Glute Training For Size
When you start glute training, you will see big gains right out the gate with just some basic programming such as Squats, Deadlifts, Hip Thrust, and Lunge variations.
A large part of these gains come from simple progressive overload training and enhancing the mind muscle connection with your glutes.
However, after a few months of following this type of programming you will begin to hit some plateaus and it will be harder to see the results that you were seeing a few months back.
At this point in your training plan, following a simple program that doesn’t change much might not be as fruitful.
This is where advanced methods such as, burnouts, drop sets and rest-pause sets can help you break through that plateau.
Advanced Training Methods For Glute Size
Advanced methods are thought to maximize results by recruiting more motor units (group of muscle fibers recruited by your brain to help them contract).
Additionally, heavy weight isn’t that important for hypertrophy. The actual weight you’re lifting has less to do with it than you may think.
To maximize glute growth, you have to recruit all of the motor units for a sufficient period of time.
In other words, you have to get tension on all of the different muscle fibers.
You can start by increasing ROM, altering the tempo, or using extended set methods to trigger new muscle growth.
However, you don’t want to go overboard here and do these advanced methods every single session. Start by adding them in 2-4 times/month and adjust based on how your body is feeling.
What is a burnout set?
A burnout set involves performing a nonstop exercise for a predetermined amount of time, say two to three minutes with a light resistance.
In our case, performing a glute exercise such as a Side-to-side lateral step with a loop band around the ankles for 3 minutes at the end of a workout is a great example of a burnout set.
The idea is simple, we want to keep tension on the glutes in some capacity for two to three straight minutes by alternating through different glute exercises.
This type of training will leave you with a great booty pump and burn.
Here is a sample burnout set for the glutes using a loop band:
- Side-Lying Hip Abduction: 30 seconds/side
- Seated Hip Abduction: 30 seconds
- Side-Lying Clam Shell: 30 seconds/side
- Supine Hip Abduction: 30 seconds
Try to focus on maintaining proper form and move through the entire time. If your form breaks down, take a few breaths, recover quickly, and get back to work
Advanced Method #2
How do you perform a drop set?
To perform a drop set, you start out with a heavy weight and then drop or reduce the weight so that you can keep performing more repetitions.
The idea is, to perform the exercise until you are close to muscle failure with each attempt or drop.
You can perform 2-4 drop sets at the end of your last heavy set.
For example, let’s say you are doing the barbell hip thrust and your set is 4 sets, 6 reps, with 225lbs. On the 4th set, you perform a drop set. Here’s what it looks like:
- 4th set: 6 reps @ 225lbs
- Drop set 1: As many reps until muscle failure @ 185lbs
- Drop set 2: As many reps until muscle failure @ 145lbs
- Drop set 3: As many reps until muscle failure @ 95lbs
You want to limit your rest time between drop sets. As soon as the plates are stripped off, you again start immediately with the lower weight.
Advanced Method #3
What is a rest-pause set?
Rest-pause reps are a type of cluster set in which you perform one continuous set with predetermined rest or pauses between reps.
For instance, let’s say you are performing Barbell Glute Bridge and have a good amount of weight on it. When you first start out the set you end up doing 8 reps with proper form.
Then, you feel like anymore than 8 reps will cause you to lose form. So, you take a brief pause (about 10-15 seconds) breathe and then bang out another 2 reps with that same weight before form is compromised.
Again, you pause (about 10-15 seconds) breathe and then do 1 rep. Pause (about 10-15 seconds), then bang out 1 more rep.
This now brings your total to 12 total reps for that set.
Rest-pause sets are a great way to add more volume on the last set of your exercise which will help spark muscle growth!
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