Strengthen your glutes effectively with just eight exercises requiring no squats.
If you're looking to strengthen your glutes without relying on squats, personal trainer Kaitlin Heaney has got you covered. Her eight-move no-squat glute workout is a great way to kickstart your glute strength training. Here's what you need to know about this workout.
The Workout
The workout, which can be found on Kaitlin Heaney's Instagram, does not include traditional squats or lunges. Instead, it focuses on alternative moves like the Elevated Heel Goblet Squat, Hip Thrusts, and variations of hamstring/glute activation using tools like Pilates bars or bodyweight. These moves are chosen to isolate and strengthen the glutes while minimizing knee strain or the need for deep squats.
The Moves
- Hip Thrusts: Performed by driving hips upward while resting your upper back on a bench or elevated surface, squeezing the glutes at the top.
- Elevated Heel Goblet Squat: Feet elevated on dumbbells or foam pads to shift focus to glutes and quads.
- Donkey Kicks / Ham Curl Variations: Performed on hands and knees, kick one leg back and up, emphasizing glute contraction.
- Side Lunges or Lateral Band Walks: To engage the glute medius, stepping sideways with tension.
- Kickstand Deadlifts: A single-leg deadlift focusing on glute and hamstring engagement.
- Glute Bridge Variations: Lying on the floor, lifting hips by squeezing the glutes.
- Press Outs with Pilates Bar: Pressing the bar outward to engage hip abductors.
- Ham Ham Curl (or hamstring curls): Primarily to strengthen hamstrings but supportive of glutes.
Proper Execution
To get the most out of this workout, it's essential to maintain a neutral spine throughout, focus on squeezing the glutes at the peak of each movement, use controlled, deliberate motions, avoid overly relying on momentum or compensatory muscles, and use props like Pilates bars, bands, or weights as indicated to increase resistance.
Equipment Needed
The workout requires a loop resistance band and a couple of dumbbells. It's recommended to warm up for at least five minutes before doing the main workout and cool down for five to ten minutes after the workout.
Tips for Progression
When the moves become too easy, Kaitlin Heaney suggests adding a third round to make it more challenging. Weak glutes can lead to chronic pain and injury, so it's essential to keep pushing yourself.
Remember, this article provides an overview of Kaitlin Heaney's eight-move no-squat glute workout. For exact form cues, visuals, and rep schemes, checking Kaitlin Heaney’s official Instagram or associated workout programs is recommended.
Stay strong, and happy lifting!
[1] Fit&Well Newsletter [2] Kaitlin Heaney's Official Instagram
The eight-move no-squat glute workout by Kaitlin Heaney, found on her Instagram, is rooted in science and bolsters health-and-wellness by focusing on alternative moves for strength training. This fitness-and-exercise routine, which includes moves like Hip Thrusts, Elevated Heel Goblet Squats, and Glute Bridge Variations, is a strategic method to isolate and strengthen the glutes, minimizing strain and promoting proper form.
