Big glute energy: Build lower-body strength in 30 minutes with this medicine ball workout

Strong glutes power your hips, help to stabilize your body and enable movements like climbing stairs, walking, sitting down and standing tall. They keep your pelvis and hips stable while playing sports, protecting your lower back and knees.

But if your glutes are weak, this could be contributing toward your lower back, knee or hip pain—or all three!

People often think the glutes just mean the butt, but they actually consist of three separate muscles: the gluteus maximus (the biggest muscle in the body) plus the medius and minimus.

One of my favorite ways to train the glutes is by using a medicine ball. It’s a versatile bit of fitness equipment (have you ever tried slamming a dumbbell? Don’t!) that is comfortable hold for functional exercises such as the squat and the lunge.

While you’re unlikely to use a medicine ball that’s as heavy as a dumbbell, I find holding a ball requires less grip strength to hold for long periods than dumbbells, meaning you can get through a lot of work before resting.

That’s why I’ve programmed a circuit for you to try.

How to do medicine ball workout

Do the following moves in a circuit, one after the other. Do each move for 15 reps (each side where applicable) then rest for 60 seconds. Start with three rounds in total, progressing to four as you get stronger, or if you have more than 30 minutes.

1. Medicine ball squat pulse
2. Goblet squat and overhead press
3. Medicine ball reverse lunge and torso twist
4. Medicine ball Romanian deadlift
5. Medicine ball glute bridge
6. Medicine ball mountain climbers

1. Medicine ball squat pulse

Reps: 15 pulses

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the medicine ball at your chest in both hands.
• Bend your hips and knees, and push your butt back, to lower.
• Pause when your hips are in line with your knees, then move up and down an inch or two 15 times.
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

2. Medicine ball squat with overhead press

Reps: 15

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing out slightly, holding the medicine ball at your chest in both hands.
• Bend your hips and knees, and push your butt back, to lower.
• When your hips are as low as your knees, drive through your heels to stand up, and extend your arms to lift the ball overhead.
• Lower the ball to your chest.

3. Medicine ball reverse lunge and twist

Reps: 15 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a medicine ball at your chest in both hands.
• Take a big step back with your right foot and bend both knees to 90° to lower.
• Pause to find your balance, then rotate your torso one way, then the other.
• Push through your left foot to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

4. Medicine ball Romanian deadlift

Reps: 15

• Stand with your legs together and a slight bend in your knees, holding a medicine ball with both hands in front of your thighs.
• Hinge forward from your hips, pushing your butt back to lower the ball down your legs slowly. Keep your back straight throughout.
• Pause when your back starts to round or you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
• Squeeze your glutes and drive through the heels to push your hips forward and stand upright.

5. Medicine ball glute bridge

Reps: 15

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding the ball on your hips.
• Drive through your heels to lift your hips, making a straight line with your body from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause for a second, then slowly lower back down until your back is flat on the floor.

6. Medicine ball mountain climber

Reps: 15 each side

• Start on all fours with a medicine ball between your hands.
• Move your hands onto the medicine ball, and when you feel stable, slowly lift your knees and extend your legs to balance on your toes in a high plank position, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Bring your right knee towards your left elbow.
• Return it to the starting position, then swap sides, bringing your left knee to your right elbow.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.