6 Hip-Dominant Exercises for Glute & Hamstring Mass

You could have heard that in order for you an even bigger butt or beefier hamstrings, you should squat—after which squat some extra.

Whereas there’s little doubt that squats are an ideal begin, they aren’t sufficient to construct balanced glute and hamstring mass.

To make higher total progress, you additionally want hip-dominant workout routines, particularly people who help you prepare your glutes, hamstrings, and surrounding hip muscular tissues by massive ranges of movement with heavy weights.

Which hip-dominant workout routines must you prioritize? 

Based mostly on my expertise working with hundreds of individuals, listed here are my prime picks:

1. Deadlift
2. Romanian deadlift
3. Deficit deadlift
4. Hip thrust
5. Single-Leg hip thrust
6. Cable pull-through

On this article, you’ll be taught why these hip-focused workout routines are so efficient, how they rework your physique and enhance efficiency, and the way to match them into your routine to maximise your positive aspects.

Key Takeaways

• A hip-dominant train is any decrease physique power coaching train the place many of the motion happens on the hips, not the knees.
• Individuals typically discuss with hip-dominant workout routines as “glute-dominant workout routines” or “hamstring-dominant workout routines” primarily based on which muscular tissues they emphasize. 
• Hip-dominant workout routines primarily prepare the glutes and hamstrings, but in addition contain different smaller muscular tissues across the hips, just like the hip adductors and abductors.
• The six greatest hip-dominant workout routines for constructing glute and hamstring mass are deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, deficit deadlifts, hip thrusts, single-leg hip thrusts, and cable pull-throughs.
• These workout routines are efficient as a result of they help you carry heavy weights by massive ranges of movement, which maximizes muscle development and power positive aspects.
• Hip-dominant workout routines enhance decrease physique aesthetics, improve athletic efficiency, and should scale back harm threat.

What Are Hip-Dominant Workouts

Hip-dominant workout routines are decrease physique power coaching workout routines the place many of the motion happens on the hips. They distinction with knee-dominant exercises, the place many of the motion happens on the knees. Right here’s a visible to focus on this distinction:

By “hinging” on the hips and conserving knee motion minimal, you primarily prepare the glutes, hamstrings, and different smaller muscular tissues across the hips, just like the hip adductors and hip abductors (the muscular tissues that transfer your thighs collectively and aside).

Glute vs. Hamstring-Dominant Workouts

Individuals typically label hip-dominant workout routines otherwise relying on which muscular tissues are most concerned. As an illustration, folks usually name workout routines that emphasize the glutes “glute-dominant workout routines,” and workout routines that concentrate on the hamstrings “hamstring-dominant workout routines.”

No train isolates the glutes or hamstrings totally, nonetheless. Glute- or hamstring-dominant workout routines might prioritize one muscle, however they nonetheless have interaction the glutes, hamstrings, and surrounding muscular tissues talked about above, so all of them qualify as hip-dominant workout routines. 

The 6 Finest Hip-Dominant Workouts for Glute and Hamstring Mass

1. Deadlift

That stated, the traditional deadlift (proven above) isn’t for everybody, particularly when you’ve got decrease again points. If it feels uncomfortable or awkward, attempt the sumo or trap-bar deadlift as a substitute. These variations prepare your hip muscular tissues similar to the traditional deadlift however may be gentler in your backbone.

READ MORE: How to Deadlift with Proper Technique

2. Romanian Deadlift

One other good thing about the Romanian deadlift is that it trains your hamstrings in a stretched place. Research exhibits that that is vital as a result of coaching a muscle whereas stretched can enhance muscle development. 

READ MORE: How to Do the Romanian Deadlift: Form, Benefits, and Variations

3. Deficit Deadlift

The deficit deadlift will increase the range of motion by elevating your toes on a weight plate or step. This forces your hamstrings and glutes to work even tougher whereas stretched, making it a unbelievable hamstring-dominant train for constructing mass and power. 

Not everybody has the pliability to carry out the deficit deadlift appropriately, nonetheless. Should you can’t decrease the burden with out rounding your again, follow the common deadlift till your flexibility improves.

4. Hip Thrust

Research shows that the hip thrust is a powerhouse for glute improvement, particularly when mixed with different efficient glute workout routines. Considered one of its fundamental advantages is that by positioning the barbell in your lap, it forces your glutes to work onerous all through all the vary of movement—one thing few different workout routines obtain.

One other benefit of the hip thrust is you carry out it together with your again supported on a bench, making it a stable glute-dominant train for these with decrease again points. 

READ MORE: How to Do the Barbell Hip Thrust: Form, Mistakes & Alternatives

5. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

What’s extra, studies suggest unilateral workout routines (people who prepare every leg individually) are superior to bilateral hip-dominant workout routines (people who prepare each legs concurrently) for growing smaller muscular tissues across the hips, just like the gluteus minimus. The instability of coaching one leg at a time forces these muscular tissues to work tougher, which spurs them to develop.

In different phrases, to maximise all-around development, it’s wise to incorporate a mixture of unilateral and bilateral hip-dominant workout routines in your routine. 

RELATED: Unilateral vs. Bilateral Exercises: Which Is Better for Muscle Building and Performance?

6. Cable Pull-By

The cable pull-through is a unbelievable hip-dominant train for coaching the glutes and hamstrings as a result of it provides a distinct stimulus to free weights.

The good thing about doing hip-dominant workout routines that prepare your muscular tissues in several methods—with totally different gear, by totally different ranges of movement, and at totally different angles—is that it helps you build extra balanced dimension and power than much less diversified coaching, 

READ MORE: How to Do Cable Pull-Throughs: Form, Benefits & Alternatives

The way to Add Hip-Dominant Workouts to Your Routine

READ MORE: The Best 3-, 4- & 5-Day Upper Lower Workout Splits for Mass

Listed below are some pointers for constructing an efficient hip-dominant exercise:

• Begin with a deadlift variation: Standard, Romanian, or deficit deadlifts are excellent, however sumo and trap-bar deadlifts are stable options. Do 3 units within the 4-to-6 or 6-to-8 rep vary.
• Do a glute-dominant squat train: Whereas not a hip hinge, glute-dominant squat workout routines add selection that maximizes glute development. Some good choices are the again squat, step-up, or Bulgarian break up squat. Once more, do 3 units within the 4-to-6 or 6-to-8 rep vary.
• Do a hip thrust variation third: The barbell or single-leg variations are most becoming, although a machine hip thrust is viable. You possibly can prepare with barely lighter weights for these workout routines—do 3 units of 6-to-8 or 8-to-10 reps. 
• End with a glute and hamstring isolation train: Cable pull-throughs work greatest, however machine or Nordic leg curls are first rate substitutions. Do 3 units within the 8-to-10 or 10-to-12 rep vary.

FAQ #1: What are the advantages of hip-dominant workout routines?

• Enhanced Decrease Physique Aesthetics: Many weightlifters prioritize the muscular tissues they see within the mirror, however neglect these on the again of their physique. Doing hip-dominant workout routines addresses this imbalance so that you don’t have weak factors in your physique.  
• Improved Athletic Efficiency: The glutes and hamstrings are highly concerned in all types of athletic actions, equivalent to running, jumping, and landing. Strengthening them helps you carry out these actions with extra velocity, agility, and energy. 
• Lowered Damage Threat: Hamstring strains are the most common decrease physique harm in athletes. However utilizing hip-dominant workout routines to strengthen your hamstrings—particularly whereas stretched—can significantly reduce your threat of harm.

FAQ #2: Are squats knee or hip-dominant?

Squats aren’t strictly knee- or hip-dominant—they have interaction each knee and hip muscular tissues on the identical time. If you squat, the glutes (and to some extent, the hamstrings) work to increase the hips, whereas the quads prolong the knees.

Variations just like the again squat probably emphasize the hip muscular tissues barely extra due to the place the bar sits in your again, whereas entrance squats are in all probability marginally extra knee-dominant as a result of your knees bend extra and also you preserve a extra upright torso. Nonetheless, each variations prepare the identical muscle teams in comparable methods.

FAQ #3: Are step-ups knee or hip-dominant?

Whereas step-ups are much like squats in that they prepare each the knee and hip muscular tissues concurrently, folks typically think about them knee-dominant. It’s because the quads bear the brunt of the load, notably while you hold an upright torso.

That stated, the glutes are additionally closely concerned, so that they’re efficient for gaining glute mass and power, even when they aren’t an out-and-out hip-dominant train.