6 Glute Bridge Exercises You’ll Definitely Feel the Next Day

All you need is a RESISTANCE band

Your glutes (more commonly known as your butt) make up the largest muscle group in your body. And they’re also the muscles responsible for powering you up a climb or throw down in a sprint, so it’s important to dedicate time strengthen them specifically.

While hip flexion and extension are important for running efficiently, you miss out on other essential strength movements such as abduction (drawing your leg away from your body), adduction (drawing your leg toward your body), and rotation (turning your leg inward or outward).

When your glute muscles aren’t as strong as they need to be, your knees can collapse inward potentially causing pain and a loss of power, according to Dane and Kara Miklaus of WORK Training Studio in Irvine, California.

That’s why the Miklauses put together a six-move circuit to focus on these muscles.

If you’re sitting a lot in everyday life, you might not have the neuromuscular connections (brain to muscle) necessary to control your movements, according to Kara Miklaus. “It’s not that you need bigger muscles, you just need better coordination from your nervous system to use what you have.”

How to do it: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps (per side on single-leg exercises) as your preride warmup, or add it to a home or gym strength workout.

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– – Any cyclists out there? Listen up! If your lower body training consists mostly of, well, cycling, you’re training a ton of hip flexion and extension through the pedal stroke, but are missing out on abduction (bringing your leg away from your body), adduction (bringing your leg toward your body), and rotation (turning your leg inward or outward). Cyclists who sit a lot and train mostly on the bike do not have the robust neuromuscular connections (brain to muscle) to control these movements. It’s not that you need bigger muscles, you just need better coordination from your nervous system to use what you have. . . . When the glute muscles that externally rotate your hip are weak, your knee can collapse inward toward the bike frame, potentially causing pain and a loss of power. So, what’s a cyclist to do to strengthen your glutes? We’re glad you asked.😉 You’re looking for exercises to improve muscular coordination instead of producing maximal force. Introducing: glute bridges. Try 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps (per side on single leg exercises) of these exercises as your pre-ride warmup to prime your glutes for action on the bike: . . . 1️⃣ Hip Bridge 2️⃣ Single Leg Bridge 3️⃣ Mini Band Hip Bridge 4️⃣ Mini Band Single Leg Bridge 5️⃣ Mini Band Hip Bridge Abduction 6️⃣ Wide Stance Mini Band Hip Bridge Bridge

A post shared by WORK (@work_training_studio) on Jan 14, 2020 at 6:09pm PST

Glute Bridge

Lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor. Drive through heels, contracting the glutes to send hips up toward the ceiling. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower back down slowly, then repeat.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Lie faceup, knees bent, feet planted, arms down by sides on the floor. Lift left leg up toward the ceiling, so that both knees are aligned. Engage glutes as you lift hips up, driving through right heel. Lower back to the floor, then repeat.

Glute Bridge With Resistance Band

With resistance band placed right above knees, lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor. Drive through heels, contracting the glutes to send hips toward the ceiling. Think about driving knees outward, keeping tension on the mini band. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower back down, then repeat.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Resistance Band

With mini band placed right above knees, lie faceup, knees bent, feet planted, arms down by sides on the floor. Lift left leg up toward the ceiling, so that both knees are aligned. Engage glutes as you lift hips up, driving through right heel. Think about driving knees outward, keeping tension on the mini band. Lower back down, then repeat.

Glute Bridge Abduction With Resistance Band

With resistance band right above knees, lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor. Drive through heels, contracting the glutes to send hips toward the ceiling. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Drive knees outward, then return to center, keeping tension on the mini band the whole time. Lower back down, then repeat.

Wide Stance Glute Bridge With Resistance Band

With resistance band right above knees, lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor, shoulder-width apart or wider if you can. Drive through heels, contracting the glutes to send hips toward the ceiling. Think about driving knees outward, keeping tension on the mini band. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower back down, then repeat.

From: Bicycling US