Glute Exercises at Home
A bang for the buck way to make it big and why
Bootyus Maximus sans gym, Part 1.
OK okay. Let me be fully transparent. As a new-jack to substack (hey that rhymes) I have decided to choose topics, and titles, that will garner the most attention. Listen, I need to attract readers to this thing somehow. So why not cater to everyone's desire…? Like posting a recipe for a very nutritious dessert (which for a lot of people seems like an oxymoron).
Well, in this post I am going to talk about butts. Yup I said it. Back sides. Why, because they seem to en vogue more so than ever.
A few months ago I was watching a vlog on youtube of some influencer I have been following for years. In it, he was visiting his mother and stepfather. At some point he felt like it would be entertaining for the vlog to show his mom the women of instagram. In particular, ones whose peaches are the main centerpiece of each photo. The amount of dismay on this woman's face was uncanny. This was followed by her stating, 'Why would you want your butt to be that big…?'
Fair play. Given her age, most likely mid 60s, her youth was presumably somewhere from the late 70s to early 90s. A time when ladies with healthy backsides was not really a thing. In fact, I can recall back then women wanted to avoid this part of their physique to become larger. Don't believe me, watch TV clips from this era. One noticeable difference are deflated derrières (for both genders).
Well today is in a new era undoubtedly. For a decade or more now, society has started to appreciate a more pronounced bum. Something that I have always appreciated from a vanity perspective. Over the years, this personal preference of mine has much evolved from a pure aesthetic point of view. Accordingly, I have learned to admire the importance of the following.
Your gluteus maximus, your back side, your butt, is a key interface between your legs and torso.
Some years ago I can remember watching an interview of a Formula 1 driver. Formula 1 by the way is the premier automotive racing series in the world. The MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL of auto-racing. Comprising the fastest cars, and most talented drivers. Anyway, during the interview he spoke of a road car he drove…for the interview. He jokingly stated that it felt like the front of the car was not connected to the rear of the car. And because of this he did not have the confidence to drive it to its limits around a racetrack (again part of the interview). In other words, he felt the car was uncontrollable for this inherent lack of stability.
The human body tackles physical tasks usually by manipulating something in our hands, or arms. Or something weighted is on our shoulders. All while stood upright which means we are connected to the earth via our feet. In between are our torsos and legs. In between our legs and torsos is a rather large muscle group…our glutes.
So it is very, very important to train our glutes if we want to stabilize this interface. Properly trained glutes will provide a more robust connection to earth while performing tasks on our feet. Think of it like this, would you like to clean a floor using a mop with a limp handle…? Of course not. It would take an age to finish the task even if you could clean up all the caked on dirt.
So well conditioned glutes are a very good idea and an initial step you can take to bring your physical capabilities to another level. We are talking about improved overall strength, stamina, and less wear and tear on your hips over time.
Here are some body-weight exercises (calisthenics) you can do that isolate the glutes:
—> Leg Kick backs
Start by laying on your stomach either on the floor, or bed with your legs hanging off. Then simply lift one foot at a time up towards the ceiling as far as possible while keeping your leg straight. And return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Your knee should not be bent during the entire movement. Doing this for each leg will engage each respective glute. Seeing as this is just using the weight of your legs for resistance, you will find that a large amount of repetitions will be required to get the most out of this exercise. Figure 30-50 repetitions for each leg to start with. If you would like to do slightly less, you can purchase ankle weights. Aim for three to four sets. If you’re feeling up to it, do these from the floor starting on all fours. One leg at a time.
—> Hip Thrusts
Start by resting your upper back or shoulder area on a chair or couch, facing the ceiling of course. Place your feet flat on the floor so that your torso and thighs are parallel, and shins perpendicular, to the floor. Now, lower your hips down to the floor. Then return to the starting position. This is one repetition. Once again, to really get these to work your glutes with your own body weight figure on 30-50 reps to start with for three to four sets. Want to do fewer reps, place some weighted object on your pelvic area and hold in place during each rep. Or, perform one repetition using one leg at a time.
Doing these on a consistent basis will condition your glutes nicely. Focus on perfecting your form, while keeping your glutes engaged during the entire movement. Make sure to challenge yourself as well. Do not rely on doing three sets of 20 with ease and call it a day. Test your limits. Break a sweat.
You should feel a difference in your overall physical well-being as a result. And yes, the shape of your backside will be enhanced. But I think you will find that the former will outshine the latter.
Long live the big butts…!
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