Best glute building exercises? Cant squat atm due to injury :( Alternatives?

Bellchick91
Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
edited November 27 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey!

So, due to a small back injury (NOTE: Not lower back - my erector spinae are in spasm) Nearly better, seeing physio and healing up well. But limited in compound movements at the moment (squats, deadlifts...)

So, any other GLUTE building exercises you would recommend? I do cable kickbacks but they do NOTHING for me (beginning to think I'm doing it wrong?!), lunges, leg press, step ups etc...but they dont seem to target the glutes as much as Id like. Hip thrusts look great but my gym doesn't have those foam pads to put under the barbel to protect your hip bones. I would love to actually really target the glutes - more isolation while I'm recovering.

Any suggestions/advice much appreciated! :)

Replies

  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?
  • mjwandssw
    mjwandssw Posts: 2 Member
    Walking lunges while holding weight above your head. Do them slow and full movement.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    Or roll up a towel.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    ^This. Hip thrusts are great for the booty
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    Or roll up a towel.

    That's not gonna cut it for a lot of us if they weight is above like...65 lbs really.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Elevated single leg glute bridges and hip thrusts.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Monster band walks--might be good for the back as well.
    Hip thrusts with power bands.
    Bulgarian split squat/SL deadlift combo if your back tolerates it.
    Single leg sit/stand
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    ^This. Hip thrusts are great for the booty

    I used to use a foam pad and yoga mat. I am now scared to do them as I have Crohn's and having 200+lbs digging into my inflamed intestines doesn't sound like a good idea lol
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    ^This. Hip thrusts are great for the booty

    I used to use a foam pad and yoga mat. I am now scared to do them as I have Crohn's and having 200+lbs digging into my inflamed intestines doesn't sound like a good idea lol

    You can do lighter weight and higher reps, you can also incorporate isoholds. If you can't tolerate the barbell at all banded are fantastic, as well as single leg hip thrusts.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I forget what these are called, but they target glutes and you can add weight if you like:

    --Lie face-down on the floor with your arms beside you, knees bent so your feet are in the air. A 90 degrees bend.
    --Tilt your pelvis up toward your navel somewhat. Activate your abs to keep this position the whole time.
    --Without moving anything else at all, lift one leg up by its glute. Don't move your pelvis! Don't use your upper body or back.

    Repeat, switch sides, do sets, yada yada.

    **Make absolutely sure your glutes fire before your hamstrings, btw. Feel them at first!

    If you get those down it should help your kickback form, too.

  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    bring your own foam pad to the gym so you can do hip thrusts?

    Or roll up a towel.

    That's not gonna cut it for a lot of us if they weight is above like...65 lbs really.

    Even bar pads don't do it for me once the weight gets over like 100. I've got hipbones and they bruise. I'm like the hip-thrust version of the Princess and the Pea.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    sumo dumbbell squats, stiff legged deadlifts, leg pressdown on the assisted pull up machine, single leg db deadlifts
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    One leg RDL and Bulgarian split squats are great since you cannot do squats and deadlifts.
  • loserzack
    loserzack Posts: 10 Member
    dumbbell squats, stiff legged deadlifts, bridges.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Ah so many nice ideas! Thank you!! Ive been doing more bulgarian split squats (working on that balance!) and I will try the thrusters tomorrow with a towel and see how i get on with that. walking lunges are brilliant too, i usually hold the dumbbells at my side, but overhead is a nice variation!

    Thank you so much! :)
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    Find a lot of stairs and run up them repeatedly.
This discussion has been closed.

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