I’m a personal trainer — everyone loves these glute exercises but they won’t do s–t for you
She likes big butts and she won’t lie.
A personal trainer has revealed the exercises that, while popular, won’t help you with glute gains.
Katie Neeson, an online fitness coach who focuses on training women, posted a video on Instagram showing herself repeatedly sitting up on her knees and then walking on a stair climber, kicking her legs back with each step.
“Stop doing s–t like this to grow your glutes. It’s not doing s–t,” Neeson insisted in the video.
“Before you argue with me in the comment section, ask yourself if you really think thrusting air with zero tension or kicking air on the StairMaster every few steps works more than lifting weights. It makes no sense,” the trainer captioned the video.
Instead of those moves, Neeson advised her followers to focus on some form of hip thrust — “meaning thrusting those cheeks together.”
“You need to be doing thrusts, and you need to add some freaking weight on this bar and focus on getting stronger over time,” the trainer said in the clip.
Neeson also recommended deadlifts — hinging your hips backward and bending your knees to lower your body with a flat back to pick up a barbell or kettlebell.
“It does target your glutes a lot more,” she said of the popular strength-training move.
She also suggested squats while holding a barbell behind your head.
“You want to include some form of squat,” she said.
The move may seem simple but it actually fires several muscles in your upper and lower body, helping to strengthen your glutes and core and improve your balance and posture.
In a high-bar squat, the bar rests just over your shoulders. In a low-bar squat, hold the bar closer to your shoulder blades.
Neeson also advised fitness fanatics to include single-leg movements — moves that focus on one leg at a time — like lunges, single-leg squats and single-leg deadlifts.
For years, studies have shown the physical and mental benefits of weight training — from building muscle to fighting off depression — but many people are still too intimidated by heavy weights and intense machines to give them a whirl.
Adam Becker, the founder of Glute House, agreed that the moves Neeson warned against will not help grow your glutes.
“Neeson is absolutely right,” he told The Post. “Doing variations of hip thrusts, squats, lunges, deadlifts, abductions and kickbacks will be your best bet to grow your glutes.”
However, he added that just doing the proper moves won’t be enough to see the results you want.
“Movement selection is not the primary reason you’re not seeing the results you want,” the posterior professional said.
Adam Becker shared three tips to nail your training:
- Check your ego and perfect your technique and form. Use light weights and learn how to make the mind-muscle connection before you start building in weight aggressively. “Going through the motions” isn’t going to cut it for aesthetic results.
- Educate yourself on what progressive overload is, learn how to push yourself appropriately and how to make proper jumps in weight. After every set you do (assuming you are using the perfect form) – ask yourself: “Was that easy, medium or hard?” – If you say “easy”, go up in weight 10-20 pounds. If you say “medium”, go up 5-10 pounds. If you say “hard”, stay at that weight until your answer is “medium”.
- Find a real lower-body-focused strength-training program from a reputable source with the background, experience, knowledge and results to prove it. Then stick to it.
