Best Glute and Hamstring Exercises for Strength Gains

Building Stronger Glutes and Hamstrings

Having strong glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings is important for overall health and physical performance. These large muscle groups play key roles in stabilizing the hips and pelvis, supporting good posture and movement, and protecting against injury.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of strong glutes and hamstrings and provide a complete workout program to help strengthen these muscle groups.

Benefits of Strong Glutes and Hamstrings

Here are some of the top reasons you should focus on building glute and hamstring strength:

• Improve athletic performance - Stronger glutes and hamstrings allow you to run faster, jump higher, and explode out of athletic stances.
• Prevent back pain - Weak glutes are linked to lower back issues. Strong glutes and hamstrings provide stability.
• Better posture and balance - Proper strength in these areas keeps your body aligned and stable.
• Injury prevention - Strengthening these muscle groups safeguards hips, knees and ankles from trauma.
• Enhanced mobility - You'll bend, squat, lunge and lift more comfortably and safely.

Anatomy of the Glutes and Hamstrings

Before we get into the exercises, lets briefly overview the anatomy of the gluteal and hamstring muscle groups.

Glutes

The gluteal muscles make up the buttocks. There are three main glute muscles:

• Gluteus Maximus - Large, outer muscle that shapes the curves of your butt.
• Gluteus Medius - Located under and to the side of gluetus maximus. Rotates thigh outward.
• Gluteus Minimus - Smallest glute muscle, also rotates thigh bone outward.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings are actually comprised of three muscles at the back of the thigh:

• Biceps Femoris - Located on the outside of thigh. Bends knee and rotates leg outward when knee is bent.
• Semitendinosus - Middle hamstring muscle that bends the knee and rotates leg inward.
• Semimembranosus - Inner hamstring muscle that also bends the knee and rotates leg inward.

7 Best Exercises for Stronger Glutes and Hamstrings

Now let's cover 7 highly effective exercises that target the glutes and hamstrings for maximum strength benefits.

1. Barbell Hip Thrust

This exercise primarily targets the glutes while also activating the hamstrings, lower back and core.

• Lie back on a bench with a loaded barbell resting on your hip creases.
• Drive through your heels to lift your hips, squeezing your glutes at the top.
• Slowly lower back down to starting position.

2. Romanian Deadlift

This hip hinge exercise hammers the hamstrings while training glutes, lower back and core stability.

• Hold barbell with shoulder-width grip. Hinge at hips, push butt back while lowering bar along thighs.
• Descend until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings then drive hips forward to standing.

3. Kettlebell Swing

This explosive hip hinge drill trains rapid glute and hamstring activation for power.

• Hold the kettlebell handle with both hands, hinge at hips and swing kettlebell between legs.
• Explosively drive hips forward, propelling kettlebell to chest level as you straighten body.
• Hinge at hips again as kettlebell drops during next rep.

4. Glute Bridge

Glute bridges isolate the glutes while working hamstrings and lower back as stabilizers.

• Lie faceup on floor with bent knees, arms at sides and feet flat.
• Tighten glutes and abs then lift hips up until body forms a straight line.
• Pause briefly at the top then lower hips back down, repeat.

5. Good Morning

Good mornings hone hamstring and glute strength through the hip hinge pattern.

• Stand holding barbell across shoulders, feet about hip-width apart.
• Maintaining a straight back, hinge at hips, lowering torso until it's parallel to floor.
• Squeeze glutes to return to upright standing position.

6. Single Leg Deadlift

This unilateral exercise trains stability through one leg while overloading the opposing glutes and hamstrings.

• Stand on one leg, hinge at hips and lower your torso towards the floor.
• Extend free leg back behind you to counterbalance position.
• Drive through support leg to return upright.
• Repeat for reps then switch legs.

7. Lying Leg Curls

Isolate hamstrings with this machine-based exercise that eliminates work from the glutes and core.

• Lie face down on a leg curl machine. Hook ankles under foot pads, thighs on top of pad.
• Keeping torso flat, bend knees to lift foot pads as far as possible towards butt.
• Slowly straighten legs back to starting position.

Programming Recommendations

Now that you have some excellent glute and hamstring exercises, lets quickly cover some programming tips:

• Train glutes and hamstrings at least twice per week for best strength improvements.
• Perform 2-4 sets of 6-15 reps per exercise, using challenging weights.
• Include a mix of bilateral, unilateral and machine exercises.
• Allow at least 48 hours recovery between training sessions.
• Progressively increase weight, sets, reps or tempo over time.

Conclusion

Incorporating a variety of glute and hamstring exercises into your training is essential for lower body strength, mobility and injury resilience.

Follow the workout, sets/reps and programming guidelines provided here to methodically build impressive glutes and hamstrings over time.

Just be patient and consistent - with hard work you'll develop an athletic, yet aesthetically pleasing backside and powerful posterior chain musculature.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.