Glutes (Gluteus Maximus, Medius and Minimus) are arguably the most important muscle groups in the entire body, especially when it comes to injury prevention. The following three exercises use a slider. If you don’t have access to a slider, you can use a small towel or even a Tupperware lid. You can also use a wall for added support/stability. To get the most out of these exercises, keep as much weight as possible on the supporting leg. If you are looking to really fire up your glutes, combine all three exercises for a killer workout.
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Our first exercise targets the gluteus maximus and hamstring. The glute max is the largest of the glute muscles and is responsible for extending and externally rotating the hip joint.
Slider Reverse Lunge
1. From a standing position, place the slider under your right foot.
2. Sit down and back into a lunge with the left leg while letting the right leg bend and slide back.
3. Push into the ground and stand up with your left leg to return to the starting position.
4. The left glute / leg should be doing most of the work.
5. Complete 8-12 reps and then switch legs.
Our second of three exercises in our glute slider series is a lateral lunge, which targets the glute medius, an important hip stabilizer muscle.
Sliding Lateral Lunge
1. From a standing position, place the glider under your right foot.
2. Bend the left leg and slide the right foot to your side while lowering your hips back.
3. Focus on keeping the knee of your supporting leg at 90 degrees and inline with your ankle.
4. Once your stretched leg (right) is fully extended, push into the ground as you straighten your left leg to pull your right foot back to the starting position.
5. The left glute should be doing most of the work.
6. Complete 8-12 reps and then switch legs.
Our third and final exercise in our glute slider series is a reverse crossover lunge aka curtsy lunge. This exercise targets the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
Reverse Crossover Lunge
1. From a standing position, place the slider under your right foot.
2. Take a large step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left (like a curtsy).
3. As you bend your left knee, your right foot should begin to slide outward towards the left.
4. Focus on keeping the knee of your supporting leg at 90 degrees and inline with your ankle.
5. Try not to bend through your torso, the movement should come from the glutes.
6. Once you have reached your lowest point, push into the ground as you straighten your left leg to pull your right foot back to the starting position.
7. The left glute should be doing most of the work.
8. Complete 8-12 reps and then switch legs.
