• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Workouts

The 2-Minute Workout for Strong and Powerful Glutes

Powerful glutes can assist any athlete to improve strength and explosiveness in their sport.

Levi Harrison

Written by Levi Harrison Last updated on August 28, 2017

As an orthopedic surgeon and fitness expert, I am often asked about gluteal development. The conversations about this muscle group are as common as those about the biceps and triceps, in my experience.

The questions about glutes come from both female and male athletes, as well as general fitness enthusiasts. All of whom truly want to increase their speed, power, and strength. The proper development of glutes can allow individuals to not only run, jump, and swim faster, but can also increases their explosive power during sporting activities.

“These muscles, when properly developed, also give you the advantage of squatting with more weight or doing better lunges with or without weights.”

The exercises for gluteal development must be executed with a specific strategy, focus and intention, which will benefit any athlete.

Understanding the Anatomy of the Glutes

I have use the phrase “lower core muscle group” to refer to the glutes because there has always been controversy about whether or not the glutes should be considered a part of the core. The core muscle groups are extensive and include a long list of muscles that run from varied parts of the spine, torso, and pelvis. These muscles are critical for appropriate posture, balance, and upright gait.

Understanding the anatomy of the glutes will broaden our knowledge of their importance during athletic training and performance. Here is a basic review of the function, attachments, and innervations of the gluteal muscles.

RELATED: The Best Leg Workouts

There are many muscles of the gluteal area, but let’s review three of the main players: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The origins and insertions of these muscles are fairly complex. These muscles originate from different parts of the pelvis and insert on different areas of the thigh and leg bones. Branches of the gluteal nerve innervate the gluteal muscles.

The gluteus maximus is an extensor of the trunk and thigh and also a lateral rotator of the thigh. The gluteus medius and minimus both medially rotate and abduct the thighs along with steadying the pelvis. There are also many other muscles of the gluteal region including the piriformis, gemelli, obturator internus, and quadratus femoris.

“Glute development is not simply about the aesthetics, but also, and more importantly, about improved athletic performance.”

By understanding this anatomy, it is clear that strong glutes allow us to perform a multitude of athletic movements more efficiently. These muscles, when properly developed, also give you the advantage of squatting with more weight or doing better lunges with or without weights.

The 2-Minute Powerful Glutes Workout

Squats and lunges can assist in gluteal and thigh development, but there are other exercises I have found to be even more effective and safer for many of my clients and patients. It is important to note that glute development is not simply about the aesthetics, but also, and more importantly, about improved athletic performance.

RELATED: The 21 Day Glute Goddess Workout

The Powerful Glutes Workout Part 1 video below will assist you in developing strong glutes that can help you to achieve your overall fitness goals and improve your athletic prowess. The basic glute exercises in this video can be done with or without weights depending on your fitness level. I recommend making a progressive evolution to using the weights as you become more comfortable and stable with the form and technique.

The first two exercises are variations of a classic and extremely effective exercise for the glutes. It has been labeled the donkey kick, all-four-hip extensions, and kick backs. The name is fairly inconsequential, but performing the exercise properly is your ticket to strong and powerful gluteal muscle development.

Donkey Kick

The basic donkey kick has two variants. The first involves a starting point of being down on the mat on your hands and knees. I suggest using a thick mat or cushions to protect your knees during these exercises.

glutes, anatomy, glute med, power, strength, core

For the first type of donkey kick, keep your leg straight and extend your hip. As you raise your leg behind you, bring it up higher than your spine. Concentrate on lifting the leg with the hip in extension and not simply swinging the leg, which is ineffective. Relax your neck during this exercise also.

The second variation has the same starting point on all fours, but it involves bending (flexing) your knee. After flexing the knee, lift the leg and extend the hip behind you.

I recommend 2 to 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of these exercises, with or without weights.

Elbow to Knee

This exercise has the same starting position, but you must counterbalance on one side while lifting and flexing the knee and bringing the elbow to the knee. This is well demonstrated in the video.

glutes, anatomy, glute med, power, strength, core

Side Straight Arm Hip Abductions

The fourth exercise involves keeping the arm and leg straight at your side while simply abducting your hip. It is important to stay stable and to not tilt onto the counterbalanced side. This is a somewhat advanced exercise and can be very effective when executed properly.

glutes, anatomy, glute med, power, strength, core

Summary

Powerful glutes can assist any athlete or exercise enthusiast in attaining a higher level of sustainable strength and accelerated explosiveness in their sport of choice. The workout and exercises in this video will assist you on your fitness journey, as you remain consistent and committed.

Levi Harrison

About Levi Harrison

Dr. Levi Harrison earned his medical degree at the University of California at Davis, School of Medicine and completed fellowship at the internationally renowned Indiana Hand Center in Indianapolis. He completed his Orthopedic Surgery residency in Los Angeles where he now resides and sees patients.

Dr. Harrison's practice is the center of excellence for sports-related upper extremity and shoulder injuries, as well as hand rehabilitation. He has a special interest in hand and wrist trauma and fracture care. He also provides exceptional care in the area of repetitive motion, work-related injuries, and aesthetic and restorative hand function procedures.

Dr. Harrison's medical practice serves a culturally diverse population comprised of elite collegiate and professional athletes, celebrities, and service personal that includes fire fighters, police officers, armed service personal, teachers, secretaries, artists, and musicians. He offers a wide variety of customized weight loss and training modules to assist patients in attaining their lifestyle and fitness goals. In addition to being an avid sports enthusiast, fitness expert, motivational speaker, and philanthropist, he hosts a weekly radio show on LA Talk radio.

Dr. Harrison has developed his skills during more than two decades of education and training, and as such, he finds himself guided by three core values: commitment, compassion, and service, which he shares in his life and daily practice.

In his own words: “My mission is to heal, restore and rejuvenate with compassion and integrity. I am grateful to provide clinical and surgical excellence to support my patients as they return to an improved quality of life. My involvement in the community extends beyond my practice into the lives of those I serve through motivation, fitness and healthy living and weight management presentations.”

You can learn more about Dr. Levi Harrison on his Facebook, Twitter, and website.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Muscular man performing seated leg extension exercise
The Best Leg Workouts With Bodyweight, With Dumbbells, for Size, and More
A person doing a barbell bench press.
The Ultimate Bench Press Workout to Increase Strength and Muscle
black and white image of long-haired person performing chin-up
Try These Biceps Workouts Without Weights for Muscle, Strength, and Fat Loss
Person walking up stairs carrying luggage
The Only Airport Workout You’ll Need When Traveling

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Ryan Terry Diagrams His Ambitious 1,874-Calorie Mass-Building Protein Shake

Andrew Jacked’s Trainer Thinks His “Best” Will Come at 2023 Arnold Classic

Bodybuilder Logan Franklin “Cried For 3 Days” After Withdrawing From 2022 Olympia, Outlines 2023 Return

How to Do the Reverse Biceps Curl for Complete Arm Development

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About