Posted on October 14, 2022 by Courtney Williams

Your gluteus maximus is the largest, most powerful muscle to work against gravity. It is the main muscle responsible for keeping our torso upright in an erect position. It’s the chief muscle that aids in walking up stairs. Not only is the gluteus maximus involved in high-power and speed sports such as running, it’s also used in high-force sports such as power lifting and strongman. Basically, the gluteus maximus is Hercules in your muscular system. With this in mind – and the fact that the Abbey Dash is coming soon, there is no better time than now to try out this glute workout for runners.

Squat

The very common and effective exercise – the squat. Anybody who values their glutes and quads loves some sort of squat variation. Hence why we start our intense training with this exercise. With weights or without, it’s highly recommended for glute training.

Deadlift

The deadlift not only improves the lower back muscles, it also works the gluteus major (the largest of the 3 glute muscles). There are so many types of deadlifts, we have to include some of these in our workout!

Lunges

Did you know, that some lunge variations are known to be better than squats for building the glutes? Most variations activate the gluteus major because all lunges isolate one leg, putting more stress on that specific muscle.

So now that I have explained the benefits and why we do certain exercises over others, let’s get to the workout!

Like all my articles state, a warm up is essential before performing the main workout. So be sure to mobilise the joints in preparation for intense training.

These exercises can be done with or without weights – it simply depends on how much of a burn you’re after!

  • Goblet Squat – 10 reps of 3 sets
  • Sumo Squat – 10 reps of 3 sets
  • Romanian Deadlift – 10 reps of 3 sets 
  • Split Squat – 10 reps (per leg) of 3 sets
  • Reverse Lunge – 10 reps (per leg) of 3 sets
  • Lateral Lunge – 10 reps (per leg) of 3 sets
  • Curtsy Lunge – 10 reps (per leg) of 3 sets

Now get a mat!

  • Kickbacks – 15 reps (per leg) of 3 sets
  • Sidekicks – 15 reps (per leg) of 3 sets
  • Glute Bridges – 15 reps of 3 sets
  • Clam Shells – 15 reps (per leg) of 3 sets

Please don’t forget to cool down and stretch.

3 sets per exercise are what you should be aiming for – but this workout is seriously aimed at overloading the muscles so I do not blame you if you just want to start with 2 sets per exercise! By the end of this workout, your glutes should feel swollen and by the same time the next day you may well feel a little something when you try to sit down!

Until then, have a gooden! 😊