Targeting glutes

Can you clarify what you mean by targeting? Are you saying you don’t feel your glutes during your exercises?

@Calvine yes! I feel it in my quads mostly. It’s so difficult for me to feel the burn in my glutes. Unless it’s hip thrusts.

I see , what other exercises do you feel your quads?

These are some of the exercises I use both for myself and my clients to target the glutes more effectively: Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): These are one of my go-to movements for loading up the glutes. The key is focusing on a controlled stretch and pushing your hips back. It also works your lower back, hamstrings, and abs. If you're not feeling it in your glutes, it could be a small adjustment in your form. Sometimes, a little tweak makes all the difference!

Single Leg RDLs: This one is often overlooked, but I love it for activating the glutes. The hand support helps you go heavier without worrying about balance, and it really allows you to get a great range of motion, which is essential for a deeper glute stretch.

Hip Thrusts (Single Leg or Regular): When doing hip thrusts, keeping your pelvis tucked and avoiding overextending your lower back is crucial. I always recommend starting with body weight to get that mind-muscle connection, and once you're comfortable, adding weight or increasing the reps will help take it to the next level.

Glute Drive Machine: This is honestly one of my favorites over the traditional barbell hip thrust. It’s great for targeting the glutes directly without needing a ton of weight. It helps really focus on the muscle contraction, which is key for building strength.

Glute Bridges: I always include these as part of my warm-ups, but they’re also fantastic to finish off a workout. You can do them with body weight for high reps or add weight to challenge yourself. They're less stressful on your lower back compared to traditional hip thrusts, so they’re a great alternative. As someone who’s been in the fitness world for over a decade, I can assure you that with consistency and form adjustments, you’ll start to feel more engagement in your glutes. Let me know if you want tips on any of these or have other questions! 😊

@Calvine thank you so much for all of these! I’ll have to try them. I have so much trouble getting my form right 🥲 hoping I get the hang of it eventually. I’ve been trying cable kickbacks, Bulgarian split squats, smith machine squats. I do have trouble with feeling the RDL in my back

Send me a video of your form here or directly to me, and I got you! Those are great exercises. I love Bulgarian split squats too! I like to elevate my front foot to go deeper and lean forward a bit more to target the glutes more and reduce the pressure on the quads. Squats tend to be more quad-focused, so I don’t always rely on them for glute activation.

I was going to say it’s probably your form before I saw your comment about your form 😅 I would suggest watching YouTube videos that strictly focus on proper form. A lot of time for glute workouts the key is not letting your knees go past your feet.

@Calvine thank you so much. Is it possible that my quads are weak and my glutes aren’t? Because I can do more weight in a hip thrust than a squat. Do my quads just need to get stronger? 🥲🤣

The glutes are one of the strongest muscle groups in the body and can definitely handle a lot of load. That’s why it’s common to lift heavier in hip thrusts compared to squats. Hip thrusts put you in a mechanically strong position where the glutes do most of the work, while squats require more overall lower-body engagement, including quads, core, and stability. If your quads feel weaker, incorporating more quad-focused movements like split squats, step-ups, and leg presses can help balance things out. But don’t worry your glutes being strong is a good problem to have! 😂🔥