Strong, tight buttocks? These are the exercises you must do!

Work that ass! Not only for the eye, but also because a strong set of buttocks is very functional. For example, strong glutes help you move more easily during exercise. After all, your glutes are involved in almost every large and powerful movement you make. Think about running, jumping, lifting and squatting. Strong glutes help you perform these movements even better and more powerfully. In addition, gluteal exercises help prevent injuries.

But, as we discussed in an earlier blog, the Dutch are champions at sitting. And what do we do that on, sitting? Exactly, on our bum. It is disastrous for the buttocks. Therefore: action! Start with these exercises for strong, tight buttocks.

The best gluteal exercise is not the squat

The squat is a great exercise but it is not the holy grail for strong, round buttocks. The squat is an exercise that mainly targets the quadriceps (= the muscles at the front of your thigh). It is also a so-called chain exercise which means that the weight is distributed over the entire chain. With chain we mean your calves, upper legs, buttocks and core. So your buttocks will be addressed, but less effectively than with specific gluteal exercises.

Glute Bridge

The name says it all: you make a bridge of your body. You lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Then, by applying force with your heels, you push your hips upwards. Hold this for a few seconds and then return to your starting position. Be careful not to overstretch your back!

Hip Thrust

The Hip Thrust is the big brother of the Glute Bridge. The difference is that with the Hip Thrust you lie on an elevation with your shoulders. This increases your range of motion and allows you to target your buttocks even more. Also, with the Hip Thrust it is easier to put weights on your hips to make the exercise just a little bit heavier. Think of a barbell with weights for example.

Cable pull through

Well, truth be told, this exercise might feel a bit awkward but it is a real winner for strong buttocks and hamstrings. So don't care what you look like and work that ass! You do this exercise with a cable in the cable station. Place the cable at the very bottom and attach a triceps rope to the cable. Grasp the rope between your legs and take a few steps forward so that your back is facing the cable station. Stand up straight with legs slightly wider than hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and arms extended to hold the rope between your legs.
Next: Move your buttocks backwards while bending your upper body forward until it is level with the floor. The rope and cable will now lower to the floor. Then pull the cable back up by raising your upper body. Keep your back straight and focus on tightening your glutes and hamstrings. The latter is done by pushing your hips forward considerably as you come up. Still don't get it? YouTube is your friend.

Donkey kicks

With the donkey kick, you put a kick in the direction of strong buttocks every time. Step 1: Look back to check that you are not accidentally kicking anyone. Step 2: Sit on your hands and knees with your shoulders straight above your hands. Kick (look, that's why you're looking back) backwards with a bent knee.

So, now you can sit down again.