The 5 Glute Exercises Most Lifters Should Use

Mike Israetel describes this as his top pick for glute development because it checks three boxes: maximal stretch, minimal quad contribution, and the ability to add load safely. Jared Feather expands on the biomechanics, explaining that when a bikini or wellness competitor is told to bring up glutes without growing quads, the standard lunge becomes problematic because knee-over-toe mechanics absolutely hammer the quadriceps. By cueing the athlete to reach back with the rear foot and hinge at the hips, almost as if trying to sit into a back corner, the quads are largely taken out of the equation. The slight valgus further biases the hip abductors. They stress that the rear leg should provide no drive—you flip the toenails down and rise purely by squeezing the glute of the front leg. This creates a level of glute-specific overload that can be sustained over many sets without the quad fatigue that would cut a set short. Technique acquisition typically takes several sessions; initially the movement feels unnatural, but with practice the mind-muscle connection improves dramatically.

Mike and Jared present this as a free-weight counterpart to the Smith machine lunge. The same principles apply: push the hip back, control the descent, and think about stretching the glute. They acknowledge that the back leg will feel a strong quad stretch—this is a byproduct of the deep hip position and not a sign of poor form. Over time, the front glute should fatigue much faster than the back leg. Rest between sides is recommended because the cardiovascular demand and local fatigue can compromise technique if you rush. Jared mentions that for athletes who need to limit quad growth, this variation is a go-to because it can be loaded moderately while still providing a massive glute stimulus. They both emphasize that the load on the bar is secondary; the quality of the stretch and the hinge pattern matters more.

Mike explicitly states that hip thrusts are not essential and that many of his athletes do not do them. However, he recognizes that female athletes often love them and they can be valuable for adding extra glute volume without taxing the lower back or adductors as much as additional lunge sets would. The low-fatigue nature of the hip thrust means you can push volume very hard—drop sets and Myo Reps are well-tolerated. Using them as a warm-up is an underutilized strategy; by driving blood into the glutes before the main lifts, the lifter may have an easier time feeling the glutes during the deep stretches. The specific machine they demonstrate is the Booty Builder, which they rate as one of the top hip thrust machines. The protocol is flexible: if it fits the program and the athlete enjoys it, include it; if not, omit it without guilt.

Mike presents this as one of the most glute-specific deadlift variations. The key innovation is making the hamstrings 'not know nothing' by removing their mechanical advantage. He then layers on the wide-grip deficit to maximize the stretch while keeping the load moderate. When Lauri attempts the movement, she initially lets her knees cave in, which makes the lift unstable and shifts work away from the glutes. Jared corrects her by cuing 'knees out,' which immediately cleans up the pattern and deepens the glute engagement. They emphasize that all these cues are designed to target the muscle, not to make the lift easier. This exercise demands patience; they recommend several sessions of low-load practice before attempting to push the weight. For physique athletes who cannot afford to thicken their spinal erectors, this variation keeps the back relatively safe while hammering the glutes.

Mike outlines three non-negotiable cues: chest up to protect the lower back, knees tracking over (and even out past) the toes to open the hips, and a deliberate sit-back motion. He emphasizes that going straight down turns it into a quad exercise, so the lifter must consciously push the hips back and down. Lauri demonstrates extreme depth thanks to her mobility, but Mike points out that most people should only go until the lower back just starts to round, which is often around parallel. The final cue—'lift the glutes first'—is normally a compensation for weak quads in a regular squat, but here they repurpose it to specifically target the glutes. He stresses that this is an advanced technique that requires weeks of low-load practice to groove. The goal is to master the coordination before loading, and he explicitly advises against using more than 75-80% of the lifter's typical squat weight early on. Over time, the movement should produce significant glute and adductor soreness without overtaxing the quads or lower back.

Mike explains that hip thrusts provide a peak contraction but lack the deep stretch stimulus that exercises like Bulgarian split squats and front-foot-elevated lunges offer. He believes the stretch under load is a primary driver of hypertrophy, so he prioritizes exercises that maximize that component. For those who enjoy hip thrusts, he uses them as a warm-up tool to augment mind-muscle connection or as additional volume at the end of a session because they have a favorable stimulus-to-fatigue ratio. He notes that many female competitors love them and they can be effective when layered appropriately, but they are never a mandatory staple. The argument is framed as a matter of efficiency and individual preference, not dogma.

Jared explains that in a glute-focused lunge, the goal is to reduce quad dominance. Since a straight knee-over-toe position heavily taxes the quads, allowing the knee to drift inward slightly (a controlled valgus) shifts the line of force laterally, recruiting more hip abductors and external rotators as they work to stabilize the pelvis. This intentionally loads the glute medius and helps the glute max contribute more during hip extension. He is careful to distinguish this from the uncontrolled, compensatory valgus seen in squats, emphasizing that it must be deliberate and controlled. The cue of pushing the hip back and allowing a slight valgus is part of a system designed to maximize glute stretch and involvement while protecting the back.

Mike describes this as an exercise where you want the hamstrings to 'not know nothing'—they are placed in a position where they can't generate significant leverage. The wide grip on the bar increases the deficit, further deepening the hip angle and increasing the stretch on the glutes. He advises pushing the knees out (opposite of the valgus cue used in lunges) to engage the hip external rotators and glute medius while ensuring the glute max takes over the lift. The emphasis is on maintaining a big chest to protect the lower back, especially for bikini athletes who want to avoid erector growth. He stresses that this exercise will feel difficult and shaky at first because the nervous system isn't accustomed to the pattern, so light loads and patience are essential.

Mike draws a parallel to how people use adductor and abductor machines to warm up the hips before leg training. He suggests doing hip thrusts early to establish a strong mind-muscle connection, making the glutes more responsive during stretched-position exercises like the front-foot-elevated lunge. This is particularly helpful for those who have difficulty feeling their glutes in compound movements. The warm-up sets should be moderate-rep and not taken to failure, just enough to feel the muscle working. This tactical use preserves the heavy loading for the exercises that provide the greatest stretch stimulus, which he considers more hypertrophically potent.

Mike instructs Lauri to take a very wide grip because she has the mobility to maintain a neutral spine; this increases the range of motion and forces a deeper hip flexion, stretching the glutes more. He warns that if a client lacks flexibility and their back begins to round excessively, it's not ideal—especially for bikini competitors who need to limit erector growth. In those cases, the wide grip may not be appropriate. The key is to balance the stretch gain against lower back strain. This is another example of the 'muscles not movements' philosophy: the goal is glute overload, not absolute load on the bar.