You don’t need to do a zillion squats, have a barbell or even go to a gym to build a better booty. In fact, in just 10 minutes you can work towards developing stronger glutes using a pair of dumbbells and doing these three exercises – you’ll also be pleased to know they don’t involve squats either!
Did you know having weak glutes can actually increase the likelihood of other niggling problems, like lower back pain? "If your glutes are under active they don’t provide support for the pelvis, nor your lumbar spine, therefore placing increased pressure on the muscles of the lower back," says Laurence Plant, a chiropractor and owner of Henley Practice. If you're someone who has an office job, or has to sit for the majority of the day, this is when your glutes become inactive and 'turn off', so it's important to regularly move and do strength exercises to keep them engaged.
This workout consists of three different exercises and it's ideal for adding onto the end of a lower body workout. If you’re not familiar with the movements, then start off with just your bodyweight first to make sure you nail your form, then you can bring your dumbbell into the equation. Make sure you wear a pair of workout shoes to encourage better stability. You’re going to do each exercise for 8 to 12 reps, on each side where applicable, with a 30 second rest in between each one. Once you’ve completed one round of the workout, repeat it two more times. Here’s your exercises:
- Bulgarian split squats
- Alternating step ups
- Goblet squats with pause
Don't have a dumbbell? A single kettlebell or even just one dumbbell will do – just hold it on the opposite to the leg you're doing your split squats and step ups with.
You don't even need free weights to work your glutes either, resistance bands are another fantastic way to do strength training. Here's a 20 minute glute and leg workout to try (again, no squats in sight). Otherwise, if you have no weights at all you can just use your bodyweight – give this five-move bodyweight glute workout a go.
