Are you looking for some of the most reliable and effective glute exercises? Well, you are in the perfect place!
Focusing on a complete body workout, including the glutes, is important to strengthen the body and prevent pain in the lower back, knees, and hips. Bret Contreras, also known as the “Glute Guy,” has some of the best workouts through which you can achieve this goal.
According to Contreras, many people ignore the importance of training their posterior muscles, due to which they are not able to achieve their overall fitness goals. Therefore, Bret Contreras glute workout is meant to train the glutes.
In this article, you will get to know all about what’s included in the Bret Contreras glute workout, so keep reading!
1. Barbell Hip Thrust
Contreras came up with the concept of barbell hip thrust after noticing ineffective hip bumps on one of the UFC fighters. He started trying out different exercises that included putting his back against a bench, his feet on the floor, using a weighted barbell on his lap and thrusting the hips to get a full motion.
Therefore, if you want to incorporate barbell hip thrust into your workout, you will need a barbell, weights, and a bench. Start the workout by sitting in front of the bench and placing the barbell on the lap.
Plan your feet on the ground and put your back and lats on the bench while thrusting your hips up to squeeze the glutes. Make sure you pause for a few seconds when you are at the top and then start lowering your hips to the initial point. In this way, you will get a full glutes workout.
2. Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is another vital part of the Bret Contreras glute workout. It involves holding one dumbbell at chest level with your hands. Do a full squat and keep the elbows between your knees as, according to Bret Contreras, it will prevent the knees from caving in at the bottom of the squat.
Push through your heels to come out of the squat and drive the knees out while keeping your torso upright. Try to do three sets of 8 to 10 reps with at least a 30-pound dumbbell three times per week to achieve the desired glute strength.
3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift is an exercise similar to the traditional deadlift. It involves keeping your legs straighter and your hips higher to ensure the workout will benefit the glutes and the hamstrings. Getting started with a Romanian dumbbell deadlift is quite easy. You have to hold a dumbbell in each hand at about a 45-degree angle in front of your thighs.
Slowly push your hips backward and lower the dumbbells. In order to protect your knees, keep them slightly bent and keep the back flat by squeezing the core and shoulder blades together. Once you are able to reach as low as you can while maintaining a flat back, squeeze your glutes and stand straight.
Since this workout can be difficult for beginners, Contreras recommends that you start by holding a 25-pound dumbbell in each hand and do three sets of 10 to 12 reps. You can move towards a heavier set of dumbbells once you get used to lighter dumbbells.
4. Hip Abduction
Hip abduction is an integral part of the Bret Contreras glute workout. You will need a small resistance band for this exercise. Bret Contreras has developed his own band called the Glute Loop, as well. Glute Loop is different from the traditional band because it is made of cloth instead of latex.
There are three main parts of the hip abduction exercise:
- Sit on a bench and place the band above the knees. Hold the bench, lean backward, and pulse your knees for 25 to 30 reps while keeping the feet planted on the ground. Make sure that you are maintaining sufficient tension on the band for all 30 reps by not allowing the knees to come together.
- Sit up straight and repeat the process for 30 reps.
- Lean forward and hold onto the bench while finishing with 30 reps.
An important thing to note about this exercise is that it’s a burnout exercise. Therefore, you should always perform the hip abduction exercise at the end of Bret Contreras glute workout. It will greatly help you in working the abductors that include the muscles on the hip. Moreover, it is useful in preventing the knees from coming in during a squat and even enhances knee pain.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that Bret Contreras glute workout is a combination of several different exercises to ensure you can train the glutes in different ways and strengthen them. By following all of the exercises of Bret Contreras glute workout discussed above, you will definitely be able to achieve your goal of strengthening the glutes and achieving your fitness goals.
