Glute training guide

The exercises you are going to do will have to be varied, and above all you will have to work from several angles!  

Gluteus maximus 

The largest muscle in the buttock, it sits on top of most other muscles in the buttocks. Many people think that the gluteus maximus represents the entire muscle group, when in fact, building muscles around and below is just as important. 

Its main function is hip extension, that is, the kick of the leg back. A responsibility that she shares with the hamstrings.   

The hamstrings are stronger than the glutes when you stand. On the other hand, if the knee is bent, the hamstrings are a little weaker and the gluteus maximus takes over.   

Gluteus medius

This muscle is found slightly higher in the body, not really above the gluteus maximus. It is only visible from the outside when it is well developed. It wraps around the front of the hips, making it the only gluteus muscle visible when positioned facing a person. 

The well-developed gluteus medius makes the hips wider, which also makes the waist slimmer, optically. This may or may not be desirable, depending on the type of physique you're trying to build. In other words, the gluteus maximus construction will make the buttocks bigger from front to back while the gluteus medius construction will make the buttocks bigger from side to side.

The gluteus medius is responsible for both internal and external hip rotation. Its main function is hip abduction (spreading the legs) and it is the main movement that is used to train it.   

Small buttocks

It is located under the gluteus maximus and medius. It is never visible as such, but working on it still makes it appear bigger. 

The gluteus minimus contributes to hip extension and abduction, which means that it is always stressed when working the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. 

The other gluteal muscles are more important from the point of view of functional resistance than aesthetics. They mainly help with balance, especially when standing on one leg. 

How to develop your buttocks? 

Through this little buttock anatomy lesson, I hope I made you understand that it is not enough to exercise your buttocks. 

It is necessary to go there by various exercises to solicit a maximum of muscles. Working only the gluteus maximus is an incomplete method, since in the long term, if the other muscles do not follow, you will quickly find yourself blocked in your progress. 

So don't hesitate to vary your sessions, every 3 weeks, for example. This will give you time to progress before changing your focus. You can also work in long series with light weights combined with short series in strength training (heavy weights). 

Try new tricks while also working on your hip opening, your amplitudes… It is interesting to perform some mobility exercises before starting your session. 

Always listen to your body and explore its horizons.