3 Essential Moves to Strengthen Your Glutes
Want to run better? Then focus on making your backside stronger.
Some of your body’s biggest muscles reside in the lower half of your body, including your glutes, otherwise known as your butt muscles. And Dr. Jordan Metzl, a New York City-based sports medicine physician and the creator of the New IronStrength Workout, has always said that a strong butt is the key to a happy life.
A strong butt may also be the key to a happier running life. If your glutes are weak, it can throw off your entire kinetic chain—the interconnected system of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones that help you move. So if your kinetic chain breaks down, it leads to potential injury as other muscles like your hamstrings, quads, and calves take the brunt of the extra work. When you strengthen this one main link in the chain, you’ll shore up your body to run stronger and stay injury-free.
Add these three key moves to your normal strength-training routine to build a powerful lower body that will accelerate your running. Perform the following three moves for one minute each. That’s one set. Then rest for one minute before repeating the set, aiming for three complete sets.
Plyometric Jump Squat
Stand with your arms straight out in front of you and your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then jump as high as you can. When you land, immediately squat and jump again. Perform the move as many times as you can for one minute.
Weighted Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells next to your shoulders, elbows bent and palms facing in. Push your hips back and squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push back up to the starting position and press the dumbbells up over your head. Lower the weights back to your starting position, and repeat. Perform the move as many times as you can for one minute.
Plyometric Lunges
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with your right leg and lower yourself until your right leg is bent 90 degrees and your left knee is almost touching the floor. Push through your right heel explosively and jump off your right leg, using your left arm to drive straight up. Land softly, bringing your left leg forward so you can lower into a lunge on that leg. Alternate plyometric jumps between legs. Perform the move as many times as you can for one minute.
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
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