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Jen Labesky

Glute Strengthening Exercises

Updated: Sep 13, 2022



I am currently rehabbing a minor knee injury, and my physical therapist suggested that my glutes are weak, which could be a contributing factor to my knee troubles. Weak glutes are so common in runners!

I posted about this on my Instagram running account @jenlrun and asked the running community for their favorite glute strengthening exercises. I received so many ideas that I decided to consolidate it and share it. Most of these exercises don’t require any special equipment except a band! The following is a list of the recommendations. I also received a couple useful videos so I linked those at the bottom.

Please note, I am NOT a physical therapist or trainer of any sort, and I am not recommending any of these to anyone or attesting to the safety or effectiveness of any of these. I have simply compiled the list for informational purposes, in case anyone wants to reference it for ideas. Some of these were exercises I didn’t recognize (froggers?!), so a quick google search turned up how-to info.

Happy running!

GLUTE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES

  • Clamshells

  • Standing clamshells (with or without band around knees)

  • Bridges (with or without band at knees, with abductions)

  • Single leg bridges

  • Marching Bridges (also with band at feet)

  • Bridges with feet elevated (ex. On ottoman.) (single leg or both)

  • Monster walk with band

  • Eccentric step down

  • Standing hip abduction

  • Cable kickbacks

  • Deadlifts

  • Single leg deadlifts

  • Romanian deadlifts

  • B-stance deadlifts

  • Hip thrusts (variations- on exercise ball, with weights on hips)

  • One-leg hip thrusts

  • Froggers

  • Diamond leg lifts

  • Dumbell snatches

  • Abductions (extended range abductions)

  • Side lying hip raises

  • Reverse hypers

  • Step ups (with or without weights)

  • Lateral side-steps with band

  • Standing kickbacks (with or without band)

  • Squats (Variations- with band, squat holds with weight plate)

  • Walking banded squats

  • Pistol squats

  • Decline squats

  • Sumo squats

  • Side leg lifts

  • Lunges (also marching lunges)

  • Static lunges with heavy weight

  • 40-60 walking lunges after easy runs

  • Donkey kickback with weight behind knee

  • Single leg curtsy squats

  • Kettlebell swings

  • Jumping rope after short runs

  • Elliptical

  • Swimming

  • Barre

  • Single leg abduction

  • Cable machine pull through

  • Hip flexor stretching

  • Bulgarian split squats

  • Back leg lifts with band

  • Weighted calf raises (Also single leg)

  • Frog pumps

  • Wall sits


Here are the videos!

One is not specifically a glute strengthening exercise but an awesome mobility stretch for opening up the front of the hips and quads. It's called couch stretching and you can see the video here.

The other is a lunge matrix video for before runs which looks like it could be really helpful. You can see it here.

Have fun! xx Jen

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