Squats - not feeling them in my glutes??

[Drivenheights]

I'm not feeling body weights in my glutes at all. I had a small injury so I'm off the weighted squats for a bit.

I'm doing ass-to-grass squats, sitting back on my heels and squeezing my butt on the way up, and never feel it in my glutes, not during or after, only in my quads!

What am I doing wrong??

Looking for squats for toning butt for now.

Thanks!

[viccles007]

I don't mean to hijack your thread but I have the same issue. I've tried squeezing my butt in them but still no go

[TorreTornado]

I started doing things to activate my glutes prior and after a few times a week and that has seemed to help. donkey kicks, clams, bridges

[Artemis00]

I find that if I do a wider stance with my squats, that I will feel it more in my glutes.

Plie squats really seem to hit them hard for me.

[missharber]

If you're looking for maximal glute activation you're not going to find it with squats, contrary to popular opinion. Most women are hyped up on the "squat for ass" message and miss out on a crapload of glute development because of it.

When you squat, your body is forced to maintain anterior pelvic tilt (low back arch so you don't screw up your lumbar) and the glutes cant fire maximally in apt. That's all there is to it.

You should start prioritizing barbell hip thrusting, loaded donkey kicks and posterior pelvic tilt back extensions for the glutes. Barbell hip thrusting is probably the best glute lift because you go up into posterior pelvic tilt (which mimics hip extension) and your glutes fire a lot harder than any other lift. Couple this with a few other lifts (like the ones I mentioned above) and whoala. I squatted forever with no results and finally began researching because I wanted to learn WHY squats weren't working. Well I used what I learned and took my hip measurement from 34.5 to a 38 in the course of a year and a half.

Google "Bret Contreras About Me" just like that and you will come to his main article page. Scroll down to his glute articles and you can read more in-depth about the hip thrust. (He is actually well versed in many sports science topics, so. I can get immersed in that page for hours).

Best of luck and happy hip thrusting.

[oregonchick76]

Traditional squats hit quads far more than glutes, even deep ones. You want to hit the backside with a squat, do zerchers, goblets, and sumo stance squats.

[ChaiLatte317]

This x 5,567,921

Squats are a key component to any lifting routine, but are overrated for glute strength and growth. Do them for the overall fitness factor they provide and focus on solid form, but try other moves - particularly hip thrusts and weighted bridges - for glute activation. You might also check out B Contreras' Instagram since he posts his clients performing these moves.

If you're looking for maximal glute activation you're not going to find it with squats, contrary to popular opinion. Most women are hyped up on the "squat for ass" message and miss out on a crapload of glute development because of it.

When you squat, your body is forced to maintain anterior pelvic tilt (low back arch so you don't screw up your lumbar) and the glutes cant fire maximally in apt. That's all there is to it.

You should start prioritizing barbell hip thrusting, loaded donkey kicks and posterior pelvic tilt back extensions for the glutes. Barbell hip thrusting is probably the best glute lift because you go up into posterior pelvic tilt (which mimics hip extension) and your glutes fire a lot harder than any other lift. Couple this with a few other lifts (like the ones I mentioned above) and whoala. I squatted forever with no results and finally began researching because I wanted to learn WHY squats weren't working. Well I used what I learned and took my hip measurement from 34.5 to a 38 in the course of a year and a half.

Google "Bret Contreras About Me" just like that and you will come to his main article page. Scroll down to his glute articles and you can read more in-depth about the hip thrust. (He is actually well versed in many sports science topics, so. I can get immersed in that page for hours).

Best of luck and happy hip thrusting.

[viccles007]

Forward lunges any good for glutes?

[missharber]

Forward lunges any good for glutes?

I actually asked Bret Contreras about this a few weeks back. This was his response.

Note that damage (being sore) isn't the best indicator of hypertrophy. Metabolic stress and mechanical tension seem to be ranked higher on the list.

"Depends on the lifter. For some, lunges and BSS work the lower gluteus maximus very well. Others, not so much. And they are stretched at the bottom which may be good for creating damage...damage is probably not as important as tension or metabolic stress but it may depend on the person. So yes, I love lunges and BSS. A good program contains variety. Also, it depends how you do the movement. You can do anything using glutes well or not."

[rdferguson]

Forward lunges any good for glutes?

In my experience, of all the "glute" exercises (that aren't actually glute-specific exercises and shouldn't be treated as such), lunges are the least effective. The main glute involvement required of lunges is glute medius/minimus for pelvic stability. As far as glute maximus involvement goes, I personally have to strain every muscle in my body to even get my glute max half giving a crap that I'm exercising. The mechanical nature of the exercise emphasises a stretch of rectus femoris (the front-most quadricep muscle, which is a multi-joint muscle, meaning it doesn't get much of a stretch during squats). You can get some intense glute contraction at the top because of the hip position (the hip of the back leg hyperextends at the top), but the exercise doesn't mandate that by any means -- so long as your quads are extending your knees and you're remaining balanced and upright, that hip hyperxtension will happen whether you use your glutes for it or not. I've found glutes are a whole lot more necessary in squats, which, as has already been discussed, don't need glutes nearly as much as people think, either.

[viccles007]

Tried doing some donkey kicks and I'm still feeling nothing

[oregonchick76]

Tried doing some donkey kicks and I'm still feeling nothing

Good mornings, romanian deadlifts, goblet squats...per Kim. And I've tried them - they work.

[Bieke]

When doing donkey kicks, practice kicking through the heel and pushing/keeping the hips square.

I used to never feel anything in my butt (and had a self proclaimed "pancake butt") so it's taken me a lot of trial and error and time and practice to switch my lazy glutes on...it's a process.

I'd suggest bodyweight bridges with a longer "butt squeeze" at the top to start switching them on! Watch how your hips and spine are too...imagine tucking your tailbone in slightly, "neutralising" that spine...you're going to feel those bad boys switch on!

[Justin93]

Squat deeper. If you're not feeling it from doing that, then you're not pushing yourself nearly enough.

[SMB2003]

I recently had a trainer at my gym come up to me regarding my squatting form. When I squat I let my knees travel too far forward.....he noticed it because he used to do the same thing. He had me switch to a wider stance with toes slightly pointed out. Then he had me squat and held his hand at a point that my knees should not travel past and by doing this I felt it WAY more in the glutes. I was to the point of practically falling backwards. Is it possible you aren't sitting back far enough? I kinda knew I tend to let my knees go too far forward and was trying not to that on this particular day, but I still was not sitting back far enough.

I decided to drop the weight and work on better form so I can really target the glutes.

[shesprints]

Glute-ham raise also hits glutes... and for those of us who have reasons for avoiding bb hip thrust (like recent hip fractures...) can be a good choice.

+1 on activation. Pause squats to a box also help me with firing, as do band adductions/abductions (yes, like the "yes/no" machines that look stupid--but seated, with a band and constant stress on the glutes? wakes them up pretty well for me).

Donkey kicks, I note, are difficult for many because they lack core stability and the movement turns into just aimless kicking rather than producing glute tension. Would suggest (to viccles and others with this issue) doing rear leg raises with your whole torso on a table for stability first. Can progress to doing these weighted/banded. Keep legs relatively straight and abs TIGHT, and raise the full weight of your legs with your glutes.

[viccles007]

Donkey kicks, I note, are difficult for many because they lack core stability and the movement turns into just aimless kicking rather than producing glute tension. Would suggest (to viccles and others with this issue) doing rear leg raises with your whole torso on a table for stability first. Can progress to doing these weighted/banded. Keep legs relatively straight and abs TIGHT, and raise the full weight of your legs with your glutes.

Gotcha. Now I know why Donkey kicks aren't working for me. Will give leg raises a try too. Thanks shesprints

[viccles007]

Did the leg raises and FINALLY felt something in my butt. Thanks shesprints!

[Posthardcore]

For the glutes I usually suggest SLDL, Lunges, Sumo DL, Broad Jumps and Sprints, Good Mornings, Back Hyper-Extensions

If you really wanna hit more your posterior chain with squats, I would go low-bar squat, the power lifting technique. Basically you wanna shift your focus from knee extension to hip extension!