It only takes five moves and 30 minutes to set your legs and glutes on fire with this quick workout
You can try it at home or at the gym, all you need is a pair of dumbbells
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How many times have you heard the gluteus maximus used as the butt of the joke? We'd wager it's not a small number, but if you're looking to build strength then this is one body part not to be overlooked.
It's the largest muscle humans have and, thanks to its central position, strengthening it is key for supporting your lower back and keeping knee injuries at bay. It's powerful too, so glute training can help you generate more force to run faster, jump higher, and even lift heavier.
Squat workouts (opens in new tab) are synonymous with successful glute training, but there are plenty of other exercises that are arguably more effective at bolstering your behind. Several of these, including the Romanian deadlift, are included in this workout from fitness trainer Meggan Kirkland (better known by her Instagram handle, Meggan Grubb (opens in new tab)).
She prescribes five moves that each require just a couple of dumbbells, so you can do this workout at home or at the gym. She also uses a weight bench for a few of the exercises, but you can easily sub this out for a chair or step.
Read Kirkland's caption below to find out which exercises you'll be performing, and how many sets and reps you need to do of each one. You can also watch her video if you're unsure how any of the movements should be performed.
Watch Meggan Grubb's dumbbell glute workout
A post shared by Meggan Kirkland (@meggangrubb) (opens in new tab)
A photo posted by on
This is a resistance training session focusing on building strength and muscle. As such, it's important to rest between sets to allow your muscles to recover slightly. By doing this, you can hit each set with renewed intensity, and continue to lift heavier weights that will challenge you physically.
This is an example of progressive overload (opens in new tab), which is a key principle for both growing muscle and improving your strength.
Kirkland doesn't say how long you should rest between sets, but we would recommend giving yourself 60-90 seconds to recover. Following this protocol, the session should take about 30 minutes.
This workout primarily targets your glutes, but that doesn't mean these muscles will be trained in isolation. Several of the movements programmed are compound exercises (opens in new tab), meaning they work several muscle groups at once.
For example, sumo squats will serve up a significant hit on your hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and calves too, making for a comprehensive leg workout (opens in new tab).
As a result, after completing this session, you'll need to give your lower-body a day or two away from resistance training to allow it to recover and grow. In the meantime, why not try this chest and back workout (opens in new tab), or work on your mobility with these anti-aging yoga moves (opens in new tab)?
Harry Bullmore is a fitness writer covering everything from reviews to features for LiveScience, T3, TechRadar, Fit&Well and more. So, whether you’re looking for a new fitness tracker or wondering how to shave seconds off your 5K PB, chances are he’s written something to help you improve your training.
When not writing, he’s most likely to be found experimenting with a wide variety of training methods in his home gym or trying to exhaust his ever-energetic puppy.
Prior to joining Future, Harry wrote health and fitness product reviews for publications including Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Runner’s World. Before this, he spent three years as a news reporter with work in more than 70 national and regional newspapers.
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