“Glute Guy” Bret Contreras developed the hip thrust himself, knows what it takes to tone your glutes, and also runs San Diego’s infamous Glute Lab. Contreras shares his favorite gluteus medius exercise, the gluteus medius hip thrust, on his YouTube channel.
“I know it’s not a hip thrust,” he says. “But the important thing is that this is a very effective exercise for the gluteus medius, and I want everyone to take it seriously.” Right. In the video, Contreras explains and demonstrates how to perform the exercise with proper form. This includes staying in the frontal plane, pre-stretching the upper glutes by “tilting the pelvis outward” and “moving the grounded leg to release lockout.” Laterally. ”
Although you don’t actually need to use any equipment, Contreras recommends having something to hold on to for stability, as well as plates and weights if you’re loading. “Over time, holding heavier plates or dumbbells will gradually make it easier to load,” he added. Hip thrust or not, this move is a killer move.
What is a gluteus medius hip thrust?
Exercises such as squats, lunges, and hip thrusts are known to primarily stimulate the gluteus maximus, the largest and most powerful of the three major butt muscle groups. However, there are the gluteus medius and deep muscles to consider when building strong glutes.
To get a rounded butt, you need to add a variety of exercises using different planes of motion to your glute program to properly train all these muscles. The gluteus medius muscle acts during hip abduction and responds well to lateral movements.
Rest assured, this man, considered the world’s expert on glute training, knows how to tone your glutes. Even if you want to tone your glutes without using weights, his exercise advice is never boring.
I follow Bret Contreras closely as a trainer, and many people who follow his glute program know that even if you like lifting heavy weights, training with the best resistance bands or your own body weight is a good idea. Even though I like it, I believe he has built the strongest back.
To perform gluteus medius hip thrusts, Contreras recommends balancing on one leg and holding on to something like a squat rack for support. Start with your own body weight and add more resistance over time. However, before adding external loads, make sure you have mastered the technique.
The demo will run for 10 minutes. In the meantime, keep an eye out for Contreras to give you advice on positioning and corrections. He recommends standing with something stable by your side, then stepping out and starting in an already diagonal position. From here, ground through the leg closest to the anchor point and bend the raised leg furthest from the anchor point. This is your starting point, and before you begin, pre-tension the gluteus medius of your grounding leg.
Remember to move laterally. It’s not about bending your hips, squatting, or rotating. From here, sink your standing leg slightly toward the anchor point. This allows you to create the desired lateral tilt of the pelvis and pre-stretch the gluteus medius. Press into the buttock of your standing leg to raise your opposite leg as high as possible, keeping your knee bent and moving upward from the anchor.
That is hip abduction.
Before thrusting your “floating” leg upwards, always pre-stretch your glutes by adding a slight dip toward your anchor point, ensuring that you stay in the coronal plane as you abduct your hip. At the top of the movement, look for a “pop.” This means that the standing leg is pushed out slightly in the direction of progression and the gluteus medius is maximally shortened, aiming to maximize range of motion at the top.
Sync, Drive, Pop.
When raising your legs, try to make the movements as smooth as possible. Never forget the first descent.
Once you’re comfortable, hold a plate or dumbbell on your moving leg and aim for 10 to 30 repetitions per side, with or without weight. Contreras says, “To maximize gluteus medius hypertrophy, you need to move in the frontal plane,” since hip extension alone won’t do the trick. Think cable abduction, band abduction, and lateral lift.
This movement is great for building functional strength and lateral agility, and sculpting that coveted upper glute shelf. “Progressive overload is just progressive overload if you’re doing the same range of motion and the same technique,” he added. This means focusing on your form before adding any resistance to the movement.
