Gluteus Medius Single Leg Squats For Building The Glutes

The gluteus medius and minimus muscles are not large muscles but are important to work for total glute and hip development.

 

Their primary function is to move the leg away from the centerline of the body (for example, if you were standing up and you raise your leg up and out to the side).

Simple isolation exercises for the gluteus medius/minimus can work fairly well, but you really can't load them with a lot of resistance.

This version of the single leg squat puts those muscles in a position to get WORKED (with a very strong stretch)...and you can progress up the resistance to build strength and size in your glutes very effectively.

 

 

How to do Gluteus Medius Single Leg Squats

 

To do this one, I recommend starting with just your bodyweight to get an idea of how to best perform the exercise. Then you can progress up on the resistance.

You'll need something solid to grab onto that is about waist height for balance and assistance, if you need it.

I'm using a bar set on the rails of a power rack...but you absolutely don't need a rack for this. A Smith machine bar will work, as well as a railing...literally anything solid that you can grab onto for balance will work.

To start, we'll be working the left leg.

Hold onto the solid bar with your left hand and hold a dumbbell in the other hand (I'm using a 65 lb dumbbell here).

Now bring your right foot behind your body, similar to a curtsy (you have seen curtsy lunges...this is similar but I find this version to be more effective).

As you come down, bring your right foot way behind your body.

Come all the way down until your right lower leg is lying flat on the ground and the dumbbell is almost on the ground (don't set it down...we want to keep tension on the glutes at this deep stretch position).

Here's a front view in that position. You can see how my right knee is coming down to the outside of my left foot.

This position tilts the hips down to the right, which is what puts the great stretch on the gluteus medius and minimus at the bottom.

Now, even though the right leg is lying flat on the ground, you should try to keep from pushing down too hard with it, especially as you come back up.

You will likely push a bit with that right leg, but try to minimize it.

Come all the way back up to the standing position.

Do your reps on one leg (I was doing sets of 3 with this weight...feel free to go heavy like this or keep it lighter...as long as you push it hard, it'll be effective).

Then immediately switch to the other leg. Because it's a single-leg squat, the non-working leg really doesn't get fatigued, so you can very easily go right into the other leg.