"THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER
ARTICLE GLORIFYING SQUATS,
LUNGES AND DEAD LIFTS...IT'S
QUITE THE CONTRARY...

Have you ever asked a Personal Trainer or someone with
an admirable rear end what they do or what you should do
to develop your glutei? I get that question all of the time.
Generally, one begins his/her answer with ‘well, you should
do squats, lunges…etc.’ Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a
heavy “squatter” and “lunger” myself; however, I’ve learned
and experienced a far more efficient and superior way to
develop these muscles.

As you may have already gathered, this is NOT just another
article glorifying squats, lunges and dead lifts as the KING
of gluteus development; nope, quite the contrary.

While I do believe in the value of the aforementioned
exercises and their “place” in gluteus development, I’ve
learned that there’s more to it. Those of us who are truly
adept and highly experienced at creating a beautiful “back
side” will likely agree that in order to efficiently and properly
develop stage worthy, beach rockin’ glutes, you MUST
isolate them and think outside of the box. The operative
word in the preceding statement is “efficiently”. To be
efficient is to attain a specific goal with maximal results with
the least amount of effort in the fastest amount of time.
Translation: develop a phenomenal buttocks while doing
less work in a shorter period.  

Check this out:
Squats and lunges are the kings of quad exercises;
Dead lifts and good mornings are the kings of erector
spinae exercises;
Weighted back extensions and hamstring curls are the
kings of hamstring exercises; AND
Hip thrusts and pendulum quadruped hip extensions are the
KINGS of glute exercises!

Since most people utilize the “Big Two” (squats, lunges) to
develop their gluteus muscles, let’s take a moment to
examine how to properly execute these movements to
maximize your development before moving on to more
efficient isolation exercises.

Squats: the best way to engage your glutei while performing
a squat is to go as deep as possible “into the hole”. While
going 90 degrees is ideal for quadriceps development, one
must drop below 90 in order to recruit the glutei muscles
which are the largest muscle group in the lower extremity.
Once you break your 90 degree plane, the weight
automatically transfers to your glutei. Further, upon your
descent, press through the heels of your feet for maximum
activation. Lastly, a wider leg stance will also enable you to
thoroughly engage your glutes while also stimulating your
inner thighs.

Lunges: I’ve discovered that you can literally work both
glutei muscles simultaneously while lunging. Start by
standing up straight with or without weight. Extend one leg
forward, and with your back and head straight, lower your
body by bending both of your knees. Ensure that your
forward lower leg remains vertical as you lower yourself,
checking that your knee does not extend beyond your toes.
Now, here’s the key; while ascending from the eccentric
position (lowering phase), press through the heel of your
forward leg while squeezing the gluteus of your back leg.
This is how you purposefully engage both glutei
simultaneously thereby maximizing your time, effort and
results.

Interesting fact: The greatest peak glute activity in a squat
and lunge occurs down low in the bottom-range or
“stretched-position”. The greatest peak glute activity in a
dead lift occurs at the lockout or “mid-range” position. The
greatest peak glute activity in a hip thrust occurs at
hyperextension which is the “end-range” or contracted
position.

Again, while these are awesome exercises to develop your
lower half and to stimulate some glutei development, there’s
a more efficient way. Let’s explore the “BIG TWO” when it
comes to gluteus development:

1. Hip thrusts:
Lean against a box or bench with your knees bent and feet
flat on the floor. Next, thrust your hips up in the air using
your glutes so that your body forms a straight line from the
knees to your shoulders. Hold this top position for a count
of 3-5 seconds before lowering to the ground and
repeating.  Lower your hips and then repeat with a thrust.
Remember, your knees and shoulders should be parallel to
the floor. To increase the intensity, place a barbell across
your hips and execute.
NOTE: The last movement requires a reverse hyper
machine.

2. Pendulum quadruped hip extensions:
Place a mat underneath the machine to reduce pressure on
your knees and position your body directly underneath the
machine. Be sure to keep your head, neck and back
neutral. Use a full hip range of motion (but make sure you
don't enter into lumbar flexion at the bottom of the
movement or lumbar extension at the middle or top of the
movement) and feel the glutes pushing straight up. Start out
light with around 10 lbs on the pendulum and work your way
up gradually over time.

There…you have it! The top two exercises to isolate,
develop, strengthen and tone your gluteus. Again, squats,
lunges, deadlifts, et cetera certainly have their place in
glute development; nevertheless, the preceding two
exercises trumps them all.

If you’d like glutes that sit high, are rounded, strong,
powerful and sculpted, I am the Queen of Glutes and it
would be my pleasure to help you attain your specific
gluteus and overall fitness, physique and competitive goals.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at
Tamekia@totalfitnesscontrol.com and visit my website at
www.totalfitnesscontrol.com  (or you can “friend” me on
Facebook) to be on your way to an even more beastly
physique. As our editor, Nitro, has stated…in order to BE
THE BEAST you must train like a BEAST with a BEAST!!!

God bless!!!

~TAMEKIA
Professional Bodybuilder, Gym Owner, Competition &
Posing Coach

Contact Info:
Tamekia@totalfitnesscontrol.com
Web Site: totalfitnesscontrol.com
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BY TAMEKIA WHITE
TAMEKIA WHITE