8 Best Glute Strengthening Exercises - Knee Pain Explained (2024)

Written By:Chloe Wilson, BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed by:KPE Medical Review Board

Glute strengthening exercises should be a core part of any rehab programme.

Whether you have back pain, arthritis, knee pain when you run or flat feet, chances are glute weakness is a contributing factor.

Strengthening programmes for the legs often focus on the quads and hamstrings but glute activation and strengthening is just as important, if not more.

Having weak glutes can affect your lower back, pelvis, hips, knees and feet increasing your risk of:

• Pain: in the lower back and/or leg
• Injury: e.g. tendonitis, IT band syndrome
• Instability: particularly at the pelvis and knee
• Poor Alignment: e.g. knock knees or flat feet

Why Is Glute Strengthening So Important?

There are three glute muscles that form the buttocks:

1. Gluteus Maximus: the big superficial power muscle
2. Gluteus Medius: the key stabilizer muscle
3. Gluteus Minimus: the smallest, deepest muscle

The three glute muscles work together to extend, abduct and internally rotate the hip i.e. move it backwards, out to the side and twist it in, and the glutes play an extremely important role in many daily functions.

Having strong glute muscles helps:

• Support the lower back e.g. when lifting
• Support you e.g. when standing on one leg
• Provide propulsive force e.g. during running and jumping
• Ensure correct alignment e.g. of pelvis and lower limb
• Prevent injuries e.g. runners knee and bursitis
• With daily activities: e.g. getting up from a chair

• 15-20 reps
• 3-5 second holds
• at least once a day
• at least five times a week
• always keep your spine and pelvis in neutral – don’t let them dip or arch

1. Glute Squeezes

Glute squeezes are a great exercise to start with to get the feeling of glute activation and isolation

• Sit or lie in a comfortable position, knees bent or straight
• Squeeze your buttocks together as tight as you can and hold
• You should feel yourself lift slightly as you squeeze

2. Glute Kickbacks

Glute kickbacks aka glute lifts or glute extensions are a great glute strengthening exercise on all fours

• Start in box position, hands directly under shoulders, knees directly under hips, back flat
• Raise one leg behind you, keeping the knee bent at 90^o without letting your back dip
• Clench your glutes throughout and hold at the top

Alternative: as you take the leg back, straighten the knee until your leg is parallel with the floor

Progression: Loop a resistance band around your foot and anchor it in your hands. Push back against the band as you take your leg back to work harder

3. Glute Bridges

Bridges are one of the best glute exercises and should form some part of any glutes workout.

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip width apart
• Clench your glutes and slowly raise your buttocks up of the floor into a bridge position and hold
• Don’t let your back arch as you lift or your buttocks dip as you hold

How To Progress Bridging

There are loads of different variations and ways to challenge yourself more with bridging exercises as your glutes get stronger.

1. Heel Bridge:Push down through your heels as you bridge (can lift toes if that helps)
2. Waist Band Bridge:Hold down a resistance band around your waist
3. Knee Band Bridge:Loop resistance band around knees. Once in bridge position, push knees out against band and slowly bring them back in
4. Ball Bridge:Hold and squeeze a ball between your knees as you bridge – also targets VMO so great for knee problems
5. Frog Bridge:let your knees drop out with your feet touching. Press through feet and raise buttocks
   

4. Glute Clam Shell

The clam is one of the best glute strengthening exercises for glute med isolation and is a must for pretty much anyone. Glute med is super important for stability and control. Most people with back, hip, knee or foot problems have weakness in their glute med.

• Lie on your side, knees bent, feet together, with shoulders, hips & feet in a straight line
• Keeping feet together, activate glutes and lift top knee as high as you can without rolling back at your pelvis. Hold
• Slowly lower back down
• Keep your pelvis central, not rolling forwards or backwards and draw your top hip down, away from your shoulder to lengthen through the waist

How To Progress The Clam

1. Heel Pushes:Squeeze your heels together as you do the exercise
2. Band Clams:Have an elasticated resistance band round your knees
3. Raised Clam:Start with both feet raised to hip height and perform clam action from there
4. Plank Clam:Start in the side plank position and perform clam
   

5. Glute Raises

Glute raises are similar to glute bridges but with your feet raised.These works the glutes harder and through a greater range making it a more challenging glute strengthening exercise.

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on a low stool, hip width apart
• Clench glutes, lift buttocks up into bridge position and hold
• Try not to push down through your arms

How To Progress

1. Use a higher step for feet
2. Use a roller under feet
3. Use a gym ball under your calves
4. Use gym ball under your feet
5. Even harder, roll gym ball/roller towards you and then back whilst in bridge position
   

6. Single Leg Glute Bridge

Single leg bridges are a much more challenging glute strengthening workout than a simple bridge both from a strength and control side. If you have weak glutes, the pelvis will tend to drop as you lift the leg so watch out for that.

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip width apart
• Clench glutes, lift buttocks and hold in bridge position
• Lift one foot and straighten the knee, keeping your thighs inline and hold
• Make sure your pelvis doesn’t dip down at all
• Lower your foot and repeat with the other leg

How To Progress

1. Single Raise: Start with one leg out straight (thighs parallel) and push up into bridge through the other leg
2. Marching Bridge: From normal bridge position, alternately march the feet up and down – great for building endurance
3. Unstable Bridge: Have your foot on a roller or gym ball as you perform the exercise
   

7. Glute Thrust

The glute thrust, AKA the hip thrust, is a more advanced glute strengthening exercise - it might not look it but it's much harder than a simple bridge.
NB this exercise is not recommended if you have back problems.

• Sit, leaning back against a gym ball or bench, feet hip width apart, knees bent, spine in neutral
• Clench glutes, push down through feet and raise buttocks up letting your upper body move back slightly
• If you need to, use your arms for some support, but don’t arch your back
• Hold the position and then lower down

How To Progress

1. Weights: Hold a weight e.g. medicine ball while doing this exercise
2. Marching: During the hold phase, alternately lift one foot then the other
3. Single Leg: start with one foot lifted and keep it in the 90/90 position (hip/knee angle) throughout, pushing through the other leg
   

8. Glute Stretches

Before and after doing any glute strengthening exercises it is a good idea to do some glute stretches. These help get the muscles ready for action and ease out any tension that builds up in the muscles during your glute workout.

As well as stretching the glutes muscles, it also helps to stretch the piriformis muscle which is the deepest buttock muscle found underneath the glutes.

So as well as doing glute strengthening exercises, make sure you have a go at:

• Glute Stretches
• Piriformis Stretches