the joint.

Heck, you even need a certain amount of distal stability and mobility in order to have proximal mobility.

HUH?

What that even means is not only do you need to work on your HIP JOINT and the muscles that move it if you want hip mobility but you have to make sure that the other joints that can really influence movement at the hip are also mobile and stable.

For instance, especially with hip mobility, core stability and ankle mobility issues can be incredibly important to address and may be the reason why your hip seems to lack mobility when there is actually no restrictions at the hip.

Our body often limits our mobility because it is PROTECTING itself from doing something that it feels could result in further injury.

Of course, all too often we still continue to push through…

BUT if we listen and take a full-body approach to our pain, realizing that where it hurts isn’t always the problem, we can help restore proper functioning!

These 15 moves are a great way to address not only common tight muscles, mobility issues and stability issues at your hip but also the common restrictions elsewhere in your kinetic chain that can result in what seems to be limited hip mobility.

How To Improve Your Hip Mobility: 15 Hip Mobility Exercises

Restoring proper mobility means using foam rolling, stretching and activation to relax tight muscles, restore them to their proper length-tension relationships and then get the underactive muscles engaged and working.

These 15 moves provide you with moves from each part of the 3-Part RStoration Method – Foam Rolling, Stretching and Activating. Because we have to remember that all three are key to preventing and alleviating injuries!

Foam Rolling:

Hip Foam Rolling (Psoas and TFL):

All too many of us end up with tight hip flexors from sitting long hours hunched over a computer or commuting in a car. Tight hips can mean underactive glutes and can lead to not only a lack of hip mobility but also injury!

And if you’re a runner or cyclists, you may only be perpetuating the problem with the repetitive movement and further hip flexion. That is why it is important you roll out your hip flexors before you run.

Two important muscles to target and roll out, that are often tight, are the Psoas and TFL or Tensor Fasciae Latae.

Psoas:

A tight Psoas contributes to Anterior Pelvic Tilt and hip mobility restrictions as well as underactive glutes. This can lead to not only hip injuries, but also low back pain and injury. It can even create compensations that lead to problems further up and down your kinetic chain, like knee injuries!

psoas-foam-rolling

To roll out your Psoas, a big foam ball/posture ball works best. Place the ball in your abs above your hip to one side of your belly button.

Relax over the ball and lie face down on the ground. Breathe.

Then move the ball, working your way around the side of your lower abs between your belly button and hip. After you move the ball, relax completely back over it.

If you don’t have a larger ball, you can use a tennis ball; however, the tennis ball will dig in more. To use the tennis ball, you will also need some books or a yoga block. Place the ball up on the books or block and lie over it just like you would with the posture ball. Relax and breathe.

TFL:

Ever have IT Band issues? Tried suffering through rolling your IT Band and feel like the pain goes away a bit but never fully gets better? STOP rolling your IT Band and instead focus on rolling your TFL!

This hip muscle can contribute to IT Band issues as well as hip and knee pain! It is often also the reason our glute medius doesn’t fire correctly to stabilize our hips, which can lead to hip and low back pain!

tfl-foam-rolling

To roll out your TFL, lie on the ground on your side and place a ball just to the side and slightly under your hip bone. Hold on this spot and even move an inch or two down your leg.

If you find a tight spot, hold on that spot and lift and lower your leg up and down as if doing an adductor leg raise. By lifting and lower the leg, you are flexing and relaxing the muscle, which will help loosen everything up as you hold.

As you seek out tight spots in your hip, bring the ball back around your side toward your butt. Hold on any tight spots. You can even work back into your glute medius if you find any trigger points.

Remember to relax and hold on any tight spots and breathe as you hold.

Hamstring Foam Rolling:

Ever feel like your hamstrings are tight no matter how much you stretch them? What if that is because they FEEL tight, but are actually OVERSTRETCHED!?

This is actually often the case, especially if you sit often and have tight hips. So instead of stretching, try rolling to help relax your hamstrings. (This is especially important if you’ve ever had any high hamstring injuries!)

foam-rolling-hamstrings

To roll out your hamstrings, a ball is actually best while sitting up on something like a chair, table or box. The pressure you can apply even when isolating one leg on a roller on the ground is limited so using a ball when seated up on something allows you to dig into your hamstring more.

Take the ball and place it at the top of your hamstring right under the bottom of your butt while you are seated up on a chair. Rock side to side on the ball and roll it from your inner thigh out toward the outside of your leg.

Hold on any tight spot and perform small rocks side to side to help you dig into the knot further. You can even flex and relax your hamstring by straightening your leg out and then relaxing your foot back down to the ground to help the muscle release the knot.

Work your way down your hamstring toward your knee. Work all along the hamstring, moving toward your inner thigh and out toward your IT Band. Make sure to hold on any tight spots. Do not spend time on areas of your hamstring that aren’t tight.

Adductor Foam Rolling:

Tight adductors contribute to limited hip mobility and stability because your glute medius doesn’t fire correctly.  This can lead to hip and low back pain.

Tight adductors can also contribute to knee valgus, which can cause your patella to not track correctly, leading to knee pain and injury! That is why it is important to roll out and relax tight adductors.

foam-rolling-for-adductor

To roll out your adductors, lie face down on the ground. Bend one knee out to the side at about 90 degrees and place the roller under the inside of your knee.

Resting on your forearms, rock your leg forward over the roller toward your quad and then back toward your hamstring. Hold on any tight spots.

Then move the roller up your inner thigh toward your crotch. Rock forward and backward again and remember to spend more time on any tight areas.

Lower Leg Foam Rolling:

Movement distortions at our feet and ankles can lead to problems up our entire body. They are our foundation and any imbalances there means compensations higher up. That is why it is important to roll out and relax tight muscles in our lower legs.

If you wear high heels, run long distances, cycle or simply find you walk on the inside or outsides of your shoes, you’ll want to try these foam rolling moves to loosen up your lower leg.

Calf Foam Rolling:

Tight calves can contribute to plantar fasciitis and even knee pain. Tightness here can also limit your ankle mobility, which will impact your hip mobility as well!

calf-foam-rolling

To roll out your calves, a tennis ball works great especially if you have a yoga block or books to place the ball up on.

Using the tennis ball, place it up on some books or a yoga block and then put one calf on top of the ball. Start with the ball at the bottom part of the meat of your calf.

Cross the other leg on top to help apply more pressure if needed.

Rock very slightly from right to left or side-to-side a couple of times and then move the ball to another spot on your calf, working over the entire meaty part of the muscle right up to below the back of your knee. Keep rocking side to side as you work your way around your calf.

Hold on any tight spots. If you find a super tight spot, make 10 circles with your foot and then tense and relax your calf (flexing and dropping your foot) 5 times before you move to the next spot. This will help the muscle relax itself and help the knot to release.

Peroneal:

If you tend to walk on the inside of your shoes or your have eversion of your feet, the outside of your lower leg may be tight. This movement distortion can lead to not only knee pain, but also hip pain. And can cause  imbalances and compensations that lead to underactive glutes and tight hips.

side-of-shin-foam-rolling

To roll out your Peroneals, place a ball on the ground in front of you and then bend your knee and place the side of your lower leg on top of the ball, starting with the ball below and outside your knee. Press down on your lower leg with your hand to apply more pressure so that the ball digs in.

Then move your leg so that you make small circles on top of the ball. Work your way down the length of the side of your lower leg, pressing your lower leg firmly down into the ball. (You may even put a book under the ball to help you apply more pressure and get a better angle.)

Hold on any tight spots and, as you hold, flex and relax your foot to help dig into any knots or trigger points. To dig in more, you can also circle the ankle while holding on any tight spots instead of flexing and relaxing the foot.

Stretching:

After your roll out and relax overexcited or overactive muscles, you want to work on the flexibility of your muscles and improving range of motion with a combination of Dynamic and Static Stretches.

You want to make sure too that you address all of the muscles around your hip joint as well as the other muscles of your lumbo pelvic hip complex.

It is important that you use stretching to help you mobilize not only your hips but also other muscles and joints that may create imbalances or compensations that could lead to your hip movement becoming restricted aka addressing a lack of ankle or spinal mobility is also key!

World’s Greatest Stretch:

A great way to improve your hip mobility AND even your spinal mobility is the World’s Greatest Stretch. This move stretches out your hips, glutes and even hamstrings. It will also work on opening up your chest as you activate your core.

spiderman-stretch

To do the World’s Greatest Stretch, start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and feet together. Your body should start in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air.

Step your right foot outside your right hand so that you are in a nice low runner’s lunge. Make sure your foot is flat on the ground. (If you are less flexible, your foot may not be right outside your hand or you may need to drop your back knee down to the ground. But do not let your front heel come up. You still want your foot to be flat on the ground.)

In the low runner’s lunge, drop your right elbow down to the ground near the instep of your right foot. Do not worry if you can’t touch the ground. Just drop your elbow down as low as you can. Feel a nice stretch in your hip and glute.

Then bring your elbow up off the ground and rotate your right arm up toward the ceiling, opening your chest up toward the ceiling to face your right leg.  Stretch your right arm up toward the ceiling and rotate your chest open to feel a nice stretch in your hips, glute, back and chest.

Bring the right hand back down to the ground and then drop your back knee (left knee) down to the ground. Sit back on your left heel and let your right leg straighten out in front of you. Feel a stretch down your right hamstring. Lean forward over that front leg to increase the stretch. You may even feel this stretch your low back a bit. Make sure though that you are pushing your butt back as you hinge and lean from the hips and don’t simply round over.

Then shift back forward into the low runner’s lunge, bending your right leg and lifting your left knee up off the ground. You can then repeat the stretch on the same side or step your right foot back into the plank position and step your left foot up outside your left hand to stretch the other side.

Seated Foot Stretch:

All too often we only pay attention to our feet when we have an injury, like plantar fasciitis. But tightness even in our BIG TOE, can lead to imbalances that cause injury. Our body seeks out the path of least resistance. Immobility in one area causes us to try to find mobility from other joints or flexibility out of other muscles or even strength from muscles not meant to handle the loads.

That is why it is important we address restrictions at our feet and ankles because this is often even why we feel like we lack hip mobility during moves like squats!

foot-stretch-for-plantar-fasciitis

To do the Kneeling Foot Stretch, kneel on the ground and flex your feet, tucking your toes under. Then sit back on your heels and feel a stretch down your feet and toes. Rock a little side to side as you hold in the stretch.

You can then release and move into the Bear Squat Stretch (described below) or you can simply relax out of the stretch and repeat, sitting back on your heels and gently rocking side to side.

If your quad flexibility is really restricting you from sitting back on your heels and feeling this stretch, you can instead stand up and place the ball of your foot on the wall and lean forward against the wall to stretch your foot and even your calf.

bear-squat

To do the Bear Squat Stretch, place your hands down on the ground and press your butt up into the air, driving your heels down to the ground. Relax your calves and try to get your heels down to the ground. Feel a nice stretch down your calves and even up into your hamstrings. Hold for 1-2 seconds and then drop back down to your knees and sit back on your heels again to stretch your feet.

Make sure that as you drive your butt up, you are pressing yourself back so that your driving your heels down. Don’t simply pike up and lower back down. Actually drive back and feel the stretch down your calves.

You can walk your hands in just a little bit closer to your knees to help you feel the stretch a little bit more, but do not walk them in too close.

Alternating Quadruped Pigeon Pose:

The pigeon pose is one of the BEST glute stretches and a must-do move to mobilize your hips and prevent low back and hip pain. Ever had sciatic pain or piriformis issues? This is a MUST-DO MOVE!

However, if you’re using it as a warm up, you don’t want to do the static pigeon pose stretch. That is where this version of the pigeon pose works well. The Alternating Quadruped Pigeon Pose makes the stretch dynamic to mobilize your hips AND this version can make it easier to get in and out of the stretch if you struggle to set up correctly.

quadruped-pigeon-pose

To do the Alternating Pigeon Poses, start on your hands and knees on the ground. Then straighten your left leg out and slide it behind and over your right. As you rotate to slide your left leg over and behind your right, begin to walk your hands over to the left and rotate your body.

You will basically keep your right leg still as you rotate your upper body to the left and slide your left leg over and behind your right to shift into a pigeon pose. Sit back into the right butt cheek as you walk your hands out and pause in pigeon.

Then bend your left knee and walk your hands back around front as you shift back into the quadruped position. Switch sides, walking your hands to the right as you slide your right leg over and behind your left leg. You will rotate your body to sit into pigeon pose on the left side.

Pause in pigeon and really push that left glute back as you square up your hips. Then come back into the quadruped position and repeat on that first side.

Seated Hamstring, Glute and Spinal Twist Complex:

This static stretch is the perfect way to work on your hip and spinal mobility and unwind after a long day. Low back sore, tired and achy? This should be your go-to stretch! Remember with hip mobility, you don’t only want to focus on the hip joint, but also your entire lumbo-pelvic-hip complex!

seated-hip-complex-stretch

To do the Seated Hamstring, Glute and Spinal Twist Complex, sit on the ground with one leg out straight in front of you. Pull the foot of the other leg in to your inner thigh so that your knee is pointing out to about 3 or 9, depending on which leg is out straight. Relax that bent leg and let the outside of the leg relax to the ground as you fold over at the hips and reach toward the foot of the straight leg.

Keep that leg straight to stretch your calf and hamstring as you reach and grab your foot. If you can’t reach your foot while keeping your leg straight, grab a towel or jump rope and wrap it around your foot so that you can use that to pull yourself over and stretch your hamstring.

Hold here and breathe for 15-20 seconds and try to relax further into the stretch.

Then release and cross the ankle of the bent leg over your straight leg right above your knee. Place your hands on the ground behind your butt and bend the straight leg to bring your quad and the leg crossed over in toward your chest.

Sit up nice and tall and press your leg and chest closer together to feel a stretch in the outside of your glute. Breathe and hold, trying to get your legs and chest closer together. You can walk your hands forward toward your glutes to help push you up taller. You can also move your foot on the ground in closer to your glutes to bring your leg in closer. Flex the foot of the leg crossed over to protect your knee.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Then allow the foot of the leg crossed over to lower down to the side while keeping your bottom leg bent. Place the foot flat on the ground as you lay your bottom leg down on its side.

Then lift the hand on the side you lowered your foot down to and place that arm on the outside of your knee pointing up toward the ceiling. Press off that knee to rotate your chest toward the leg. Sit nice and tall and feel a stretch down your spine. Breathe and hold for 15-20 seconds.

If you are less flexible, you may need to straighten the bottom leg out instead of keeping it bent like it was from the glute stretch.

After holding in the Spinal Twist, release and straighten the other leg out and start on the other side with the Seated Hamstring Stretch.

Camel:

Stretching and activation all in one is what you get with the Camel Bridge. It is the perfect way to stretch out and unlock tight hip flexors while really focusing on your glutes to drive hip extension and even hyperextension.

The bonus of this move is it also opens up your chest and can even stretch your feet a little. Opening up your chest can help improve your spinal extension, which can, in turn, aid in improving your hip mobility.

camel

To do the Camel, kneel on the ground with your knees about hip-width apart and your feet flexed. If you point your toes instead, this will make the move harder and require more flexibility (bottom two photos). Also, flexing your feet will stretch the bottom of your feet more while pointing your toes will get your shins more. With either your feet flexed or pointed, sit back on your heels and place your hands on your heels.

Then arch your hips up and away, as you press your chest out and lift your glutes up off your heels. Keep your hands on your heels as you arch away and squeeze your glutes to fully extend your hips. Do not hyperextend your low back. Engage your glutes to stretch out your hips.

Relax your head back and arch as much as you can, getting a nice stretch down your chest, core, hips and quads. Do not let your shoulders shrug and really focus on opening your chest up. Hold for 1-2 seconds and relax back down.

Repeat, arching back up. Or you can also make this a static stretch by simply holding the pose for 15-20 seconds.

If you are less flexible and can’t place your hands on your heels, you can do this stretch with a couch, chair or table behind you.

Activation:

A HUGE part of mobility is stability of our joints. Our body will not allow us to perform a range of motion it doesn’t feel safe or STABLE enough to do. That means that if you want to improve your hip mobility, you also have to improve not only your hip stability, but also the stability of your entire core!

Frog Bridge:

If you want to improve your hip mobility, building stability is also key. That means making sure your glutes are activated and strong! Too often our modern lifestyle leads to underactive glutes. That is why more isolated activation moves to target our glutes before compound lifts are so essential to include!

This Frog Bridge may not be something you want to do in the middle of your gym, but it is one of the BEST glute bridge variations out there, especially if you struggle to feel your glutes activating and your lower back and hamstrings have a tendency to take over.

frog-bridge

To do the Frog Bridge, lie back on the ground and place the bottom of your feet together, letting your knees fall open sort of as if doing the butterfly stretch. The closer you bring your feet in toward your crotch, the more mobility you need to do the move. Find a comfortable placement and allow your knees to relax open.

Lying on your back with your knees wide and the bottoms of your feet together, bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that only your upper arms are against the ground. You want to really drive your elbows down into the ground as you bridge up.

Driving through your upper arms and the outsides of your feet as you engage your core, bridge up while keeping your knees open. Squeeze your glutes as you lift and really contract them at the top.

Then lower back down and repeat.

Keep your core engaged and really drive down through your upper arms so that you don’t push yourself backward as you bridge back up. Do not let your knees come back together. Keep them relaxed and open.

Concentrate on your glutes working to lift. Make sure to pause and engage your glutes at the top.

If you feel your hips too much, don’t bring your heels in as close to your body.

Pelvic Tilt with Slides:

An often ignored piece of the puzzle to build hip mobility is CORE STABILITY! If our abs, and core intrinsic stabilizers, aren’t engaging correctly and strong, we can not only overwork our hip flexors, but also restrict our hip mobility. When our body doesn’t feel safe and stabile, it will restrict mobility.

That is why the Pelvic Tilt with Slides is such a great move to include. Not only will this move strengthen your posterior chain, specifically your hamstrings, but it will also do it while you work on engaging your intrinsic core stabilizers. This can help you prevent low back, hip and knee pain! It is also an essential move to include if you have Anterior Pelvic Tilt!

pelvic-tilt-exercise

To do the Pelvic Tilt with Slides, lie on your back with a slider under each heel and your heels a few inches from your butt. Feel the space between your lower back and the ground.

Engage your abs to get rid of the space as you press your lower back into the ground. Keeping your abs engaged and lower back pressed down, slowly slide one heel out, straightening your leg out.

Then curl that heel back in, pulling the heel in with your hamstring almost as if you are trying to drive the slider into the ground as you curl it back in. Feel your hamstring work to pull it back in.

Make sure to keep your abs engaged and hips still as you extend out and curl back in. Move slowly so you can focus on the right muscles working. You can complete all reps on one side or alternate sides as you go. Do not let your lower back come off the ground. If you start to feel your abs disengaging or your lower back taking over, pause and reset don’t just push through!

Side Plank Clams:

When you work on building core stability, you have to work your core from every angle. That means making sure you include moves to work on your lateral stability as well.

Often these frontal plane moves are also the perfect way to strengthen your obliques and glute medius. Your glute medius especially is important to activate as it is key to hip stability and preventing not only hip pain, but also low back, knee and Achilles aches and pains!

side-plank-clams

To do the Side Plank Clam, set up on your side propped up on your forearm with your elbow underneath your shoulder. Bend your knees so that your feet and lower legs are behind you. You can place your top hand on your hip or reach it up toward the ceiling, but don’t touch it down to the ground or use it to help you balance or press up.

Propped up on your elbow with your knees stacked, lift your bottom hip up off the ground, driving through your knee and forearm. As you bridge your hips up, lift your top leg up and toward the ceiling, keeping the knee bent. Open up your legs, lifting your top knee toward the ceiling using your glute. Make sure to squeeze your glutes forward as you lift.

As you lower the leg back down, lower your hip back down to the ground.

Repeat, bridging up as you raise your top knee up toward the ceiling. Complete all reps on one side before switching. Also keep your elbow under your shoulder and do not get too spread out. Really focus on bridging and lifting with your glute and obliques.

You can also challenge your glute medius more by adding a mini band right below or above your knees!

Band Hip Thrusters:

Improve your hip extension and activate your glutes with this move. By adding in and using the mini band with the Hip Thruster move, you also help activate your glute medius. And often when we get the glute medius firing correctly, our glute max will also fire better!

mini-band-hip-thrusters

To do Mini Band Hip Thrusters, place the mini band right below your knees with your back on a bench and feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press out on the band and don’t let your knees cave in. You want your ankles, knees and hips in line throughout the entire move. Don’t even let your knees cave in when you come down.

Then, perform a posterior pelvic tilt (especially if you feel your low back often taking over during bridges) and bridge up, driving through your heels and upper back on the bench. Make sure to press out on the band as you bridge up. Squeeze your butt to drive up and keep your abs engaged with a pelvic tilt so you don’t hyperextend your back at the top. Pause and feel those glutes then lower back down and repeat.

You can even look down slightly toward your knees as you lift up. That slight spinal flexion can help activate your glutes even more!

Calf Raise Circles:

As I mentioned, your feet and ankles are your foundation. Imbalances, immobility or instability there can create compensations and issues up your body and lead to hip pain and injury! That is why it is important we also create strength and stability in our feet and ankles!

The Calf Raise Circles are the perfect way to strengthen your feet and lower legs and help correct any pronation or supination you may have!

To do Circle Calf Raises, start standing with your feet about hip-width apart. You can face a wall or table if you need a little help balancing so that you can really focus on circling.

Then start to circle by rocking to the outside of your feet. Slowly come forward toward your pinky toe. Then come up onto your toes slowly circling from your pinky toe toward your big toe. Come up as high onto your toes/balls of your feet as you can. Then reach your big toe and circle in toward the inside of your feet as you come down.

Then come back up, this time starting with the big toe and circling out toward your pinky toe before coming down on the outsides of your feet. Repeat circling back up and in. Really feel yourself getting as big a circle as you can while feeling your calves work to help you come up onto your toes. In order to really circle, you may need to lightly keep your hand on the wall.

Plank:

This basic isometric core move is a MUST-DO if you want to prevent injury and maintain a stable strong core. You can literally strengthen everything between your shoulders and your knees with this one basic move.

The key though is focusing on engaging HARDER and creating shakeage over holding LONGER.

forearm-plank

To do the Basic Forearm Front Plank, set up with your elbows underneath your shoulders and your feet and legs together. It is important that your elbows are underneath your shoulders so that you can properly engage your back and the muscles around your ribs to support your shoulders. By placing your feet and legs together, you can engage your inner thighs. Putting your feet wider apart provides you with more stability if you are just starting out.

With your body in a nice straight line, drive back through your heels with your elbows under your shoulders. Then begin to focus on engaging the muscles of your core to create tension and “shakeage.” Think flex your quads, engage your glutes and squeeze your legs together. Think about performing a slight posterior pelvic tilt as you brace your abs and draw them in toward your spine.

Make sure that you aren’t shrugging and that you are using your back and the muscles around your ribs to keep your back flat and shoulders down. With everything engaged and your body in a nice straight line, HOLD. Make sure you don’t feel your lower back taking over or your neck tensing. If you start to have your hips sag or butt go up in the air, regress the move or rest.

Need workouts and a program to get you on track and consistently working to improve your hip mobility? Then check out these two programs I offer below.

Build A Strong Core With This Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner

Build A Strong Core With This Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner

Building a strong core means getting your abs and glutes firing properly. It means using moves that target your abs and glutes in a way that you can focus on them working before integrating them into more compound moves.

BUT it isn’t just about activating and then integrating.

It is also key that you correct imbalances to make sure your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex is stable and you can prevent compensations and injury!

That is why using some unilateral movements in your core training is so key.

If you’re ready to build a strong, stable core, try this Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner. It uses 3 simple moves to get your abs, glutes and obliques firing!

The Bodyweight Unilateral Core Burner

This quick workout focused on unilateral moves is just under 15 minutes and can be shortened and used as part of your warm up or even as a burnout to end your workout! Or if you’re short on time, it’s the perfect quick workout to do ANYWHERE!

WORKOUT:

Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work with about 3 seconds to transition from move to move. Do not rest during the 30 seconds of work. Modify if needed to keep moving. Make sure you feel your abs, obliques and glutes working. If your lower back takes over, modify the move. Do not just push through. If you want results, you NEED to get the right muscles working! Complete 2-4 rounds. Beginners may rest up to 30 seconds between rounds.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Side Plank Clams
30 seconds per side Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
30 seconds Glute Bridge with March

More advanced exercisers can even sub in the Single Leg Glute Bridge, but this is an advanced move and you don’t want your lower back or hamstrings to take over for your glutes. Moves like the Glute Bridge with March are a great way to get the benefits of a unilateral move without fully having to do a unilateral move!

Ready to build a bulletproof core and get flat abs using just your own bodyweight?

Learn more about my 28 day Core Burner!

Why Unilateral Glute Activation Exercises Are A MUST-DO!

Why Unilateral Glute Activation Exercises Are A MUST-DO!

Have you ever noticed you have a stronger and weaker side?

Have you ever been told your hips are uneven? Your SI joint is “out of whack” or you have an upslip or even rotation?

Or maybe you’ve just noticed you always get low back or hip pain on one side?

Heck…maybe you’ve even noticed a leg length discrepancy you weren’t born with!?

All of these things show imbalances and compensations that need to be addressed….

Addressed by UNILATERAL moves.

All too often with bilateral movements, we can compensate and our dominant side takes over for our weaker side.

We can often “hide our weakness” and make it hard to activate the right muscles when we do bilateral moves.

Plus, because one side is stronger, we compensate so our weaker side can “keep up.”

But if we don’t want to risk compensating, which can lead to injury, we first need to correct our imbalances.

And by correcting those imbalances, especially when it comes to GLUTE ACTIVATION, we can create lumbo-pelvic-hip stability so we can prevent injury and lift more.

This is where unilateral activation comes into play.

It helps us address those imbalances so that right muscles are working and we can shrink the gap between our weaker and stronger side!

So if you have hip issues, low back issues…even knee pain…unilateral glute activation is especially important!

And not only doing unilateral, or single sided glute activation, but even potentially more reps, on that weaker side.

So if you’re ready to build hip stability, try these 3 Unilateral Bodyweight Glute Activation Exercises to correct those imbalance and get both glutes firing!

1. Glute Bridge with Rocks:

Unilateral moves are essential to correct imbalances because you can isolate one side at a time and focus in on the muscles that need to be working. And glute bridges are a must-do activation move to improve your hip extension.

HOWEVER, Single Leg Glute Bridges are an advanced move that could lead to you using your lower back or hamstrings to power the lift instead of correcting the existing imbalance.

So how can you get the benefit of a Single Leg Bridge if the move is too advanced? Do a Glute Bridge with Rocks! This move allows you to use both sides to bridge up WHILE pausing to activate each side a little extra individually.

glute bridge with rock

To do the Glute Bridge Rocks, set up like you are going to do the Basic Glute Bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your feet should be about hip-width apart and your knees should be in line with your feet and hips.

Bend your arms to 90 degrees and then drive through your arms, upper back and heels to bridge up. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to bridge up. Then slightly release the contraction in one glute and rock to bridge one hip up slightly higher. Really focus on contracting that glute. Release that side and rock your other hip slightly up to contract that glute harder. Keep your abs braced as you rock slightly and alternate contracting each glute a little bit extra at the top of the bridge.

Do not let your low back take over as you hold at the top and work to contract each glute a little bit extra. Also, do not let your hips sag down toward the ground. Alternate rocks until all reps are complete then lower down.

2. 3-Way Hip Circles:

Activation moves can not only activate but also MOBILIZE. And the 3-Way Hip Circles do just that – they activate your glutes as you open up your hips.

You will work your glute medius with the Fire Hydrant and your glute maximus with the Donkey Kick portion. And you will even activate your abs with a Knee Tuck! It’s the perfect move to build hip stability!

glute activation hip circles

To do the 3-Way Hip Circles, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet.

Then, keeping your knee bent to about 90 degrees, kick one leg back like into a Donkey Kick. Hold there for a second. Make sure to keep your arms straight and squeeze your glutes as you extend your hip and drive your heel up toward the ceiling.

Then, keeping your knee bent, bring your leg up and out to the side into the Fire Hydrant position. Do not lower your leg down as you move from the Donkey Kick to the Fire Hydrant. Keep your foot flexed and knee bent to 90 degrees.

Without touching your knee down, then drive the knee forward and in toward your elbow. Feel your abs engage as you hold.

Repeat the circle, kicking your foot back to repeat.

3. Warrior III Squats:

Work on your balance, core stability, hip mobility AND glute activation with this Unilateral Activation Exercises – The Warrior III Squats. You’ll feel this move working from the ground up!

warrior-iii-squats

To do Warrior III Squats, set up in the Warrior III position. Start balancing on one leg then hinge over so that your chest is parallel to the ground. Reach your raised leg back toward the wall behind you as you keep your hips square to the ground and straighten your standing leg as much as you can. Then reach your hands overhead toward the wall in front of you or out to the sides or even back toward your feet.

From this Warrior III position, bend your standing leg to perform a small squat. Make sure to keep your raised leg up and reaching toward the wall behind you as you stay in that hinged over position as you squat. Do not start to stand up as you squat.

Straighten your standing leg back out and then repeat the small squat. The lower you squat as you maintain that Warrior III position, the harder the move will be. Also, the more you completely straighten your standing leg, the harder the move will be.

Complete all reps on one side before switching. Do not let your hips open up as you squat. Also, do not go forward onto your toes or round your back. The move doesn’t have to be super big to have benefit!

Ready to correct those imbalances with 15-minute booty burner workouts? Learn how here –>

The Bridge Booty Burner

The Bridge Booty Burner

Bridges are a MUST-DO….I mean MUST-DO glute activation move.

They help you improve your hip extension to unlock tight hips as they activate. And all you need is your own bodyweight to start feeling those glute works.

Plus glute bridges are even a great move to start working your abs. By engaging your abs with a posterior pelvic tilt, not only can you activate those core intrinsic stabilizers, but you can actually help get a better glute contraction!

So if you’re ready to loosen up tight hips and activate your glutes, try this Bridge Booty Burner from my 28-Day Booty Burner Series! (BONUS: Some of these bridges will also open up your chest and shoulders to reverse that hunched posture we spend way too much time in during the day!)

Bridge Booty Burner

Complete 2-4 rounds of the burner below. If you are using it as a warm up, even just 1-2 rounds is all you need! Rest up to 45 seconds between rounds if needed. Make sure your glutes are working. If your low back or hamstrings start to take over, pause or rest to make sure your glutes keep doing the work!

CIRCUIT:
5 reps per side Sit Thru to Thoracic Bridge
10 reps Camel Bridge
15 reps Tabletop Bridge
20 reps Glute Bridge

5 Signs That Your Hips Are Locked Up And Glutes Are Inactive…

Are You Bridging Wrong?

Are You Bridging Wrong?

Glute bridges are a basic bodyweight move.

People will even say, “These are easy!” And think they are beyond that basic bodyweight exercise.

But guess what!?

All too often people aren’t doing them correctly! AND even the most advanced exerciser needs to return to that FUNDAMENTAL move.

Let me ask you a few quick questions too…

  • Have ever felt your low back during glute bridges?
  • Or maybe your hamstrings are doing all the work?
  • Or maybe your quads are working?
  • Heck…maybe you even feel your traps and shoulders!

Answer yes to one of these?…Or maybe all of these, huh?

Well it’s called the GLUTE BRIDGE for a reason…Not because these other muscles should be working, but because your GLUTES should be powering the move.

So if you’re feeling these other muscles engaging and taking over for your glutes, you not only aren’t reaping the benefits of the glute bridge, so may need to change your form, but you’ve also got some compensations you may need to address that could lead to injury!

And if you’re now thinking…”Well I just really don’t feel anything. And I don’t feel my glutes at all so I probably just need to do something HARDER…”

You’re also wrong.

Yes, as we advance, we want to add weights and harder variations to keep challenging our muscles so we get results.

BUT…No matter how advanced you are, heck actually even the MORE advanced an exerciser you are, the MORE you should be able to contract your glutes during a basic bodyweight bridge.

Now note I didn’t say it should necessarily be “hard” to do as an advanced exerciser, but you should be able to contract your glutes to create a burn even with just your own bodyweight no matter how much you lift.

Because it all comes down to the mind-body connection.

If you can’t recruit the muscles correctly with your own bodyweight, there is a good chance you won’t recruit the right muscles as you add more and more load or try harder and harder variations.

And if you aren’t using the right muscles?

Well that is when you risk overloading muscles that can’t handle the load, which can lead to INJURY.

That is why I wanted to share a few quick tips and coaching cues hat I use with my clients so they can get those glutes activated and firing.

Because the basic glute bridge is a must-do activation move. It can help activate the glutes and improve your hip extension so you can run faster and lift more.

BUT it must be done correctly so your glutes actually engage!

So if you’re not feeling those glutes working, try these 4 tips to improve your bridging.

Bridging Tip #1: Mind Your Set Up!

Many people when they go to bridge up just lie on their back and lift their butt off the ground. They pay no attention to foot positioning or what muscles they are using to drive up.

But by paying attention to how you are driving up and the positioning of your feet, you can make sure your glutes are working and other muscles, like your hamstrings, aren’t compensating.

glute-bridgeA great way to start to set up is to lie on your back and place your feet flat on the ground just beyond your fingertips when your arms are straight down by your sides. If your feet get too far away from your butt, you are more likely to use your hamstrings.

You also want to make sure your feet are flat on the ground. You’ll sometimes see images of people up on their toes during bridges, but talk about a way to make it more challenging to engage your glutes. Actually, if you struggle to engage your glutes, think about driving more through your HEELS as you bridge up.

Then, once you have this positioning, bend your elbows and drive them into the ground. You want to think about driving your elbows down into the ground and then even drive through your upper back as you bridge up. This will help prevent you from feeling bridges in your upper traps and neck. It can also help you make sure your glutes are working and you aren’t again making your hamstrings the prime movers.

And then when you bridge up, driving your heels and upper back into the ground, think about driving your knees forward over your toes.

Don’t lift your heels to try and do this. Or adjust your feet in closer (adjusting your feet in closer may actually make you start to feel the bridge in your quads if your hips are tight). Your knees will not actually go over your toes!

The point is by thinking about driving your knees toward your toes, you won’t drive yourself backward onto your shoulders. You will also make sure to evenly drive through your upper back. This will help focus on the glutes and make sure your hamstrings and traps don’t get overloaded.

Then make sure your feet are even and about hip-width apart. You don’t want your knees falling open or caving in. You CAN do a close-stance glute bridge or a wide-stance glute bridge but you need to still make sure your ankles, knees and hips are in the proper alignment. If they aren’t in alignment, you are going to perpetuate poor movement patterns.

This proper set up can also help you unlock tight hips by forcing your glutes to create hip extension as you bridge up. It will also prevent your quads from taking over, which if they do start trying to work, won’t help you open up tight hip flexors.

Part of this set up also needs to be learning to engage your abs, which can be done using a posterior pelvic tilt!

Bridging Tip #2: Tilt It Up Aka Stop Trying To Use Your Back To Get Up Higher!

One of the things that happens most often is that, in an attempt to bridge up HIGHER, people arch and use their lower back. And then they just push and ignore the fact that all they feel is their lower back.

Why does this happen? Why aren’t your glutes firing like they should be and you are instead loading your low back?

Because when we are focused on simply bridging up higher to replicate a movement, instead of focusing more on the muscles that should be working, our bodies recruit whatever muscles are easily available to meet our demands.

We will demand mobility out of an area that really shouldn’t be providing that mobility. And we will overuse muscles that aren’t meant to handle the load. Because our body takes the path of least resistance to do the movements that we ask of it.

And this process of compensation often happens because our hips are tight and our glutes, and even our abs, are underactive.

That is why it is key to do bridges correctly so you can improve your hip extension AND activate your glutes and abs. And the key to doing this is the posterior pelvic tilt!

By using the posterior pelvic tilt, you can engage your abs, prevent hyperextension of your lumbar spine AND get your glutes to power the bridge and hip extension.

To do the posterior pelvic tilt, set up at the bottom of the bridge with your feet flat on the ground and elbows driving down into the ground too.

Feel the space between your low back and the ground? Push that space away so you are tilting your hips and pressing your low back into the ground.

You may feel too like you are drawing your abs in toward your spine.

Keeping the core engaged like this, bridge up. Squeeze your butt and pause. Do not worry about how high you go. Just squeeze the butt as you keep your abs engaged in this way. Then lower down.

You may notice at the top you start to lose the tilt as you just try to drive up higher. This means you are trying to again arch your lower back instead of just extending your hips.

It is key with all of these tips, and with all exercises for that matter, that not only do you pay attention to form, BUT you THINK about the muscles that are working so you can realize if you lose the posterior pelvic tilt and stop using your glutes.

Lower back down and repeat. If you need, reset that posterior pelvic tilt each time. But focus on maintaining that so you CAN’T arch your low back and can only bridge as high as you glutes, and hips for that matter, allow!

Bridging Tip #3: THINK About The Muscles That Should Be Working

As I mentioned above, you have to THINK about the muscles working. Part of contracting your muscles and feeling them work is about establishing the mind-body connection so your mind can more efficiently and effectively recruit the right muscles for the job.

And basic bodyweight activation moves like the bridge are the easiest way to improve your mind-body connection so things work correctly during more compound lifts.

Think about how many times you’ve just gone through the motions of a workout? Or pushed through even when you sort of know the wrong muscle, aka your low back, is working.

You just figure, “Hey gotta get through the workout!”

The problem is…That attitude can lead to injury. AND it can also mean that all these workouts you’re spending “working your glutes” are actually going to waste.

Cause guess what!?!

Your glutes aren’t working!

So during these moves THINK about your glutes driving the movement. That way you can adjust if they aren’t. And by focusing on your glutes working, you can contract them even harder as you pause at the top of the bridge.

Heck…it can even be fun to see how much shakeage you can create by mentally trying to contract harder!

Bridging Tip #4: What If I STILL Don’t Feel My Glutes?!

There is a chance that you will still struggle, even after trying to tweak your form, with activating your glutes. Heck maybe even just one side doesn’t seem to want to engage!

This is where some mobility work, some Foam Rolling and Dynamic Stretching may need to come into play first to loosen those tight muscles so your glutes can engage properly.

Using rolling first can help you relax tight and overexcited muscles, muscles your mind may want to usually recruit first.

Roll your hamstrings (often for people rolling right under the glute helps).

foam-rolling-hamstrings

Roll your hips to help loosen tight hips before you bridge. Heck, roll your quads!

tfl-foam-rolling

Start there. Then do even a dynamic stretch or two, like the Half-Kneeling Hip And Quad Stretch, to start to open up your hips.

THEN try the glute bridge.

Often rolling, stretching THEN activating can help us FEEL the glutes working when they should be!

That process will allow us to restore muscles to their proper length tension relationships so we can get the right muscles working…AKA our GLUTES!

But what if it is only one side?

Well the focus on that tight side and even try some unilateral activation before.

Try a Fire Hydrant or Donkey Kick. Another basic bodyweight moves to focus on that side that isn’t firing.

fire-hydrantsTHEN return to the bilateral move once you’ve established the mind-body connection! (I mention the Fire Hydrant too because sometimes activating the glute medius helps the glute maximus fire better even during moves like the Glute Bridge!)

But NEVER underestimate the importance of the Basic Bodyweight Glute Bridge. And don’t ignore the importance of those other silly looking basic activation moves for your glutes either!

Those moves are what help you prevent injury and get the right muscles working.

These silly, BASIC moves are so important it’s why I created a 28-Day Booty Burner to help my clients get their glutes working the way they should be!

Learn More About Glute Activation And Unlocking Tight Hips –>