Glute training: 5 myths and misconceptions

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2015-10-29

Perhaps no part of the body attracts as much attention as the glutes. There are a wide variety of exercises for them, and girls train them in almost every workout. Men, although they don't like to train their glutes, secretly wish for this part of their bodies to be attractive and noticeable. In general, it has come to be that the glutes are the center of beauty for the human body. The only other part that might compete with them is the abs. However, there is already an article on the myths about abs, so let's get started.

1. You can build your glutes without working your legs

I often hear someone say they want to build their glutes but not touch their legs. Unfortunately, anatomy dictates that all the most effective exercises for the glutes also actively engage the thighs. All those squats, lunges, and deadlifts train not only the glutes but also the legs. There are, of course, isolated exercises for this body part, but their effectiveness is lower. If you only use isolated exercises, it is unlikely that you will achieve significant results in glute development. So, it won't be possible to fully build your glutes without involving the thighs.

This doesn't mean that isolated exercises should be completely avoided. They are necessary, but only as a complement to the main exercises.

2. You can build your glutes from the side

Look at the picture showing the anatomy of the glutes. You will see that besides the gluteus maximus, there is also the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. The gluteus minimus is located under the gluteus maximus. The gluteus medius, even though it is positioned on the side, is not very large in size. Training this muscle does not lead to significant changes in body shape when viewed from the front, back, or any angle. For the most part, the shape of the glutes is formed solely by the gluteus maximus.

Of course, you can try to train the gluteus medius separately, but you will not see much return from that effort. Here are exercises that isolate and train the gluteus medius:

These are all the exercises where hip abduction occurs. I'm not saying they are useless. But it’s important to understand that if a muscle is small by nature, its contribution to body shape will also be small. You can include these exercises in your training regimen, but do not place high expectations on them or think that they will significantly change the shape of your glutes. If you have a naturally narrow pelvis, your glutes will also appear narrow, even if they are well-developed.

3. You cannot build your glutes using only your body weight

It is commonly accepted that weight training is necessary for glute development. And overall, this is true. However, there are several exercises that can yield some results using just body weight.

This is quite a challenging exercise. Its advantage lies in the fact that the load starts on one leg and then shifts to the other. This is precisely why there's an opportunity to effectively train the glutes. In most cases, bodyweight alone is sufficient for initial results.

Typically, this exercise is performed with a dumbbell or a barbell. However, if you make the platform high enough, it will complicate the task and provide more load on the glutes. The height of the platform should be such that when stepping onto it, the knee forms an acute angle. This means that the knee should rise above the hip joint. In this way, you can increase the load on the glutes. Of course, without weights, the effect won’t be super, but some progress can still be achieved.

You need to perform this exercise from a full squat; that is, you should squat completely before jumping onto the platform. Additionally, the platform should be high enough (not like in the video). It should be at a height that allows you to jump onto it no more than 8-10 times in a row. In general, the higher, the better. Otherwise, the load on the glutes will be weak.

There are also other bodyweight exercises, but they are, in my opinion, less effective, at least if you only do them using your own body weight.

4. To reduce the size of the glutes, you need to do many repetitions

Unfortunately, a high number of repetitions will not lead to a reduction in the size of the glutes or a decrease in the fat layer on them. If you naturally have large glutes, it's better not to perform strength exercises for them at all. If you have a lot of fat on them, you will need to lose weight overall for the fat to reduce on your glutes as well.

So, if nature has gifted you with large glutes, just avoid focusing on them during your workouts. The same goes for your legs. Typically, those with large glutes also have large thighs. Just avoid training them and shed the fat through cardio.

5. You can build glutes through cardio

Unfortunately, running, using a stationary bike, etc., do not build muscle. They do train the muscles, of course, but you shouldn’t expect any significant increase in their size. For muscles to grow in volume, strength training is needed, not cardio. And the glutes are no exception.

Some may notice that track athletes have great glutes. This is indeed the case, especially in disciplines like sprinting, jumping, and throwing. However, it's important to understand that in these athletic events, there is powerful explosive work happening, not just aerobic activity. Additionally, athletes in these sports deliberately train their legs and glutes. So, their glute size comes from jumping and strength exercises, not just running.

I hope this article has been helpful for you and that you've learned something new. May you have the glutes of your dreams!