Glutes Exercises

[annetoin]

We all know how good climbing stairs is for your glutes. What do you do if you don't have access to stairs? For some reason leg presses kill my knees, but walking up stairs doesn't bother them. Go figure! I see that Cathe is now using the band for leg presses and I am wondering if this changes the exercise a little?

Help for a flat bottom!

 

[Gibbee]

Make sure your step isn't too high (it'll kill the knees) and that your knee is at no less than a 90' angle. Squeeze the glute on the up motion and press through the heel, control the return with the glute. I have iffy knees but I keep the box at 10-12" (sometimes less!) and really control the move by driving down through the heel and squeezing the glute. Speed isn't the issue - control and contraction are.

Hopefully Cathe will give you some more pointers to help you.

 

[kathryn]

Donkey moves (done on all fours, with bent leg and pressing foot to the ceiling, or with straight legs and lifting) are good glute exercises, and they are easy on the knees (just make sure you are kneeling on a padded surface). Cathe does some in Butts and Guts. (I find them especially effective when I do them right after the warm-up, to kind of pre-exhaust the glutes).

Straight-legged deadlifts are also good on the glutes (and easy on the knees). Try doing a set of donkey kicks followed by a set of straight-legged deadlifts.

As Gibbee mentioned, you have to watch your knee angle when doing step-ups/leg presses. When you walk up stairs, you are only going up about 6 inches, which is one reason why they don't bother your knees. Another reason could be that when climbing stairs, you are always going forward and up, never backwards and down, as you do in leg presses. If you took the stairs 2 or 3 at a time, or walked backwards down the stairs, you might have the same knee complaints as with leg presses.

(Kettlebell swings are fantastic glute exercises!)

 

[Gibbee]

I re-read my post - I mean to say don't been the knee more than 90 degrees (hips lower than knee joint) but do emphasize squeezing the glutes. And Kathryn always has great ideas!!!! Donkey kicks - awesome! (Butts & Guts and Legs & Glutes come to mind!).

 

[jodijodi]

>Make sure your step isn't too high (it'll kill the knees) and
>that your knee is at no less than a 90' angle. Squeeze the
>glute on the up motion and press through the heel, control the
>return with the glute. I have iffy knees but I keep the box
>at 10-12" (sometimes less!) and really control the move by
>driving down through the heel and squeezing the glute. Speed
>isn't the issue - control and contraction are.
>
>Hopefully Cathe will give you some more pointers to help you.

I tried this today with HSTA, and it worked really well for me...I could feel it in my glutes and it was much easier on my knees. Thanks!