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Want A Strong Back? (Do This Back Exercise!)

Want A Strong Back? (Do This Back Exercise!)

by | Jul 24, 2022 | Blog, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Pain Relief

Too often we waste exercises by not actually working the muscles intended.

And then we wonder why we aren’t seeing the results we want.

But we have to remember that if we don’t feel the correct muscles working, those muscles aren’t reaping the benefits.

For example, if you feel your lower back during ab work, your lower back is what is being worked, not your abs. So all of that ab work isn’t going to pay off the way you’d like.

And it may even result in injury as your lower back becomes overworked and overloaded. This can even lead to your lower back engaging when it shouldn’t in other compound moves and lifts.

So not only is the muscle group we want benefiting NOT benefiting, but we may be creating recruitment patterns that can lead to other issues and injury.

The same thing goes for those back exercises you’re including in your workouts.

Tend to feel your neck or shoulders or even your biceps working instead of your upper back during rows or pull ups?

Struggling to feel like all of that back strengthening work is leading to the results you want, like improving your pull ups so you can do that first full one?

Then you need to make sure your back is actually what is powering your pulling moves.

And if it isn’t, you need to potentially modify so your arms can’t compensate.

You need to start by addressing your scapular mobility and stability to actually get your back powering the pull!

That’s why I love this amazing move – The Back Shrug.

While we need to include mobility work and that full prehab process of foam rolling, stretching and activation in our warm up routine, we can’t out mobility work improper movement and recruitment patterns when we lift.

It’s why we need to be intentional with moves and see every exercise as a a chance to assess.

And it’s why, when the correct muscles aren’t working, we sometimes need to modify moves and even try other variations to improve that mind-body connection.

It’s why if you struggle with with using your back during rowing, you may want to switch to the Back Shrug to start focusing on that scapular retraction to engage your back and power the pull.

How Do You Do The Back Shrug:

This move boils the row down to just that initial scapular movement to learn to control that back engagement.

When you row, the movement should start because you’re you’re drawing your shoulder blade toward your spine to use your back to pull.

This movement isolates just this component of the row, removing any elbow flexion that may lead to us compensating and using our bicep instead.

Too often with rows, we end up performing a bicep curl, curling our wrist in toward our chest over driving the elbow down and back as our shoulder blade moves toward our spine.

That’s why focusing on just that scapular movement to start can be key.

To do the Back Shrug, hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge over standing with your feet about hip-width apart.

Let your arms hang down and unshrug your shoulders while keeping a neutral spine. Make sure you’ve hinged over to load your glutes while keeping your knees soft.

From this bent over position, you are going to try to pinch your shoulder blades together while letting your arms hang down.

Draw your shoulder blades toward your spine. Don’t just shrug your shoulders. Focus on that scapular movement.

Do not bend your elbows or start to row.

Just pinch the shoulder blades together, pausing, then relaxing the weights back toward the ground. Do not shrug your shoulders up toward your ears as you retract!

You will be able to add weight as you can fully control and feel the movement on both sides.

This is a small movement. Don’t try to make it bigger by standing up or bending your arms. Make sure to keep your neck long. Your only focus is on drawing the shoulder blades toward your spine then relaxing them away. Even pause as you do the pinch over rushing.

Variations:

There are so many ways you can then vary this move based on the types of rows you general include in your training and even the other muscles you want to target and tools you have available.

You could do this with a band instead of dumbbells. Or even off a suspension trainer. All of these are great to include to prep your body to row using these different tools and postures.

Because we can struggle with that scapular retraction in different positions, it can be key to include a diversity to make sure we’re initiating those rows with our back.

And if you find you struggle even with proper mobility and strength on one side, you can even make this movement a unilateral exercise, working only one side at a time or even doing rounds or reps on only one side.

If you don’t have any equipment, you can even do a unilateral variation called the Single Arm Scapular Push Up. This is great as an activation move in your warm up before any strength work even.

But as you really work to translate that activation to the full row with weight, consider the these variations to prep the body to initial that pull with that proper scapular movement.

SUMMARY:

Moves are only as good as their implementation. And if we want to get the full benefit of an exercise, we need to make sure we’re actually engaging the correct muscles to power the movement.

If you’ve struggled with feeling your back during rowing exercises, try this scapular retraction focused back exercise to really isolate and work on that initial back engagement.

It can easily be included as part of your accessory work for a few rounds of 10-15 reps! Focus on that scapular movement over just going heavy, but don’t be afraid to progress the movement by adding loads as you can truly control that retraction!

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8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

8 Odd Weight Loss Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner 

by | Jul 10, 2022 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

The secret to results is to be goldilocks and look for the thing that is “just right.”

And the best way to get that “just right” plan for ourselves, is to create it. We need to find that combination of what is RIGHT and what we can do CONSISTENTLY.

That sweet spot is where the magic happens.

Because what is “right” won’t pay off if we can’t repeat those habits consistently. Just like doing the wrong things consistently will only lead to trouble.

But to find what is right for us, we need to step away from seeking some perfect plan or getting caught up in some ideals of perfection when it comes to our training and nutrition.

It’s why I wanted to share 8 tips I’ve discovered really make the difference in creating that just right plan for you…tips that many people won’t like because they don’t promote clean eating ideals or even the no pain no gain mentality that is so popular!

Tip 1: Sometimes it’s better to just give into the cravings over fighting them.

We often waste a ton of effort fighting what we want. And while achieving results DOES mean some sacrifice, too often we just deplete our self control by constantly restricting.

Sometimes it is better to just give in, satisfy a craving and move forward. Often we feel better with our overall plan and less restricted and more willing to stick with things when we also get to include foods we really love and crave.

Sometimes indulging is what we need to be able to stay consistent, strike a lifestyle balance and stay on track.

Too often in our attempt to avoid the thing we want we end up eating more in the end or we end up eating things that honestly are just as bad. And on top of that we ultimately only eventually give in, which because we’ve felt so restricted, can lead to overeating the thing we initially wanted anyway.

Sometimes just preemptively having that thing can help us find a better balance and avoid that binge cycle!

Tip 2: Drink your diet drink.

Fake sweeteners have become super demonized. And while the data really doesn’t support that demonization, I’m not going to tell you that diet drinks are healthy.

However, I do feel like they can also be key to us creating something sustainable that we ENJOY.

Honestly, sometimes when you want something sweet or you want something to satisfy a craving, swapping in that diet drink can help us strike a balance. Having that diet soda may actually help you stay more consistent and be healthier overall. Too often we get caught up in the “one bad thing” instead of seeing the overall healthier balance it can help us create.

It may help you avoid other unhealthy foods and “cost” you less overall.

It may be the way you start to even transition yourself off of sugar filled drinks.

It’s all about small improvements and finding our balance.

So don’t fear sometimes swapping one not so ideal thing for something that makes an improvement in your life even if it isn’t yet “perfect.”

Also we have to find our balance. If a diet soda keeps you overall consistent, that vice may be what you need to actually hit that 80/20 balance not just for a few days or months but for YEARS…

Tip 3: Plan in meals out.

Often when we start a new diet we avoid going out because it isn’t as easy to stay on track.

But this can also backfire and make us always feel like that person on a diet. It’s what can lead to us becoming even burnt out with the changes.

If you enjoy meals out, plan them in. If you need the break with cooking, plan in your favorite restaurant meals.

Find ways to work in things you love, even planning in those meals out first to adjust the rest of your day around.

And then just log the best you can. Sure it may not be perfect, but logging as consistently as you can is key. And then watch how that meal impacts you. If you’re not seeing results, you can always adjust. You can always make swaps to dishes to more easily hit your macros.

Or you can even find new restaurants that list out nutritional info to make grabbing lunch on the go easier.

But don’t avoid habits and routines you love. Find ways to work them in.

Because completely cutting out habits and routines we enjoy ultimately derails us just to try to be perfect short term. But we need to be careful with that all or nothing attitude.

We need to remember that long-term consistency is key!

Tip 4: Want fast results? Be ready to sacrifice.

We all want to hear it will be easy to see results. And while we can definitely see results by making fewer changes to start, the faster we want to see results, the more we have to embrace some sacrifice and focus more on perfection in those new habits.

Basically the faster we want results, the more dedicated to the changes and the harder we have to be willing to push, especially to start.

And too often I think we gloss over this fact. We try to make things sound as easy for ourselves as possible, but I think this sets us up for failure because we then aren’t prepared for the challenges that pop up.

It does take more perfection short term and more sacrifice short term, the quicker we want to see dramatic changes and the further we are from our goal. Also the longer we’ve been in our current situation and the more we have working against us, the more we have to OVERCORRECT to start.

But we have to remember we have to base these changes on a solid foundation of those basics so that we can steer back to sustainable as we reach our goals.

It’s why macros and designing clear workout progressions are key. These fundamentals allow us to create sustainable habits even if we do more of a cut to start or shift into more of a muscle gaining phase. These fundamentals don’t change even as we transition into maintenance even if their exact implementation adjusts with time.

We have to remember that what it takes to reach a goal will NOT be the same thing we have to do to maintain it!

Tip 5: The longer you’ve struggled, the longer you’ll struggle….sorry this is just a reality.

If you just gained the weight recently and haven’t had it on for long, if you’ve done a diet or workout plan before and see results, you’re going to see faster results this time through. You know the pain, your body also isn’t content where it is, and so your body will respond quicker.

It’s why it isn’t really fair to compare your results to someone who just gained a few pounds over the holidays if you’ve been up in weight for years. It’s why you can’t base your results on that of a trainer or bodybuilder who gains and loses weight all of the time.

The longer you’ve had the weight on, the less you’re familiar with what you need to do, the HARDER it will be to really get the ball rolling.

So if you’re struggling with taking on a new challenge, if you’ve struggled with hormonal changes and with weight that has been on a very long time, get ready to really grind it out without seeing the progress you so desperately crave to start.

Realize it WILL be harder for you.

So set habit goals to give yourself daily things to focus on. It’s key to really create those changes that build toward the long-term results we want. And track those habits as you implement to celebrate those as wins because you have to find a way to embrace the process.

Tip 6: Stop feeling guilty.

I mean this in so many ways, but we’ve got to stop the guilt if we want to truly change our lifestyle. We are human. We’re never going to be perfect.

Don’t feel guilty if you want to fit something into your macros that isn’t healthy. Don’t feel guilty for a skipped workout. Don’t feel guilty for a day not going as planned or eating out of stress.

Often these things don’t derail us, it’s the guilt that changes our habits and mindsets for days after that adds up.

So focus on what you can always do to move forward. Focus on meeting yourself where you are at. Focus on 1% improvements and seeing everything as a learning process!

But stop sabotaging yourself by making yourself feel guilty for being HUMAN.

Tip 7: Stop trying to just exercise for longer.

Focusing on making your workouts longer is a waste of time. Period.

The only reason your workout should get longer is because you’re training for a specific competition or your rest times have to be ridiculously long for max attempt lifts.

Honestly, too often we make our workouts longer and just waste a lot of time and effort. It often also leads to us being extra tired and burnt out and hungry which ultimately leads to hormonal issues, metabolic adaptations and cravings that backfire and sabotage us.

So often us trying to train more as we eat less is what sabotages our weight loss efforts and makes us feel like we just don’t have self control.

It’s also what leads to more metabolic adaptations so we can feel like we aren’t losing while starving ourselves. Our body fights against what it sees as starvation.

So stop just trying to do MORE.

Use your training to build muscle and move well. Focus on using the time you realistically have to train wisely!

Tip 8: Don’t turn strength workouts just into cardio.

Too often we seek just to feel worked from our workouts. To be tired and burn a ton of calories.

But this is why we can feel our programs are unsustainable and we get skinny without looking leaner. It’s what can hold us back from actually seeing the body recomp we want, and getting the lean arms or toned abs we desire.

Because cardio doesn’t build muscle and can even be catabolic to it. It can ultimately make us look softer especially if we are in that calorie deficit to lose weight.

So when you do strength work, don’t fear rest. Don’t feel like you have to be destroyed and out of breath every single workout. Track your numbers and focus on progressive overload! Focus on lifting more and really challenging those muscles so they are forced to repair and rebuild stronger!

SUMMARY:

As tempting as it is to do more, to strive for perfection in our diet and workouts, results really come from 1% improvements and meeting ourselves where we are at!

You need to find the “right things” that you can truly be consistent with long term!

Set yourself up for success. Get the coaching and support you need to learn how to rock those results no matter your age…

–> Learn more about Redefining Strength’s coaching program!

 

Lose An Extra Pound Per Week Without Changing Your Current Diet Or Workout Routine

Lose An Extra Pound Per Week Without Changing Your Current Diet Or Workout Routine

by | Jul 3, 2022 | Blog, Exercises

Want to lose weight but not sure where to start? Feeling intimidated by tracking macros? Feel like you’re already training hard but not seeing results?

Because making changes, and getting started, is the hardest part, I wanted to share how you can build that momentum to see results with a very small tweak to your current lifestyle.

We have to remember that the more we do, the more we do. And this can mean that a positive habit change can lead to more positive habit changes…or inaction can lead to more in action.

So what easy thing can you start doing today to get better weight loss results?

Think about why weight loss occurs…

Because we create that calorie deficit.

You can create, or increase that deficit in two ways…

1: You can cut your calories lower.

This works to a certain extent, but too great a deficit created this way can cause metabolic adaptations and hormonal imbalances.

Not to mention, dietary changes are the hardest for most of us to start.

And if we’re already in a deficit, the thought of eating less may be a struggle and backfire.

So instead you can try way number 2 to create a deficit and do more exercise or activity.

2: Exercise more.

The problem with this is your body adapts. And you can’t just keep adding on more and more and harder and harder training. You’ll end up burnt out and injured.

You can’t out exercise your diet.

Also training MORE can often lead to us doing more and more cardio, which is catabolic to muscle tissue and can then result in muscle mass being lost so we burn fewer calories at rest and ultimately hinder our weight loss and fat loss results.

Not to mention often trying to add in more intense training sessions can spark our appetite further, making it harder to maintain our dietary calorie deficit.

BUT there is a way you can get a bump in your calorie burn through increasing activity WITHOUT stressing your body, or increasing your appetite, further.

In a way that basically keeps your non exercise thermogenesis or the calories you burn outside of your “workouts” higher while not putting you at risk for overtraining, burnout and muscle mass loss.

This activity even has you working in that “fat burning zone” where more of the calories you burn come from fat.

This so unsexy, simple activity is WALKING.

Yup. By adding in just a little extra walking into each and every day you can easily help yourself lose more weight each week and overcome that plateau.

Even just starting with an extra 15 minute walk per day, or increasing your current step count by 2,000 steps, can really start to add up!

Walking will not add to your fatigue but it will help you increase the number of calories you burn in a day.

It won’t detract from future workouts because it won’t create fatigue.

It even mentally can help you stay on track with your nutrition because you’re not just sitting around wanting to eat or repeating the habits you’ve always done. Getting moving can help you want to do MORE of the positive lifestyle changes you are making.

It can also be easy to include in your day as you can use it as a social activity or way to wind down.

You can even break up your walks over the course of the day to fit your schedule.

But this extra movement increases your energy expenditure in a sustainable way that can help you get started losing weight or break a plateau.

It’s perfect if you’re just starting out and need that easy transition in and beneficial even if you’ve been dieting for longer.

And if you’ve been dieting for longer, not only can the addition of walking keep you moving when you tend to want to conserve energy by moving less due to lower body fat levels and an extended deficit, but it can also be used to help lose that last little bit of stubborn fat.

If you have an especially stubborn area to lose from, and are down to that last little bit, you may find that timing your walks right after a burner or session focused on these areas really makes the difference in your result!

Of course this isn’t a magic pill but it may be that final thing you need when you’re just almost at your goal!

SUMMARY:

To get the best results possible, we want to know all the tools out there we can use to create a healthy sustainable lifestyle.

And walking is an amazing way to lose an extra pound each week without making more changes to our diet or even having to change our training sessions!

So to start making a change today, think about increasing your step count by even just 2000 steps with a brisk 15 minute walk!

Ready to get the accountability and support you need to see amazing results?

Learn more about my coaching:

–> Apply To RS Coaching

 

The Best Chest Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

The Best Chest Exercise (You’re Not Doing)

by | Jun 27, 2022 | Blog, Exercises

If it challenges you, it will change you.

Progression can be created in so many different ways, from increasing loads to changing tempos, postures of movements, ranges of motion and even by changing the types of tools we use.

For example the basic dumbbell chest fly is a staple of many chest or pec building hypertrophy workout routines.

But I find often people, in an attempt to keep progressing the move, start to compensate in terms of their form.

They end up turning the move into a straight press over a true fly as they try to increase weights past a point they can truly control.

Or if they realize they can’t control the heavier weight they start to add reps instead to progress the movement. This isn’t a bad way to create progression when you’re stuck not able to truly move to the next weight.

But what if you’re finding your ego is getting in the way and you’ve hit a point there isn’t really a clear progression?

What can you do?

This is where you can implement different techniques, including simply adding in another training tool to the equation.

You could simply swap to a banded chest fly to progress through the same but different because bands apply tension in a different way to the same movement pattern OR you could actually combine both tools.

And combining both tools is a great way to progress that standard dumbbell chest fly and even create resistance throughout the movement in a new way.

It’s why I love the Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly!

The band makes it deceptively hard, forcing you to really slow down the movement and control it.

It creates resistance in a new way while still allowing you to get the benefits of the basic dumbbell fly.

It may be that little tweak you need when you can’t just keep adding reps and aren’t truly able to move up yet with dumbbells.

It may even simply be a great way to challenge your body in a new way and bust through that strength plateau and even mix up your training just to keep things interesting!

So How Do You Do The Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly?

To do the Banded Dumbbell Chest Fly, you will need a larger loop band to hold with your dumbbells. Start light as this move is deceptively challenging.

You will want to go lighter with the dumbbells than what you use for just the dumbbell chest fly especially to start!

Hold the band in one hand and pull it across your back as you grab it in the other hand. I recommend having your weights propped up on the bench in front of you or on a rack where you can easily grab them.

Grab a weight then in each hand and lie back on the bench with the band across your upper back and weights in at your chest.

Then press the band and weights straight up from your chest toward the ceiling with the weights together.

Moving slowly fly your arms out and open at about chest height, keeping your elbows soft. However, do not turn this into a bench press. You aren’t bending and extending at the elbows but allowing yourself to move from your shoulder as you lower your arms to about parallel to the ground.

Make sure you do not shrug as you fly your arms open.

Open up your chest so your upper arms are about parallel to the ground. Move slowly to really control the band, then feel your chest muscles work to pull your hands back up and overhead toward the ceiling.

Focus on contract the pecs to really pull the weights back over the center of your chest.

Feel the band working against you as you fly your arms back together.

Then repeat the move. You want to feel a slight pec stretch as you open up your arms, while not locking out the elbows. And then you want to feel your chest really working to bring your hands back together.

Really start light to focus on a slow tempo and that control. You’ll be surprised by how much the band makes this more challenging.

Make sure as you do this move as well that you’re even aware of engaging your back to support your shoulders.

To modify you can always use just one tool instead of both combined or even do a standing chest band fly to really work on that scapular control if you struggle with engaging your back to support your shoulders!

SUMMARY:

Just remember weights and going heavier with loads is not the only way to progress a move! And sometimes small changes like using two types of resistance can be the variation we need to keep seeing results from our programming!

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The Most Underrated Conditioning Tool (Add This To Your Workouts)

The Most Underrated Conditioning Tool (Add This To Your Workouts)

by | Jun 19, 2022 | Battling Ropes, Blog, Core, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Workouts

When you think about doing cardio, you think about endless rows of cardio equipment. Or you think about going outside for a run or ride.

But what if you find these workouts, well, boring?

Ok maybe you turn to some bodyweight interval sessions.

However, even many of these are very lower body focused.

Or they include a ton of jumping.

And it can be hard if you have a lower body injury to find options to work around!

So how can you get in a killer cardio workout that even targets your UPPER body more while allowing you to work on everything from building power to your aerobic capacity and conditioning?

The answer?

With BATTLE ROPES!

Battle ropes are the perfect way to work your entire body with lower impact moves or even take your cardio training up a notch.

You can use them for longer intervals of work to improve your aerobic base or you can use them to build explosive power.

They can be great to target literally every muscle of your body, whether you choose a basic wave to just work your upper body, a plank variation to target your core or even a full body movement including shuffling, lunging or squatting.

Learning To Use Battle Ropes:

So how do you do the basic battle ropes alternating arm wave?

A fundamental wave to learn on the battle ropes is the basic alternating arm wave. To do this movement, hold a handle in each hand and walk back so there is some slack in the rope but they are pulled out straight. You do not want them stretched tight.

Holding a handle in each hand, pull one hand down toward your hip as you raise the other hand up. Then quickly alternating, swinging the other arm back as you raise the other arm up.

You can play around with a straighter arm movement or slightly more of a bicep curl.

There are also multiple ways to create this basic wave based on how you want to isolate and work areas. You can make it super arm intensive, holding a very still body and doing more of that curl.

You can also use rotation a bit more swinging from your hip. This is more of the “gunslinger” wave allowing you to use rotation to power the movement more.

You can also do more of a Frankenstein movement, slightly marching in place as you create the wave with straighter arms.

All of these can be used based on how you want to target areas so even play around with them!

But make sure you aren’t just shrugging as you create the waves, feeling your upper traps really becoming overworked.

Think quick fluid movements allowing the waves to push each other down over trying to lift the entire rope up and down each and every time. It’s why you want a bit of slack in the rope.

Make sure too you’re standing tall with your chest pressed out and focused on moving as quickly as possible.

Once you’ start using the basic alternating arm wave…How can you spice things up a bit?

Battle Ropes Modifications And Progressions:

Not only are there different waves you can create, from the double wave to sidewinders to rainbows, but you can even vary up that basic alternating arm wave exercise by the posture you perform the movement in and the involvement of your lower body.

You could add in a side shuffle as you perform the alternating arm wave, side to side lunges or even a reverse lunge.

If you need to modify around a lower body injury, you could even do the movement seated on a bench or on the ground.

With any of the waves you can really implement different postures and movements to work your entire body and work around lower body aches and pains.

You can do a single arm wave from a plank position if you wanted to work your core more and get in an anti-rotational movement during your conditioning workout.

Or even the rainbows balanced on your butt to work your obliques more.

If you want to add in impact and work on explosive power, you could combine a double arm wave even with a squat jump.

Battle ropes are simply a great way to target not only your upper body but adjust to meet your conditioning needs for that day and work a variety of muscle groups!

But now that you have all of these options, how can you create a workout?

Battle ropes are a great tool to use whatever energy system you want to target.

You can include them in an interval workout, whether you want a quick high intensity interval session for something quick, like 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off or you want to work on your aerobic conditioning and perform longer intervals of work on the ropes, even up to 10 minutes straight.

You can honestly even include them in a lifting session if you wanted the workout to be more metabolically focused. You could include even something to work on your strength and power by doing reps of the Snake wave or outward circles during your chest, shoulders and tricep session.

Just remember, you want to include tools in a way that matches your needs and goals. We don’t just want to put things in to feel more worked and train harder!

But if you’re looking for a way to improve your conditioning and create a new progression, give battle ropes a try!

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8 Glute Activation Exercises (Improve Hip Stability)

8 Glute Activation Exercises (Improve Hip Stability)

by | Jun 12, 2022 | Blog, Butt, Core, Exercises, Push Ups

If you want to help prevent lower back, hip or knee pain and improve your lifting, running and riding, you need to include glute activation in your workout routine.

Glute activation exercises are movement generally done with little to no weight and for higher reps (15-25). They are isolation exercises meant to really target the glutes so you can feel them working before you even go into your compound exercises.

And you want to use these moves to strengthen all of actions the glute muscles perform – from abduction to extension to external rotation and even hip hyperextension.

That’s why I wanted to share 8 glute activation moves you can do with minimal equipment in a wide range of postures and positions. These moves will help you truly build functional strong glutes to improve your hip stability!

(Video demoing all moves below this 👇)

1: 3-Way Standing Hip Circles

Everything is connected. If you want better glute engagement, you can’t ignore your feet and ankles. And if you want better balance and foot and ankle stability, you can’t ignore your glutes!

That’s why standing moves like the 3-Way Standing Hip Circles are so key to include. They work on improving your balance while activating your glutes.

And with this move, you’ll activate your glute max with the hip extension kicking back, your glute medius with the abduction or knee raised out to the side and even your abs with the knee tuck in and forward.

Make sure to move slowly as you cycle through those moves while focusing on your other foot’s connection to the ground.

And do not lean or rock away to increase the range of motion. Focus on those glutes really working to lift the leg and your abs working to pull the knee in!

2: Hip Airplanes

When working on glute activation, we want to address all joint actions this muscle group contributes to, which is why I love to use Hip Airplanes.

This standing glute move will improve that balance and hip stability while helping you learn to engage the glutes to stabilize as you work through internal and external rotation – targeting all three gluteal muscles (the maximus, medius and minimus)

While you can do this move without your hands on a chair or box, I like to add in that little stabilizing element to start so you can work through a full range of motion.

Really focus on rotating from the hip, feeling your glute work over just allowing your spine to twist. You will not get the full benefit if you don’t focus on that rotation going from your head to your raise foot.

You want to rotate open from your standing leg fully, then rotate back closed toward that standing leg, even dropping the hip of the raised leg toward the ground.

Make sure as you do rotate, your standing foot is firmly pressed fully into the ground and you do not rock out on your foot.

If you have Piriformis issues, be careful with this movement, especially the external rotation.

3: Mini Band Pulse Squats

Many of us have heard the phrase “Squat for a better butt.”

But squats, especially weighted squats, partly because they are a compound movement, really aren’t that great for glute activation. You’re definitely going to feel those quads and adductors even as well.

However, how much we target and activate a muscle is also based on the range of motion and equipment we use with that movement.

By changing the full squat to a pulse squat while adding a band, we can make the squat an amazing glute focused movement that creates metabolic stress so you really feel that pump in those glutes to establish that mind-body connection.

When you do this move, you can add loads, but start with the mini band right below or above your knees. You want the band just above or below your knees to use it to help you really focus on pressing out to activate your glute medius. This will improve your hip stability and actually better activate your glute max as well.

You then want to make sure you’re sitting back as you pulse right around parallel while sitting in that squat. Stay controlled and make sure you’re heels are firmly pressed down into the ground without rocking back.

To modify you can do this move holding on to a suspension trainer or even hovering over a bench!

4: Bench 2-Way Leg Raises

Often with glute activation, we think we have to get down on the ground to do it. And while quadruped moves are an amazing way to target and activate those glutes, you can easily modify all of those movements off a bench if you need extra padding on your knees or simple don’t want to get down on the ground.

And the added bonus of using a bench is that you can even increase the range of motion you work through on many moves because your knee is raised off the ground.

That’s why I love Bench 2-Way Leg Raises. You can work your glutes through both hip extension and abduction and a larger range of motion.

When you do this move, make sure not to bend your arms or lean away. You want to even feel the glute medius or side butt on that leg that is down stabilizing your body as you lift the other leg to work.

Focus on even almost trying to stop the movement with your glute instead of just swinging the leg up higher. Focus on feeling that glute on that kickback stop the leg at about parallel to the ground. Do not arch your lower back to kick up higher. And really feel the side of your butt on that lateral raise. Do not rotate your toe open toward the ceiling as you raise.

To add a bit of progression to this movement, you can even wear ankle weights. But focus more on that mind-body connection over adding loads!

5: Lying Jacks

Often when we include abduction movements or lateral raise movements to work our glute medius, we are standing or seated. But by doing this abduction movement lying down, we can work our glutes while in hip hyperextension even.

We have to remember that by changing the degree of hip flexion involved in the abduction movement we can target different portions of the glute medius, addressing more anterior or posterior fibers!

We will also work our glute max to maintain the reverse hyper position.

When you do this move, you want to focus on pressing out against the band while not just rotating your toes out and open.

You also want to think about your glutes holding your legs up as you press your hips down. Be very conscious you aren’t feeling your lower back compensate to raise your legs up higher!

If you feel your lower back taking over, try a Y Reverse Hyper instead of holding the position as you perform the abduction.

6: Side Plank Clams

Planks are a great core move that you can use to also target your glutes, side planks especially. And often the side plank with leg raise is the one you see being used.

But that move is not only far more advanced than we give it credit for, it also often will lead to fatigue of the muscle over simply helping us prep the muscle for more work.

That’s why I like the side plank clam variation. It can also include more external rotation or be a straight abduction move based on your foot positioning.

However, like the basic clam it is also often misused. Make sure you don’t let your TFL compensate by turning your top toe down toward the ground. And make sure as you lift you drive your hips forward.

If you did want to remove the external rotation, say if you have Piriformis issues, you could actually lift the top leg straight up during the movement, keeping the knee bent, over keeping the foot down which will force external rotation.

Both can be great variations to include and you may alternate which you used based on what you’re trying to target!

Just make sure that, while you’re focusing on the side of your butt, you keep your elbow stacked under your shoulder and your back engaged to support it. You want this move to benefit your entire core, including those obliques as well!

7: Figure 4 Glides

It can be easy to cheat with moves when we struggle to activate a muscle correctly. We call on other muscles to not only assist but we will seek out mobility from other joints. Often with lateral raise movements we will even try to swing the leg up higher as we lean away.

That’s why I love the Figure 4 move, especially with these glides.

This is a very small movement and can allow you to easily focus on that glute working. It can be easy also to feel yourself trying to cheat because you are holding in this raised position as you allow that leg to glide forward and backward.

It also engages the glute medius through hip flexion and extension.

Focus on sitting up nice and tall as you raise that leg on the side up. Think about keeping it level as you allow it to glide forward and backward slowly. You can even watch it to stay conscious of what is working.

And if you really struggle with wanting to lean away, you can put your shoulder against a wall as you set up.

But because you’re holding this position, do that easy assessment every once in awhile to make sure you aren’t leaning away!

8: 80/20 Glute Bridges

Often injuries and aches and pains aren’t just due to weakness but also an imbalance between sides and muscles. That means that often we need to do imbalance prehab, working only one side and even doing more reps on that side.

That’s why unilateral or single sided movements are key.

It’s why most of the moves included here are unilateral. However, unilateral moves can also be super challenging and serve as advancements for bilateral exercises as they add more instability and require to move the load or your own bodyweight with only one side.

That’s why I love these 80/20 Glute Bridges though. They force each side to work more but add in the assistance of your other leg to help you focus on the glutes working.

If you’ve struggled with the single leg glute bridge and feel your hamstrings compensating or lower back engaging in that movement, you can try this 80/20 variation to get that same benefit but with a move you can truly control.

Sometimes we need to regress to progress.

Make sure with this move that you stagger one foot out further so the foot that is closer in does 80% of the work. And then focus on that posterior pelvic tilt as you bridge, driving your knee toward your toe as you press up so you get your glute to power the movement over your hamstrings compensating.

SUMMARY:

Now how do you include these moves in your routine? The great part is there are a ton of different ways! But you want to probably only pick 1-3 to include as your activation in your warm ups for just 1-2 rounds. 15-25 reps or even about 30 seconds per move is often good.

The goal isn’t to fatigue your glutes but simply feel them start to work and establish that mind-body connection before your full workout.

If you are using them simply as a prehab routine, you may add another move or two on and do 3 rounds instead!

Need more glute activation series? Check out my Booty Burners…

–> The Booty Burner Challenge