To create glutes, you need to hit heavy weights. “The barbell hip thrust is your weapon of choice,” says Bret Contreras, C.S.C.S., who’s trained Olympic and professional athletes. “The move activates your glutes better than any other exercise, you can really load it up, and it’s completely safe.”
Use a weight you can lift at least 10 times. “This creates a lot of tension and metabolic stress on the muscle, two big factors of muscle growth,” he says.
DIRECTIONS
Load a barbell and place it on the floor parallel to a bench. Sit on the floor and put the barbell across your hips, keeping your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and back resting against the bench. Push your upper back into the bench and raise your hips so the barbell rests there and your knees, hips, and back are aligned. Do not extend past that point. Squeeze your butt at the top of the move. Slowly lower the bar until the plates touch the floor. That’s 1 repetition. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.