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The Best Machines for Glutes & Butt Sculpting in 2022
Workouts have gradually become a huge part of our daily activities offering overall fitness and most importantly a well-sculpted body for aesthetic purposes. With over 600 muscles in the body, the glutes which form a huge part of our posterior chain help with a range of movement across the hip joint and so keeping them in the right tone and strength should be a top priority.
Asides from having good butt aesthetics, glutes give strength and stability to the pelvis forming the core of the lower limb base together with the thigh muscles.
Undertraining the glutes causes reduced power of the hips, thighs, and commonly lead to to lower back pain as a result of weak glutes. Various exercise exists to help train the glutes with a variety of machines available to maximize movement and effectiveness of these exercises.
These machines are an incredible way to keep the glutes in shape with the right tone and strength.
What Are The Best Glute Machines?
1. Glute and ham developer
Its major exercise is the glute and ham raise (GHR), a very challenging exercise that works on the gluteal and hamstring muscles as the name implies. It also tones the calf muscles during this exercise. It is an integral part of most leg days, one of the best excercises for stabilizing the glutes.
Benefits of using the glute and ham developer include: increase in both size and strength of the glutes without the use of weight lifts, reduces back pain caused by leg workouts with squats or deadlifts, and also reducing the tension being exerted on the back.
Through all of these functions, it enables the knee, leg, back, and hips to function smoothly increasing both strength and flexibility.
2. Hip thrust machine
Perform exercises like hip thrusts which is a bent leg hip extension that targets the glutes specifically. In addition to the glutes, it works on the hamstrings, quads, hip adductors.
The importance of hip thrusts in helping to build both the strength and size of the buttocks is magical and this machine makes the exercise simple, safe and easy. This is a great piece of equipment for a home gym with limited space.
It comes along with adjustable resistance bands which help with positioning during the exercise. The device is lightweight and can be folded up into a smaller size for an easier setup.
3. Leg press and hack squat machine
A dual-purpose machine for two main workouts; hack squats and leg press. Works on the entire lower body, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves increasing strength and tone. This is a beginner-friendly machine for exercises like the special hack squat, leg press, reverse hack squat, narrow hack squat.
This machine enables one to load any desired amount of weight and provides injury protection during workouts. It also isolates the lower body during the workouts and prevents significant stress to the upper body
4. Ankle strap
This ankle strap serves as an attachment used on devices like cable machines. When used on cable machines it can be used to perform exercises like kickbacks, glute workouts, leg extensions, curls, hip abductors. It serves the main function of allowing movement in different places during the exercises enhancing balance and agility.
I would pair this with a cable machine that you buy or just bring the ankle strap with you to the gym and use it with their cable machines.
To use the ankle strap: Open up the ankle strap, place the soft side across the ankle, take the side without the ring and pass it through the ring on the other side and place the rough side on the smooth side. Finally, attach the ring to the cable machine.
5. Cable machine
It is also referred to as a pulley machine. It possesses many adjustable cable pulleys offering resistance in different ranges of motion that enables one to perform numerous exercises. The activities include standing shoulder press, cable chest fly, cable abs exercises, wood chop, glute kickback, romanian deadlift and more.
The glute kickback and Romanian deadlift help to strengthen and tone the gluteal muscles. So, the cable machine serves as one of the best options of machines to keep the buttocks in shape.
6. StairMaster SM3 StepMill
A step mill machine can be likened to a moving escalator or in clear terms can also be described as an electric moving staircase. One of the best fat burners and cardio devices.
The main exercise carried out by the step mill is the stair climber workouts. This works majorly on the lower body giving it better tone and strength. For climbing the glutes are majorly involved, during these exercises the muscles also get strengthened and toned
In addition to this, it also counts as one of the cardio exercises improving blood supply to the heart thus enhancing cardiovascular function.
One caution about the step mill is its use in individuals with preexisting knee joint problems as it may aggravate the condition but is safe for those without such health issues.
7. Smith machine
The main target muscles here are the hamstrings and quadriceps because most frequent exercises train the muscles like the smith machine squat. This particular smith squat in contrast to the normal squat helps you position your legs more forward to achieve a better effect on the hamstrings.
Another target of the smith machine is the gluteal muscles. Exercises like the smith machine squat as described above and the Romanian deadlifts help to one the glutes.
The Romanian deadlifts involve steps like positioning your feet at hip length, holding the bar, and slightly bending your knees while keeping your back straight.
8. Bowflex Elliptical Trainer
This is a high-tech elliptical machine used to carry out aerobic exercises. Though it is expensive, it offers intense interval training programs that maximize calorie burning and aerobic fitness giving it an advantage over strenuous cardio exercises.
It also has preloaded workout programs that remove the need for any specific program planning by a fitness trainer
9. Glute coaster
Its unique function involves isolating the glute muscles giving a more toned, perfect rounded sculpted posterior. It performs two functions at the same time, the combined back and down motion on its curved rail. Isolating glute muscles can also help to increase the power one needs to exert to carry out more strenuous workouts.
10. Multi hip machine
This machine is designed in such a way that it can perform multiple activities at the hip joint, like hip extension, flexion, abduction, adduction. In carrying out all these activities it tones and gives more shape to the muscles involved in all of the multi-movement, in particular, the glute muscles
11. Exercise stationary bike
It is used for indoor cycling offering one of the best choices for weight loss as it burns calories to a very large extent. Along with weight loss, it also helps to boost cardio fitness.
For the gluteal muscles in particular, while one cycles it helps to strengthen and tone the buttocks along with other muscle groups too like the hamstrings, calf and so many others.
One unique protection the stationary bike offers is protection for the joints and as such can be used for individuals with joint problems like arthritis.
12. Thigh machine
Just as the name implies, it works on the thigh muscles and helps to strengthen the inner muscles of the thigh that perform abduction and adduction.
They target the glutes and hip flexors while being used to perform exercises that tone these muscles giving them a good shape.
13. Hack Squat Machine
Squats are common components of most workouts and this machine helps with proper hack squat movement across the joint and also has support for the weight. It also provides safety and an extra range of movement.
The hack squat exercises performed with the aid of this machine strengthen and tone the hamstrings and glutes.
When it comes to the hack squat machine different varieties exist and choosing the right type would depend on the size of space in the home or gym, fitness goals, and cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the glute muscles do?
The gluteus muscles make up the gluteal region commonly referred to as the buttocks. They consist of three sets of muscles; gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus all of which perform a major function of carrying out movement at the hip joint
Gluteus maximus
Just as the name implies is the largest of the trio muscles and also forms the main bulk and shape of the buttocks. The gluteus maximus carries out hip extension which is a major part of our everyday movement. It is also responsible for functions that usually require force like running or climbing. Along with other muscles of the body like the piriformis, obturator internus, and some others, it helps in rotating the thigh away from the midline
Gluteus medius
The middle muscle of the glutes lies in between the gluteus maximus and minimus. Its specific function involves maintaining the pelvis during movement and also for bringing the lower limbs close to the midline along with the actions of other muscles too.
Gluteus minimus
This is the smallest and deepest muscle of the group. It serves a similar function with the gluteus medius working in conjunction with it.
So, in the general, all of these muscle groups help with movement which is a very essential part of our day-to-day activities.
What are the best glute exercises?
Exercising one’s glute is an important step to ensuring all-round fitness to carry out activities like walking, running, jumping, climbing stairs effectively. To keep these muscles fit, finding out about the right exercises is crucial and also performing them in the right way to get the desired results. Some of the best glute exercises include
Leg extended hip thrust
This is a powerful glute isolation exercise
- The first step is you lie on your back with your knees at a 90-degree position
- Place your arms by your sides and your palms facing down on your mat
- Straighten one leg while squeezing your glutes and pushing upwards to the ceiling
- Switch legs and repeat
Single leg step-ups
- The right positioning is very crucial here, standing upright with the back straight.
- Place your hands on your waist
- Place one of your legs on the bench adjacent, in a 90-degree position while keeping the other straight
- Put your body weight through the left leg while pushing the right foot at the same time
- Maintain that same position in the air for a second
- Return to normal position and repeat with a different leg
Fire hydrant
- Place both your knees and hands on the gym mat, with the hand’s shoulder-width apart
- A resistance band can be used to keep the knees in position
- With your back kept straight and your eyes directly on the floor, you can now begin
- Lift one leg away from the body at a 45-degree angle while still maintaining the other leg at a 90-degree angle
- Return the leg slowly back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg
Side squats
- Position yourself in a semi-squatted position by bending the knees and also with a resistance band just below the knees
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart
- Keep your back straight and your abs tight
- Step wide to one side while still in the squat position, and return to the starting position
- Side squat wide in the other direction and then back to the center
Glute bridges
- Lie with your back flat on the mat
- Place your hands on your waist or hold a dumbbell for added intensity
- Position your legs at 45 degrees while resting your heels on the mat
- Lift yourself upwards driving your body weight through your heels
- Remain in the same position for a few seconds and return back
How often should I train my glutes and legs?
For the glutes, in particular, two to three days a week. This is of high importance to give time for recovery for the rest of free days. It is also essential that on exercise days, the particular glute-specific activities are performed properly to ensure the desired result. Another key factor is being consistent with these exercises as they help to also give better results. For the legs, 3 times a week, similar to the glute it is also essential to give the muscles time to rest, repair, and rebuild. For training both the glute and legs, there are specific exercises for both and those that train both muscles simultaneously.
How do I activate my glute muscles more?
Muscle activation simply means strengthening weak muscles to make movement easier. Most people have what could be described as lazy butts which may later in life have health issues like low back pain and so activation exercises are very important for us all. For the glute muscles that carry out movement at the hip joint, their optimal strength is needed to facilitate movements like running, walking, and jumping.
Some of the exercises to activate them include donkey kicks, bodyweight squats, glute bridges, standing abductions, clam, crab walk.
