STRONG GLUTES: The Muscle You Aren't Working

Your glutes are perhaps the most powerful collection of muscles in your body. Which means weak glutes negatively impact your entire muscular system.

Use this plan to activate your glutes and maximize your body's potential. In weeks you'll increase lower-body strength, decrease your injury risk, and burn more fat.

The Warmup
Before you improve glute functioning, you need to address your limited flexibility. If you tend to sit all day, the front of your hips may be extremely stiff. Begin each glute workout with the kneeling hip flexor stretch in order to help loosen your hips and maximize your lower-body performance.

Kneel on your left knee, tighten your left gluteus maximus, and brace your abdominal muscles while keeping your back straight. (You should feel a slight stretch in the front of your left hip.) Then reach up with your left hand as high as you can and bend slightly to the right. Reach out and back with your right hand, and turn toward the right. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Do 4 reps, and then switch sides and repeat to stretch your right hip.

SEE EXERCISES
Follow these three exercises to improve your hip and glute functioning. Some exercises may seem too easy at first, but doing them is essential to properly activating muscles that have been ignored. Spend 2 to 4 weeks on each exercise before increasing the difficulty.

Hip raise
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Lift your hips until they're straight. Hold for 5 seconds, and return to the starting position. Perform 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Lateral Walk

Place an exercise band around your thighs. Step to the side, toes pointing slightly outward. Sidestep to the left 20 feet, and then repeat to the right. That's 1 round. Do 1 or 2 sets of 3 rounds, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Stepup

Step up with your right leg onto a bench that's 6 inches in front of you. Raise your left knee to hip level without your foot touching the bench. Return your left foot to the floor. Complete 10 to 12 reps on one side, and then repeat on the other side. That's 1 set. Do 2 or 3, resting for 60 to 90 seconds in between.