Advanced Glute Training by Bret Contreras Warning: If you have trouble figuring out the nuances of daylight savings

time o r have the attention span of a fruit fly, this article isn't for you. Truth be t old, this article is in many ways a bitch. It's long and it's complicated. It pr obably should have been run as a three parter, but that might have pissed off pe ople who, for whatever reason, aren't interested in glute training, particularly when the article is as daunting as this one. All that being said, you'd be doing yourself a favor if you not only read, but r e-read this piece. It'll open your eyes to a whole new dimension of training. TC Let's cut the athlete from , and the guy r strength no BS. A strong, powerful gluteus maximus is what separates the elite the average athlete, the average bodybuilder from the professional who builds the ultimate body from the dude who can't gain weight o matter what he tries.

Most guys have no junk in their respective trunks, and are seriously limiting th eir potential. Don't think you're one of the afflicted ass-less? Go find a mirro r, turn around, and give your nether regions a good once-over. Flex the hell out of 'em while you're at it. Chances are pretty good you you're not even filling out your Dockers. And if by chance you do have nicely rounded glutes, I bet they 're one of your weakest body parts. Whether your goal is to increase your squat and deadlift, your sprinting speed, or to simply to look better naked, the info presented here will help you tremend ously. I'm not gonna lie; I get a bit heavy on the science-speak. But if you can spend the next fifteen minutes reading this article, your knowledge of hip extension e xercises will be greater than that of 99 percent of all trainers and coaches. But the best part is applying what you learn and building some serious lower bod y muscles with serious power. Sound good? Let's get our asses in gear. Hip to the Basics. What Exactly is Hip Extension? Hip extension is involved in running, jumping, squatting, lunging, bending, clim bing, and thrusting. (Insert your own sex joke here.) The hip is the juncture between the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvis and hip extension occurs in the sagittal plane and involves straightening the hip when it's bent forward (flexed). The key to understanding hip extension is to focus on the angle created by the linear approximations of the spine and femur, which create the hip angle. In anatomical position, the hip angle is a straight line, or a 180 degree angle. Hip flexion decreases the hip angle and brings the knee closer to the shoulders while hip extension increases the hip angle and brings the knee back to 180 deg rees. If the angle increases past 180 degrees, the action is referred to as hype rextension, since the hip joint extends past anatomical position. Got it? If not , here's a quick chart:

There are many types of hip extension exercises, including squatting movements, deadlifting movements, lunging movements, bent and straight leg bridging movemen ts, quadruped movements, straight leg hyperextension movements, and movements th at combine hip extension and knee flexion. This article will examine the differe nces between these exercises and the benefits of each. All in the Family the Hip Extensors

There are five primary hip extensors and possibly fifteen secondary hip extensor s. The five main hip extensors are the gluteus maximus, the hamstring part of th e adductor magnus, the long head of the biceps femoris, the semimembranosus, and the semitendinosus. Each primary and secondary hip extensor belongs to the adductor, hamstring, glut eal, deep hip rotator, or hip flexor group. Here's a complete list of potential hip extensors, all of which are supported by at least one literary source. (See how many you can pronounce.) adductor longus pectineus adductor brevis anterior fibers of adductor magnus gracilis adductor minimus posterior fibers of adductor magnus semitendinosis semimembranosis long head of biceps femoris gluteus maximus posterior fibers of gluteus medius posterior fibers of gluteus minimus piriformis obturator internus gemellus superior obturator externus gemellus inferior quadratus femoris sartorius Varying Hip Extensor Contribution It's futile to guess which hip extensor muscle or muscle part is the strongest o r most important in a certain exercise or sport action, as the proportion of hip extensor recruitment varies depending on the load vector, knee action, hip angl e, and numerous other factors. For example, at a certain position in a certain exercise, the long head of the b iceps femoris might be the most powerful hip extensor, while thirty degrees late r into extension during the same exercise, the gluteus maximus might become the most powerful hip extensor at that moment. During hip extension exercises, a certain lved at a particular range of motion only ersely, a certain hip extensor muscle can tion only to become the prime mover later hip extensor muscle can be highly invo to die off later in the movement. Conv be dormant at a particular range of mo in the movement.

Classification of muscles that act on the hip into functional groups only holds true for a particular joint position, because the axis of motion changes relativ e to the muscles as the joint reorients itself dynamically, causing muscles to h ave opposite roles (for example abductors as adductors). This is referred to as

"inversion of muscular action." A muscle of a joint with three degrees of freedo m (such as the hip joint) may have secondary actions that can be altered and eve n reversed. The most common example is the dual flexor-extensor role of the adductor muscles depending on their position in the flexion-extension axis. In addition to adduc ting the hip, the adductors flex the hip early in hip flexion, and then extend t he hip early in hip extension when the thigh is significantly flexed forward. Especially during compound movements and movements that involve a lot of muscle, the same muscles are not dominant during the entire range of movement. For exam ple, the glutes may be highly involved in the deep portion of a squat, yet the g luteal contribution dissipates as the movement rises. The glutes may be minimally involved in the deep portion of a back extension yet the gluteal contribution increases as the movement rises especially into hip hy perextension. The adductors may contribute heavily to the initial portion of a b ack extension yet completely die off as the movement rises. More Than You'll Ever Need to Know About Your Ass You still awake? On the right are some nice ass pictures, sort of a reward for j ust hanging in here with me. Now that we're refreshed, let's move on to the thin g you're sitting on right now your ass. The average weight of the gluteus maximus is 844 grams, weighing over twice that of the gluteus medius and minimus combined (421 grams). Often the gluteus maxim us measures over 1 inch thick and measures over 66 square cm in cross section. T he gluteus maximus comprises 12.8% of the total muscle mass of the lower extremi ty. On average, the fiber-type composition of the gluteus maximus breaks down into 6 8 percent slow-twitch and 32 percent fast-twitch. It has a force equivalent to 3 4 kg and a static power equivalent to 238 kg. Although it's often stated that th e gluteus maximus is the largest and most powerful muscle group in the human bod y, it's simply not true for everyone. (Although it's pretty damn powerful.) Concentrically, the gluteus maximus accelerates hip extension, hip external rota tion, and hip abduction. The upper and lower fibers of the gluteus maximus funct ion differently from one another, with the upper fibers being more involved in h ip abduction, hip external rotation, and hip hyperextension. Eccentrically, the gluteus maximus decelerates hip flexion, hip internal rotatio n, and hip adduction. Isometrically, the gluteus maximus stabilizes the knee via the iliotibial band (which is taut at 15-20 degrees of flexion) and the sacroil iac joint via the latissimus dorsi and sacrotuberous ligament. Surprisingly, the fibers of the gluteus maximus that insert into the iliotibial band (approximately 70-85% of the total muscle fibers) can actually produce exte nsion of the knee joint. The Four Primary Benefits of Gluteal Strengthening Postural improvements Injury and pain prevention Increased athleticism, strength, and power Physique improvements Most guys' glutes are terribly weak and underpotentialized. Due to the multidire ctional action of the gluteus maximus and roles as hip extensors, abductors, and

external rotators, increasing the strength of the gluteus maximus can increase and improve: acceleration and top speed in forward sprinting power in bilateral and unilateral, vertical and horizontal jumping agility and quickness in changing direction from side to side acceleration and top speed in lateral sprinting rotational power in swinging, striking, and throwing running, jumping, and throwing events in track and field squat and deadlift strength in powerlifting snatch and clean & jerk power in weightlifting strength and conditioning in strongman events thrusting power for mount escapes and submissions in MMA ground-based horizontal pushing force and opponent manipulation in football and martial arts inclined sprinting and climbing strength and endurance deceleration in backpedaling, lateral running, and rotational movements increased thrusting frequency and increased satisfaction from female partners* * This was a non-scientific study, however. Further research may be needed. A strong, powerful gluteus maximus is often what separate the elite athlete from the average athlete. As athletes advance, they learn to incorporate their hip and leg musculature int o their movements to a much higher degree. For example, beginner shot-putters us e predominantly their upper body muscles when throwing, whereas advanced shot pu tters use predominantly their leg muscles. The correlation between athletic achievements in beginner athletes' arm strength is .83, whereas the correlation between athletic achievements in beginner athle tes' leg strength is .37. That means they're not using their legs enough! For advanced athletes, the correlations flip flop to .73 and .87, respectively. In other words, in order for athletes to advance, they must learn how to derive maximum power from the hips and legs. In order for this advancement to take plac e, a foundation of adequate core strength and hip mobility is an absolute prereq uisite. Length-Tension Relationships Length-tension relationships dictate the amount of muscular force that can be pr oduced at a given time. This phenomenon has to do with the number of cross-bridg es that can form at a given joint angle. A muscle contracts best when it is at i ts optimal length, which is either at resting length or slightly stretched at 1. 2 times its resting length, depending on the muscle. When a muscle is either sho rtened or overstretched, it cannot produce its maximum force. During hip extension exercises, the knee action that occurs while the hips are e xtending or extended helps determine the muscular activation due to length-tensi on relationships and various muscle contraction types. There are five types of knee actions that can occur during hip extension exercis es: extension, semi-straight leg, straight leg, bent leg, and flexion. For examp le, at the bottom of a squat the hamstrings are shortened and can't contribute a s much as they can during a deadlift.

Directional Load Vectors In the body-planes model (frontal, sagittal, transverse planes), a jump and a sp rint are both sagittal plane activities; there is no distinction between the two even though they propel the body in two different directions. I created load ve ctor terminology to more adequately describe movement in sports and the weight r oom. When creating the model, I used the direction of the load in the weight room rat her than the direction in which we propel the body in sports (they are opposites ). Load vectors refer to the direction of the resistance relative to the human b ody. Since load vectors are relative to the body, one must consider both the pos ition of the human and the direction of the resistance in order to determine the load vector. The following diagrams depict two ways of illustrating the six pri mary load vectors in sports and strength training: In sagittal plane hip extension, there are three main types of load vectors; axi al, anteroposterior, and a combination of axial and anteroposterior. In axial hi p extension exercises, the direction of the resistance comes from top to bottom (or vice versa) in reference to anatomical position. In anteroposterior hip extension exercises, the direction of the resistance come s from front to back (or vice versa) in reference to anatomical position. In axial/anteroposterior blend hip extension exercises, the direction of the res istance is halfway between axial and anteroposterior at a 45 degree angle relati ve to the human body. Free weight and bodyweight axial hip extension exercises are usually performed w hile standing, while anteroposterior hip extension exercises are performed in th e supine, quadruped, or prone positions. Most people perform solely axial lower body exercises and need to perform anteroposterior lower body exercises and exer cises from the other vectors to maximize their athleticism and muscle activation and to balance their strength levels and prevent injuries. Axial activities include squatting, deadlifting, and jumping. Anteroposterior ac tivities include hip thrusting, back extensions, and top-speed sprinting. Axial/ anteroposterior blend activities include walking lunges, 45 degree hypers, sled pushing, broad jumping, and acceleration sprints. Load vectors profoundly impact muscular activation in hip extension exercises. W hen a guy intends to move his hips upward with maximal force, as in the case of a vertical jump, squat, or deadlift, the gluteus maximus muscles aren't activate d nearly as much as they are when he intends to move his hips forward with maxim al force, as in the case of a sprint, hip thrust, or reverse hyper. Wolff's law states that if loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The direction of the loading causes the collagen fibers within bone to conform to t he lines of stress experienced by the bone. Axial loading causes different bone adaptations than anteroposterior loading. Si milarly, muscles become stronger over time to resist various loading patterns as well (not through collagen adaptations but through sarcomeric hypertrophy and i ncreased HTMU stimulation). Although most guys have significantly tapped into their axial hip extension stre ngth capacity by performing years of squats and deadlifts, they haven't scratche d the surface regarding their anteroposterior hip extension strength capacity.

For example, if you've performed military press (axial loaded) for years but had never performed a single set of bench press (anteroposterior loaded), your delt oids and triceps would be sufficiently developed, but your pecs and triceps woul d have much room for increased development. If you've performed squats and deadlifts (axial loaded) for years but have never performed a single set of hip thrusts or weighted back extensions, your quadric eps and erector spinae would be sufficiently developed, but your glutes and hams trings (anteroposterior loaded) would have much room for increased development. Here's a good rule to keep in mind: squats and lunges are the kings of quad exer cises; deadlifts and good mornings are the kings of erector spinae exercises; hi p thrusts and pendulum quadruped hip extensions are the kings of glute exercises ; and weighted back extensions and glute ham raises are the kings of hamstring e xercises. Angular Kinematics At the hip, the femur rotates inside the acetabulum. In axial loaded hip extensi on exercises, full hip extension is reached at the lockout position (0 degrees) and tension on the gluteus maximus muscles is dramatically reduced (like the top portion of a squat). In anteroposterior loaded hip extension exercises, full ex tension is reached at 10-20 degrees of hyperextension, and tension on the gluteu s maximus muscles is maximized (ex: top portion of hip thrust). In axial hip extension exercises like squats and deadlifts, hyperextension is da ngerous because of the awkward angle on the spine and subsequent compressive for ces on the posterior portions of the intervertebral discs and facet joints. However, in anteroposterior hip extension exercises like hip thrusts and back ex tensions, hyperextension is much safer, as the hips can hyperextend 10 degrees w ith bent legs, 20 degrees with straight legs, and 30 degrees while being forcefu lly pulled back. As dictated by length-tension relationships, since the gluteus maximus muscles c ontract best at resting length, then anteroposterior loaded exercises are going to be superior to axial loaded exercises because there's maximum tension placed upon the glutes at neutral and into hyperextension, where the glutes are in thei r strongest contraction zone. Peak Activation Positions and Glute Zones While mean activation is the average level of activation throughout an entire re petition or set, peak activation is the highest level of activation reached duri ng a repetition or set. The greatest peak glute activity in a squat and lunge occurs down low in the bot tom-range or "stretched-position." The greatest peak glute activity in a deadlif t occurs at lockout or "mid-range position." The greatest peak glute activity in a hip thrust occurs into hyperextension, which is the end-range or "contracted position." All glute zones need to be trained for maximum gluteal development, maximum glut e strength, and maximum glute power. Glute strength is zone-specific; it's possi ble to be strong in one zone and not another. For example, you may have strong g lutes down low with the squat but not-so-strong glutes at the top of a deadlift or into the hyperextension range in the hip thrust. Ideally, you should strive for optimal strength in all three glute zones. In spo rts, rate of force development (RFD) is the most important factor in producing e

xplosive force. Muscles need to be strong at all ranges of motion so their pulse s can summate and produce maximum propulsion. Although it's important to perform movements explosively, it's also important to use heavy enough weight to where you feel the resistance all the way through th e movement. During hip-hyperextension movements, some guys with strong hamstring s and weak glutes will fling the weight up at the bottom and fail to use the glu tes up top. Often they'll fail to achieve full range of motion (ROM) because of their weak g lutes and tight hip flexors. This is akin to someone who has strong pecs, front delts, and lats but weak triceps flinging the weight up on a bench press and fai ling to control the weight up top to incorporate the triceps. This strategy is suboptimal as the guy would also benefit from having strong tri ceps. It's imperative that you learn to open up your hips and use for glutes. Fo r some this is automatic, for others it just takes time. The 7 Categories of Hip Extension Exercises All sagittal plane hip extension exercises fall into one of seven categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. axial extension axial semi-straight leg anteroposterior straight leg anteroposterior bent leg anteroposterior extension anteroposterior flexion hybrids (axial/anteroposterior blends)

Each of these categories has unilateral (single limb) and bilateral (dual limb) counterparts. The first term refers to the load vector and the second term refer s to the knee action while the hips are extending or extended. Axial extension exercises Axial extension exercises include squats, lunges, Bulgarian squats, step ups, an d single leg squats. They are loaded from top-to-bottom, involve simultaneous hi p and knee extension, and are stretched-position exercises. Stretched-position hip extension exercises produce more glute soreness than cont racted-position hip extension exercises due to the level of micro-trauma they de liver to the muscle fibers. This is because the muscle is producing its stronges t contraction while the muscle is being forcefully stretched. The eccentric dece leration and subsequent reversal into concentric acceleration can lead to extrem e levels of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This explains why squats and lunges produce the most glute soreness out of all h ip extension exercises, especially in the lower glute/ham tie-in area which is h it hardest. In addition, at the bottom of a squat or lunge, the hamstrings are s hortened, which decreases their contribution and forces the glutes to take on th e brunt of the hip extension requirements. And if you employ the "sit back, chest up, knees out, spread the floor, go deep" technique then you'll maximize the stretch in the glutes and their force contri bution in the squat. However, stretched-position hip extension exercises don't produce much muscular tension at the top of the movement (at the exercise's lockout). Due to the decre ased muscular tension up top, blood is left free to dissipate and escape the are

a, which explains why squats and lunges don't provide a pump or burning sensatio n in the glutes. Stretched-position hip extension exercises also work the quads the best and produce the greatest adductor magnus soreness. Axial Semi-Straight Leg Exercises Axial semi-straight leg exercises include deadlfits, good mornings, and single l eg RDL's. They are loaded from top-to-bottom, involve hip extension with semi-st raight legs (as well as slight knee extension at the lockout), and are actually mid-range position exercises. Mid-range position hip extension exercises lie in between stretched position hip extension exercises and contracted-position hip extension exercises. They can p roduce glute soreness but not to the same degree as stretched-position hip exten sion exercises. They can also produce a mild-pump but not to the same degree as contracted-position hip extension exercises. For example, at the bottom of a deadlift, the hamstrings are in an excellent pos ition for maximal contraction. As the movement rises, the glutes become more imp ortant and are mandatory for providing the forward hip translation necessary for lockout. Mid-range position hip extension exercises target the erector spinae b etter than any other exercises. Anteroposterior Sraight Leg Exercises Anteroposterior straight leg exercises involve hip hyperextension with straight legs. They're loaded from front-to-back and they incorporate the upper glutes in addition to the lower glutes. They function similarly to axial semi-straight le g exercises by having good hamstring involvement down low and increased glute in volvement up top. They're straight leg contracted-position exercises, which are the best hamstring activators and the greatest pump, burn, and cramp producers in the hamstrings. Examples of anteroposterior straight-leg exercises are back extensions, reverse hypers, and straight leg bridges. Anteroposterior Bent Leg Exercises Anteroposterior bent-leg exercises involve hip hyperextension with bent knees. T hey're loaded from front-to-back and work the upper glutes in addition to the lo wer glutes. They're the best total glute activators because the knees stay bent, which decreases hamstring involvement and forces the glutes to pick up the slac k. They're bent-leg contracted-position hip extension exercises which produce the h ighest levels of both mean and peak glute activity because the glutes are worked pretty hard at the bottom of the movement but especially hard at the top of the movement at the hyperextension range. Due to this phenomenon, muscular tension never subsides and blood is literally t rapped and incapable of escaping. This explains why hip thrusts and pendulum qua druped hip extensions produce the greatest pump, burn, and cramping sensation ou t of any other hip extension exercises; the constant tension pools the blood whi ch can be good for occlusion/hypoxia and fascial stretching, in addition to bein g good for both sarcomeric and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. However, during these exercises the glutes aren't placed under the same amount o f stress at the bottom range of motion as squats or lunges, so they do not produ ce nearly as much glute soreness. Examples of bent-leg anteroposterior exercises are glute bridges, hip thrusts, pendulum quadruped hip extensions, bent leg bac

k extensions, and bent leg reverse hypers. Anteroposterior Extension Exercises Anteroposterior extension exercises involve simultaneous hip hyperextension and knee extension. They're loaded from front-to-back and work the upper glutes in a ddition to the lower glutes. They produce a consistently high level of glute act ivation throughout the movement as well. At the bottom of the motion, the hamstrings are shortened and the glutes are opt imally loaded. As the movement progresses the knee straightens and the hamstring s become more active. The lever arm increases and the hips can hyperextend 20 de grees with straight legs (as opposed to only 10 degrees with bent legs). But the knee-straightening produced by the quadriceps allows the hamstrings to l engthen, which increases their involvement and takes some of the burden off the glutes. This makes anteroposterior extension exercises second only to anteropost erior bent-leg exercises in mean glute activity. Examples of anteroposterior ext ension exercises are pull-throughs, Kettlebell swings, and reverse leg presses. Anteroposterior Flexion Exercises Anteroposterior flexion exercises involve simultaneous hip hyperextension and kn ee flexion. They're loaded from front-to-back and work the upper glutes in addit ion to the lower glutes. They begin with straight legs, which is optimal for ham string involvement. As the movement progresses, the hamstrings work dual roles a s knee flexors and hip extensors. At the top of the movement, the knees are bent, the hamstrings are shortened, an d the glutes are contracting very hard. Anteroposterior flexion exercises are se cond only to anteroposterior straight-leg exercises in mean hamstring activity. Examples of anteroposterior flexion exercises are glute-ham raises, stability ba ll leg curls, gliding leg curls, and sliding leg curls. Hybrids Hybrids are blended vectors that contain an even mixture of axial and anteropost erior components, which create 45 degree-angled vectors. Exercises like sled pus hes, stadium sprints, 45-degree hypers, and walking lunges are hybrids. Feel Your Glutes! I don't want to get arrested for inciting mass-molestation, but I seriously reco mmend that you find someone (preferably Jessica Alba, Vida Guerra, or Shakira) w ho will let you squeeze their entire butt cheek while they perform various glute exercises. I recommend that you have your volunteer perform a bodyweight squat, good morning, lunge, single leg hip thrust, quadruped hip extension, lying abdu ction, and clam. If you have access to weights and bands, then throw in a barbell squat, deadlift , lunge, glute bridge, hip thrust, band standing abduction, band seated abductio n, and band external rotation. I believe that you can learn a ton about the glut es from this ten minute activity (or six-hour activity if you're lucky enough to get Shakira). Putting it All Together I know, I know, now I've gone and screwed everything up by adding more component s to program design. In addition to considering the workout-split, frequency, vo lume, intensity, density, and fluctuation of training stress, it's also importan

t to consider variety in exercise selection. Variety prevents habituation. This is why templates work well. As long as one wo rks hard on at least one movement each week from the various categories, then st rength for that pattern should remain elevated. Some of the many variables to consider with hip extension exercise include resis tance type, center of gravity, limb number, kinetic chain type, contraction posi tion, knee action, load vectors, level of stability, ROM, stance width, contract ion type, tempo, and strength type (effort method). Your Weekly Glute Fix Here's a template that can be split apart depending upon the number of times per week you hit the lower body. The following categories should be trained on a we ekly basis for optimal strength development: 1. Bilateral axial extension exercise (ex: squat, front squat) 2. Unilateral axial extension exercise (ex: Bulgarian squat, high step up) 3. Axial semi-straight leg exercise (ex: deadlift, good morning) 4. Anteroposteriorbent-leg exercise (ex: hip thrust, pendulum quadruped hip exte nsion) 5. Anteroposteriorstraight leg exercise (ex: back extension, reverse hyper) Hybrids, anteroposterior flexion, and anteroposterior extension exercises can be thrown in from time to time in substitution for other categories. Furthermore, more targeted work can be incorporated as well as hip abduction, hip external ro tation, hip flexion, hip adduction, hip internal rotation, knee flexion, and kne e extension exercises. Just in Case You're Wondering What Exercises to Pick Here's a chart that hones in on the levels of glute activation I received from v arious exercises in reference to MVC. Bilateral Axial Exercise (lbs) Mean Activation % Activation % Full Squat Sumo Squat Front Squat Low Box Squat High Box Squat Zercher Squat Lever Squat Kneeling Squat Extension Exercises Resistance Peak 315 315 265 315 345 295 270 495 35.6 27.6 35.0 20.0 28.9 45.0 26.8 66.8 114.0 85.4 91.7 103.0 105.0 92.7 95.2 159.0

Unilateral Axial Extension Exercises Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Walking Lunge 225 27.7 94.7 Elevated Static Lunge 100 25.1 Lever Lunge 90 33.8 70.7 High Step Up Bodyweight 25.0 Low Step Up 95 lbs 17.9 45.1 Bulgarian Squat 185 21.7

64.4 189.0 54.2

Single Leg Wall Slide Single Leg Box Squat Blast Strap Pistol

Bodyweight Bodyweight Bodyweight

11.0 17.3 17.9

26.4 39.1 36.2

Bilateral Axial Semi-Straight Leg Exercises Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Deadlift 495 55.0 110.0 Sumo Deadlift 495 51.9 98.4 Hex Bar Deadlift 495 37.6 73.8 Good Morning 265 34.0 87.7 Romanian Deadlift 405 24.3 69.6 Snatch Grip Deadlift 455 43.1 95.2 Hack Lift 335 32.8 121.0 Glute Punch 230 26.0 77.5 Seated Good Morning 185 8.9 25.2 Unilateral Axial Semi-Straight Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % King Deadlift 95 27.6 Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Bulgarian Deadlift 225 Single Leg Good Morning Single Leg Glute Punch 90 Bilateral Anteroposterior Bent Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Hip Thrust Blue Band Hip Thrust 405 84.1 Hip Thrust 275 plus 2 Red Bent Leg 45 Degree Hyper Bent Leg 45 Degree Hyper Bent Leg Back Extension Bent Leg Back Extension Bent Leg Back Extension Bent Leg Reverse Hyper 150 Leg Exercises

55.6 200 46.8 95 22.7

31.1 69.5 21.2 55.9

66.4 55.4

Leg Exercises

94.5 224.0 180.0 Bands 119.0 2 Red Bands 100 46.0 1 Red Band 100 46.0 100 plus 1 Red 111.0 163.0

235.0 67.1 155.0 48.6 149.0 Band

135.0 139.0 89.8 158.0

Unilateral Anteroposterior Bent Leg Exercises Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Pendulum Quadrupled Hip Extension 100 Single Leg Hip Thrust Red Band 43.5 Single Leg Prisoner Bent Leg 45 Degree Hyper Single Leg Prisoner Bent Leg Back Extension Single Leg Bent Leg Back Extension 25 plus Single Leg Bent Leg Reverse Hyper 100 Quadrupled Hip Extension Bodyweight Single Leg Glute Bridge Bodyweight Bilateral Anteroposterior Straight Leg Exercises

112.0 185.0 120.0 Bodyweight Bodyweight 1 Red Band 122.0 199.0 26.4 135.0 26.1 119.0

33.6 41.4 65.9

99.8 105.0 134.0

Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Reverse Hyper 180 43.7 123.0 45 Degree Hyper 2 Red Bands 45 Degree Hyper 100 36.4 Back Extension 1 Red Band 36.4 Back Extension 100 42.4 105.0 Elevated Straight Leg Glute Bridge Poor Man's Back Attack Purple Band

43.8 96.7 130.0 50 48.4

125.0

14.9 143.0

66.8

Unilateral Anteroposterior Straight Leg Exercises Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Single Leg Reverse Hyper 100 97 203 Single Leg Prisoner 45 Degree Hyper Bodyweight 39.2 Single Leg Prisoner Back Extension Bodyweight 45.3 Single Leg Back Extension 25 plus 1 Red Band 65.9 Single Leg Elevated Straight Leg Glute Bridge Bodyweight Bilateral Anteroposterior Extension Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Pull Through 260 81.8 143.0 Unilateral Anteroposterior Extension Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Bird Dog Bodyweight 39.9 135.0 Anteroposterior Flexion Exercises Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Natural Glute Ham Raise Bodyweight Stability Ball Leg Curl Bodyweight Glute Ham Raise Bodyweight 14.1 Glute Ham Raise 50 30.7 104.0 Glute Ham Raise 2 Red Bands 16.2 Sliding Leg Curl Bodyweight 20.9 Abduction Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Standing Band Abduction Transverse Abduction Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak

108.0 151.0 134.0 22.9

118.0

5.5 3.0 44.2 82.3 102.0

9.9 7.4

1 Red Band

18.6

46.1

Activation % Band Clam

1 Red Band

27.1

57.8

External Rotation Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Standing Cable External Rotation Adduction Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Standing Cable Adduction Transverse Adduction Exercise Exercise Resistance (lbs) Mean Activation % Peak Activation % Seated Swiss Ball Adduction Wrap-up

30

20.1

48.2

100

3.4

6.0

Swiss Ball

2.5

4.4

Hip extension may never be as sexy as benching a few hundred pounds or strapping some plates around your waist for weighted chin-ups, but focusing on the differ ent force vectors and exercises will have a bigger impact on your training than you may think. Advanced Glute Training Contest glutes. Advanced Glute Training Jamie Eason's back seat takes a back seat to no one. Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute T raining Advanced Glute Training The Glute Bridge demonstrated by Katie Cole. Advanced Glute Training The Hip Thrust demonstrated by Katie Cole. Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Pauline Nordin, vying for the Nobel Glute Prize. Advanced Glute Training Advanced Glute Training Vida Guerra, favorite of glute fans everywhere. Advanced Glute Training Jamie Eason's glutes, pleasing AND functional. About Bret Contreras TAG

Bret Contreras received his master's degree from Arizona State University and ha s been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and fitness studio owner for the past several years. If you have comments or questions for Bret, or if y ou'd like to purchase Advanced Techniques in Glutei Maximi Strengthening, please visit his website at TheGluteGuy.com or email him at bretcontreras@hotmail.com.