Home › Glutes › Gluteus Maximus
Gluteus Maximus臀大肌
Function
The most powerful muscle in the body: the absolute prime mover of hip extension — the thruster that stands you up from the bottom of squats and deadlifts and propels sprinting and jumping. The engine most likely to 'fall asleep' in people who sit all day.
Best Exercises & Form Cues
-
Barbell Hip Thrust
- Equipment
- Barbell + bench
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 8-12 reps · rest 2 min
- How to do it
- Upper back on the bench edge, bar padded on the hips; at the top tuck the chin slightly, pull the ribs down, fully squeeze the glutes and hold one second.
- Common mistakes
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top, partial range, feet too far forward (hamstrings take over)
-
Barbell Back Squat
- Equipment
- Barbell + squat rack
- Sets & Reps
- 3-5 sets × 5-8 reps · rest 2-3 min
- How to do it
- Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out; sit down between your heels, knees tracking over toes, to thigh-parallel or below, braced throughout.
- Common mistakes
- Knees caving in, heels lifting, lower back collapsing into a forward lean on the way up
-
Deadlift
- Equipment
- Barbell + deadlift/flat shoes
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 5-8 reps · rest 2-3 min
- How to do it
- Bar stays against the legs, hips sit back, spine neutral. Drive the floor away as the hips extend, bar travelling up the legs to full hip lockout with shoulders pulled back.
- Common mistakes
- Rounding the back off the floor (lumbar risk), hyperextending at the top, bar drifting away from the legs
-
Romanian Deadlift
- Equipment
- Barbell/dumbbells
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 8-12 reps · rest 2 min
- How to do it
- Knees slightly bent and fixed, hips push back, bar slides down the thighs until the hamstrings stretch hard (about mid-shin), then stand by contracting the hamstrings.
- Common mistakes
- Turning it into a squat (knees travelling forward), rounded back, bar drifting from the body
-
Bulgarian Split Squat
- Equipment
- Dumbbells + bench
- Sets & Reps
- 3 sets × 8-12 reps per side · rest 90 s
- How to do it
- Rear foot on the bench, front foot a long stride ahead; drop vertically (rear knee toward the floor), drive up through the whole front foot; slight forward lean biases the glutes.
- Common mistakes
- Front foot too close (knee hyperextends), wobbling, weight leaking onto the rear leg
-
Weighted Step-Up
- Equipment
- Dumbbells + sturdy box/platform
- Sets & Reps
- 3 sets × 8-12 reps per side · rest 90 s
- How to do it
- Whole foot planted on the box; the top leg alone drives to a full stand (no pushing off the trailing leg); lower slowly under control; box height about knee level.
- Common mistakes
- Pushing off the back leg, excessive forward lean on the way up, free-falling back down
-
Cable Glute Kickback
- Equipment
- Cable station + ankle strap (low pulley)
- Sets & Reps
- 3 sets × 12-15 reps per side · rest 60 s
- How to do it
- Ankle strap on, pulley low; brace on the machine with a slight forward lean; the gluteus maximus kicks the leg back and up to full hip extension; squeeze at the top; slow return.
- Common mistakes
- Over-arching the lower back, swinging the leg, tiny range
Stretching & Recovery
- Pigeon pose
- Supine figure-4
- Seated knee hug