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A workout that focuses on your glutes does far more than benefit your bum (although we’ll gladly take the peachy side effects).
Your glutes actually consist of three muscles – the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus – and strengthening them supports proper pelvic alignment, which improves your balance and posture during other exercise, from running to weight lifting.
Vanessa Michielon, founder of the Transformative Movement Method, says a barre workout that takes inspiration from ballet, pilates and strength training is a great way to activate the glutes safely and effectively.
“One of the signature features of barre is the famous muscular ‘burn’ or shake caused by the frequent isometric holds. These are performed by maintaining the same position for quite a long period of time, often adding small concentrated pulsing motions that literally move you up one inch and down one inch,” she explains.
“This type of contraction, one where the length of the muscles involved almost doesn’t change, is not only effective at building endurance because your muscles hit overload, but also mental resilience and concentration, so that at the end of the practice you feel empowered and more confident.”
Below, Michielon has provided HuffPost UK with a fast workout that focuses on the glutes. Hold each position for 60 seconds for a quick, five-minute workout.
1. Wide second
This is the Barre version of ballet’s grand plié a la seconde. Step your feet wide and turn your thighbones outwards, allowing your toes to point in the same direction of your knees. Bend your knees until you can comfortably maintain your tailbone pointing downwards and your spine in neutral. Gently wrap your knees backwards and maintain static hold, or repeat the tiny wraps to create even more space in your groin area and strength in your glutes.
2. Standing pretzel isometric
One of the most iconic (and complex) barre positions. Profile to the barre (or chair), place one forearm on top of it and step slightly away aligning your shoulder with your elbow (imagine you are doing a side plank at the barre). Bend your knees and turn both feet 45 degrees towards the barre.
Lengthen the external leg sideways away from the barre and lift it maintaining your spine neutral and your hips one on top of the other. Then bend the lifted leg and press it behind you (ideally you can feel some stretch in the front of your hips) without arching your back.
Finally lift your foot a little higher than the knee, creating an internal rotation. You can keep this shape and add tiny pulses of your knee upwards.
3. Standing pretzel full range
From the previous set up, straighten your leg, then lift it and lower it with a light tap of the toes on the floor. When your leg is low you can lengthen your arm towards the barre; when your leg is lifted, you can enhance the abdominal connection with a gentle squeeze of your obliques, moving your arm and chest towards the leg.
4. Forearm foldover
Facing the barre, place your arms in cossack position (forearm over forearm), bend your knees and step away from the barre until your spine is inclined but still in neutral. Plug your shoulder blades downwards, draw your abdominals in and up, and lift one of your legs behind you without losing the neutral placement of your pelvis.
Flex your lifted foot and squeeze it towards your sit bones, like in a hamstring curl. You can then add small repetitive squeezes (imagine you have a sponge behind your knee) or presses of your foot up towards the ceiling, always maintaining complete stillness in the rest of your body.
5. Low arabesque
This is the barre version of ballet’s arabesque. Lightly rest both hands on your barre and slightly step away from it. Start with your feet in a small V position, with your heels together and toes slightly apart, then lengthen one leg behind you maintaining the external rotation, as you gently shift your torso forward.
Your toes are pointed, your low abdominals engaged. Lengthen your leg even more and lift it, without overly arching your back, then lower it down to lightly tap the floor. Imagine you are connecting your lifted heel with the opposite shoulder, so you can more easily maintain your leg directly behind your hip.
Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.