Is there such a thing? I am of the notion, no, but there is a lot of talk about how direct and certain glute exercises are dangerous for the lower back, but I disagree. My clients have been doing the barbell hip thrust and its variations with great success for 3.5 years. Those clients include competitors, athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and even physical therapy patients. Anything done with bad form or too much weight is risky. Which means that hip thrusts, done properly, are no more dangerous than bicep curls, done properly. If you want strong glutes, or just better-looking ones, you need to train them directly and intelligently. Here’s how to target your glutes and build them up without trashing your lower back.
Glute Bridge or Banded Glue Bridge
Never underestimate the power of a seemingly simple movement, such as the basic glute bridge. You can find this exercise in many therapy programs. My problem isn’t with the exercise, but rather the setup and execution. People set up the glute bridge incorrectly. The end result is that they shift the tension away from the glutes and onto the hamstrings or lower back, which defeats the purpose of a butt exercise. It’s called the “glute bridge” for a reason. And it’s up to us to get our bodies into the position that’ll allow for hard active contraction of the gluteal complex first, with the hamstrings and lower back kicking in as secondary extensors.
Manipulate the position of your knees in relation to your hips. Most of the time it’s far wider than people think. Get that position right and you can recruit the glute muscles and get them to do their primary jobs. If you struggle positioning yourself and gaining torque and tension through the hips and glutes as you extend, add a band that acts as a “reactive neuromuscular stabilizer.” This will cause you “to kick more butt”.
Making that backside great is going to be difficult and take hard work and sacrifice. One of those sacrifices is eating fat. To be great, you need to be informed. There are a few types of fats. And some of them are good fats and some are bad. We’re going to discuss four types of fats. Those are:
Saturated Fats. Saturated fats are considered one of the bad types of fat. These fats are most of the time solid at room temperature. Foods that have saturated fat inside are butter, cakes, biscuits, coconut oil, and sausage as a few examples.
Saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol which is called bad cholesterol. The increased LDL cholesterol can be harmful,. as it is a leading cause of heart disease and strokes.
Trans Fats. Trans fats are the worst type of fats out there. Trans fats also level up LDL cholesterol. These cause different issues in our heart and nervous system.
We can get trans fats in microwave popcorn, pizza, fried food, and coffee creamer. Trans fats are also known contributors to Diabetes Type II.. Undoubtedly it is the worst fat.
Monounsaturated Fats. Monounsaturated Fats are one of the good types of fat. These fats help us to stay healthy. Monounsaturated fats might help us with weight loss too. They also help with heart diseases if taken with a balanced diet.
Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocado, almonds, pecan, hazelnuts, pumpkin, and sesame seeds.
Polyunsaturated Fats. Polyunsaturated Fats are also good fats. These help to lower the cholesterol levels in our blood. Our body cells are developed and maintained by this fat. Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower oil, flaxseeds, and fish.
For more information on specific training to overcome your backside (Banded Lateral Leg Squat, Pictured) or nutrition, contact Cody. He is certified by the National Academy of Medicine as a Professional Fitness Instructor in Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Heart Variance, Nutrition, Neuromuscular Flexibility, Supplements and Mental/Behavior Performance. He incorporates techniques for concentration, focus, motivation, and ways to cope with anxiety. He has been featured in National Fitness Magazines and has spoken on several national Podcasts. Cody received his Master’s in Instruction, so has first-hand experience with differentiating personalized instruction, planning, and goal setting. He was named the 2022 and 2023 Siouxland Trainer of the Year Award. Cody trains out of the Four Seasons in Sioux City and North Sioux City.
