The Importance of the Gluteus Maximus
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. It forms the majority of each buttock cheek and is crucial for hip extension and rotation. This makes it instrumental in actions such as standing up, maintaining an upright posture, and moving forward when you walk, run, jump, and climb.
Weak glutes can lead to issues like poor posture, lower back problems, and strain on leg joints if they have to compensate.
Sarah DiGiovanni, a certified personal trainer at Alo Wellness Club in New York, offers further insights into why glute strength is so vital.
The Role of the Glutes in Physical Activities
“The glutes are responsible for hip extension, rotation, and stabilization—all essential for walking, running, jumping, and lifting,” she explains.
“Strong glutes support proper posture, protect the lower back, and enhance athletic performance by improving power, balance, and efficiency of movement.”
Training Your Glutes
While using weights to train your glutes is not mandatory, DiGiovanni suggests that some form of resistance can be beneficial.
“The glutes respond to progressive overload, meaning they need consistent challenges to grow,” she explains. “This can come from bodyweight exercises [such as hip thrusts, single-leg bridges, or banded work] if they’re performed with enough tension, volume, and control.”
“However, external weights, such as dumbbells, barbells, or resistance machines, make it easier to progressively increase that challenge over time.”
Improve Your Glute Strength with this Kettlebell Workout
With the benefits of glute training in mind, DiGiovanni has crafted a five-move kettlebell workout for you. Give it a try and share your experiences in the comments below.
1. Romanian Deadlift
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, a slight bend in your knees, and the kettlebell held with both hands with your arms relaxed in front of your torso.
- Hinge at your hips and push your butt back, lowering the weight toward the floor while keeping your back flat.
- Drive through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top, without overextending the back.
DiGiovanni says this exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes, improves hip mobility, and builds a strong posterior chain for better posture and injury prevention.
2. Bulgarian Split Squat
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side
How to do it:
- Stand facing away from a weight bench, step, or other sturdy platform, with the kettlebell in your left hand.
- Place the top of your left foot behind you onto the platform.
- Bend your right knee to 90° to lower, keeping your right knee directly above your right ankle.
- Push through your right heel to extend your right leg.
- Continue, completing all your reps on the right side, then switching sides.
This exercise builds unilateral leg strength and balance, targets the glutes and quads, and helps correct muscle imbalances.
3. Sumo Squat with Pulse
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly out, holding a kettlebell with both hands in front of you while your arms are relaxed.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back until your hips are as low as your knees, keeping your chest facing forward.
- Push through your heels to lift your hips just above your knees, then lower again, then push through your heels to return to standing.
DiGiovanni recommends this exercise as it targets the inner thighs, glutes, and quads, improves hip mobility, and builds lower-body strength without stressing the lower back.
4. Curtsy Lunge
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell in your left hand at your left side.
- Take a big step back and to the right with your left foot, so it lands to the right of your right foot.
- Bend both knees to 90°, keeping your right knee aligned above your right foot, and your chest facing forward.
- Push through your right heel to return to standing.
- Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.
This move strengthens glutes and quads while being gentler on the knees than forward lunges. It also improves stability and challenges core control.
5. Kettlebell Swing
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a kettlebell on the floor in front of you.
- Hinge at your hips and reach forward to take hold of the kettlebell in both hands.
- Engage your core and set your shoulder back and down, then swing the kettlebell between your legs.
- Drive your hips forward to generate the momentum to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
- Let the kettlebell swing back
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