The Best Exercises for Underactive Glutes

The Best Exercises for Underactive Glutes

The best exercises for underactive glutes involve a two-phase approach. First, use low-load activation drills to re-establish the mind-muscle connection. Second, integrate compound strength movements with a focus on progressive overload. This method works by teaching the glutes to fire correctly before asking them to handle heavy loads.

This approach is for anyone who feels their lower back or hamstrings taking over during squats and deadlifts. It addresses the root cause of the problem which is poor neural drive, not just a lack of muscle. If you jump straight to heavy lifting without fixing the activation pattern, you will only reinforce the compensation.

Here's why this works.

Why Your Glutes Aren't Firing Correctly

Underactive glutes, a condition often called 'gluteal amnesia,' happen when your body essentially forgets how to use these powerful muscles effectively. This isn't a sign of being broken; it's a learned adaptation, often caused by a sedentary lifestyle where prolonged sitting keeps the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state. Your body, being incredibly efficient, finds other ways to move, typically by overusing the hamstrings and lower back erectors.

One key physiological reason is a phenomenon called 'reciprocal inhibition.' When a muscle on one side of a joint is tight, it sends a signal to the nervous system to relax the muscle on the opposite side. For most of us who sit for hours, our hip flexors become chronically tight. This tightness signals the brain to 'turn down the volume' on the opposing muscles-the glutes.

This compensation isn't harmless. When the glutes don't do their job of extending the hip and stabilizing the pelvis, other muscles must pick up the slack. The hamstrings and lumbar erectors (lower back muscles) become overworked, leading to chronic tightness, strains, and that all-too-common lower back ache after leg day. It can even affect your knees, as weak glutes fail to control femoral rotation, causing the knee to collapse inward (knee valgus) during squats or running, a major risk factor for ACL injuries.

The most common mistake is trying to solve this with heavy squats or deadlifts. The problem isn't a lack of strength, it's a lack of connection. Adding weight to a squat won't fix it; it just makes you better at squatting incorrectly. The goal is not to lift heavier immediately, but to lift correctly so the right muscles do the work. By focusing on activation first, you are retraining your nervous system. You are teaching your brain to send the right signals to your glutes. Once this connection is strong, the glutes can contribute properly to bigger movements, allowing for real strength gains and reducing injury risk.

Here's exactly how to do it.

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The 3-Step Glute Activation and Strength Plan

This plan is designed to first wake up your glutes and then systematically strengthen them. Follow these steps consistently, especially before any lower body training session.

Step 1. Test Your Glute Activation

Before you start, see where you stand. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingers on your glutes and hamstrings. Lift one leg off the floor and raise your hips into a single-leg bridge. Pay attention to which muscle contracts first and hardest. If you feel your hamstring or lower back tense up before your glute, your activation pattern needs work.

Step 2. Perform Activation Drills Before Workouts

These are not meant to be exhausting. The goal is to feel a strong, isolated contraction. Perform these before every lower body workout. Start with 2 sets of 15 reps for each exercise. Focus on squeezing the glute at the top of the movement and hold the contraction for 2-3 seconds.

Good starting exercises include:

• Glute Bridges: Lie on your back, drive through your heels, and lift your hips. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top.
• Bird-Dogs: On all fours, extend one arm and the opposite leg, keeping your core tight and hips level. Focus on squeezing the glute of the extended leg.

Step 3. Add Strength Exercises and Track Volume

Once you can feel your glutes working during activation drills, add compound exercises. The Barbell Hip Thrust is an excellent choice because it targets the glutes with minimal stress on the lower back. Start with a weight you can control. A good starting point is 3 sets of 10 reps.

The key to growth is progressive overload. This means you must increase the total work done over time. You can track this by calculating your total volume, which is sets × reps × weight. For example, 3 sets × 10 reps × 40 kg = 1,200 kg of volume. Next week, aim to beat that number by adding 2.5 kg or doing one more rep.

You can track this manually in a notebook. The friction point is doing the math each week. An app like Mofilo calculates your total volume automatically, so you can see if you're actually progressing without guesswork.

The 4-Week Glute Reactivation Plan

This isn't just a list of exercises; it's a progressive, four-week protocol designed to systematically re-engage your glutes. The goal is to move from basic activation to integrated strength. Perform the prescribed routine 2-3 times per week, ideally as a warm-up before your main lower body workouts.

Week 1: Neuromuscular Re-education

Focus: The only goal this week is to establish a strong mind-muscle connection. Forget about weight, fatigue, or 'the burn.' Concentrate entirely on feeling the target glute muscle contract.

• Glute Bridge: 2 sets of 20 reps. Hold the peak contraction for 3 seconds on every single rep.
• Clamshell: 2 sets of 20 reps per side. Focus on initiating the movement from your side glute, not by rocking your hips back.
• Bird-Dog: 2 sets of 15 reps per side. Keep your hips perfectly level and squeeze the glute of the extended leg as hard as you can.

Week 2: Building Activation Endurance

Focus: Now that you can feel the muscle working, we will challenge its ability to stay active for longer. We'll increase time under tension and introduce new movement patterns.

• Glute Bridge with 5-Second Hold: 3 sets of 15 reps. The extended hold at the top is crucial for building endurance.
• Side-Lying Hip Abduction (Leg Lifts): 2 sets of 20 reps per side. Keep your leg in line with your torso and lift with the side glute.
• Frog Pumps: 2 sets of 25 reps. Bring the soles of your feet together and drive your hips up. This position minimizes hamstring involvement.

Week 3: Introducing Light Resistance

Focus: It's time to teach the newly awakened glutes to work against an external load. This is where the initial strength adaptation begins. Use a light resistance band (the kind that goes around your thighs).

• Banded Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 15 reps. The band adds tension and forces your glutes to work harder to keep your knees apart.
• Banded Clamshell: 3 sets of 15 reps per side. The band provides direct resistance to the glute medius.
• Bodyweight Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps. Use a bench. This increases the range of motion compared to a bridge, demanding more from the glutes.

Week 4: Integration into Strength Movements

Focus: The final step is to apply your improved activation to foundational strength exercises. The goal is to maintain that strong glute contraction during a full-range, compound movement.

• Banded Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 20 reps. Use this as the final activation primer.
• Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 10 reps. Use a light dumbbell or kettlebell. Focus intently on driving up from the bottom of the squat by squeezing your glutes.
• Barbell Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Start with just the barbell (20 kg) or a very light weight. The priority is perfect form and feeling the glutes do 100% of the work to lift the weight. Your lower back should feel no strain.

What to Expect in the First 4-6 Weeks

Setting realistic expectations is crucial. You will not see massive changes overnight. The process of reactivating dormant muscles is a neurological one before it's a muscular one.

In the first 2-4 weeks, the primary result will be an improved mind-muscle connection. This is a phenomenon known as neuromuscular adaptation. You are literally forging stronger, more efficient pathways between your brain and your glute muscles. You will start to feel your glutes working during exercises where you previously felt nothing. This is the most important sign of progress, more so than any weight added to the bar.

Noticeable strength increases and visual changes (hypertrophy) typically take longer, often around 6-8 weeks of consistent training. Good progress means you are able to add a small amount of weight (e.g., 2.5 kg) or a few reps to your main lifts each week while maintaining that solid glute connection. If you feel less strain in your lower back during daily activities or other lifts, that is another clear sign the plan is working.

If you hit a plateau for more than two weeks, don't just try to push through with more weight. Revisit your activation drills from Week 1 and 2. Often, a weak connection is still the limiting factor. Ensure your form is perfect before you continue adding weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my glutes are underactive?

Common signs are lower back pain after squats, feeling your hamstrings more than your glutes during hip thrusts, or having a noticeable forward pelvic tilt. The single-leg bridge test is a simple way to check the activation pattern.

How often should I do glute activation exercises?

Perform them as a warm-up before every lower body workout, which is typically 2-3 times per week. You can also do them on rest days with just your bodyweight to help reinforce the neural connection.

Can I fix underactive glutes just by squatting more?

No. If your glutes are not firing correctly, squatting more will likely reinforce the poor movement pattern and increase strain on your lower back and hamstrings. You must fix the activation pattern first.

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