As the new year begins, many set new fitness goals to improve strength and overall health. Focusing on specific areas, like strengthening your legs and glutes, can not only enhance your physique but also improve mobility and posture.
Incorporating these targeted exercises into your fitness routine can help you build stronger, more toned legs and glutes when done consistently and properly.
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Fitness expert Andrea (@deliciouslyfitnhealthy) has over 1M followers on Instagram and recently shared the six best workouts she recommends for “strong legs and glutes.” Some of the best exercises she suggests are narrow to wide squats, goblet squats, and more. Read on to discover all six.
1. Narrow to wide squats
By keeping your feet in a narrow stance, you shift the emphasis toward the glutes and hamstrings, helping to activate and strengthen these muscles. The heel raise portion further isolates the glute, providing an additional challenge to the posterior chain.
2. Reverse Lunge Leg Extension
The reverse lunge portion of the exercise works the glutes by requiring them to stabilize and power the movement as you step back. The leg extension raise at the top of the movement further isolates and activates the glutes, helping to strengthen and shape them.
3. Narrow Squat Heel Raises
The narrow stance in the squat shifts the focus more toward the glutes and hamstrings, requiring them to engage more actively to stabilize and power the movement. The added heel raise further isolates the glutes, helping to activate and strengthen them more effectively.
4. Banded Lateral Leg Raise
The primary muscle worked during the banded lateral leg raises is the gluteus medius, the muscle on the side of your hips. This muscle is crucial for stabilizing the pelvis and controlling the movement of your lower body.
5. Wide Squat Glides
The wide squat stance in this exercise targets the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the glute. As you glide from side to side in a squat position, your glutes work to stabilize and power the movement.
6. Goblet Squats
Goblet squats target the gluteus maximus. As you squat down, your glutes are activated to control the movement and propel your body back up. The deep portion helps engage and strengthen the gluten.
