This exercise is one of the absolute best glute-building exercises you can do, whether at home or at the gym.
This exercise works the glute from almost the fullest stretch you can get on them. This position is very effective for building the glutes rapidly.
It combines an effective bodyweight movement with a great stretch at the bottom. This is an almost magical combination that can do wonders for your glutes in a very short period of time.
1. You will need a solid chair or bench for this exercise. This is to increase the useful range of motion of the exercise, which is important for maximizing it's effects. You will also need to have something solid that you can grab onto. This can be a railing or a door frame or a pole, etc. Place the chair/bench immediately in front of this solid object.
2. Stand on the chair on one leg facing the solid object and hold onto it at about waist or abdomen level directly in front of you (after a few reps, you will get a feel for where to place your hands). Your heel should be close to the back edge of the chair.
3. Lower your body as far down as you can go into a one-legged squat. Your other leg will drop down below the level of the chair seat behind you. You should feel a great stretch in your glute. Make sure you continue to keep a firm grip on whatever you are holding on to.
4. Push yourself back up using your glute as much as possible. This is most easily accomplished by focusing on pushing with your heel. Also, you can stick your butt out while pushing back up to really maximize the effect. This simple idea of sticking your butt out as you come up is almost magical with how well it works.
5. Use your grip on the solid object only as much as is necessary to keep the movement going. If you pull too much with your arms, you will take tension off the glutes and legs and defeat the purpose of the exercise.
Perform all your reps on one leg, then switch to the other leg.
Using a Towel For One Leg Bench Squats
This version is performed almost exactly the same as above...the difference here is that instead of holding onto the solid object directly, you'll be holding the ends of a towel.
Why a towel? The benefit of using the towel is that it moves up and down with your body, giving you a more natural pivot point to grip onto while also removing some of your tendency to use your hands to pull yourself up.
It also allows you to sit back more on the heel while doing the exercise, which helps activate the glutes more effectively.
Then repeat on the other leg.
Adding Resistance To the One Leg Bench Squat For Building the Glutes Even More Effectively...
You can also perform this exercise with added resistance, holding a dumbell or other weighted object in one hand.
To do this, hold a dumbbell in one hand and hold onto the solid object you're working with at about stomach level.
Now lower yourself down into a deep squat. Don't touch your other foot down at the bottom - keep it off the ground.
Push yourself back up. That's the movement! Once you've done your reps on one side, switch to the other leg.
This version is performed exactly the same as the bodyweight version only, of course, you're holding onto a dumbbell to get more resistance.
Common Errors With the One Leg Bench Squat
1. Dropping down too quickly
Do this movement slowly and under control. If you drop down too quickly, not only do you risk injury to the knee, you diffuse much of the tension that should be placed on the glute.
2. Do not bounce out of the bottom
Pause at the bottom of the movement. Feel a good stretch on the glute then reverse the direction without bouncing. Bouncing out of the bottom could lead to knee injury. It also reduces the tension you are placing on the glutes.
3. Don't pull yourself up too much with your arm
Giving yourself too much assistance with your arm will diffuse the tension on your glute. Strive to use your arm to balance yourself rather than to pull yourself up as much as possible. Only use your arm to pull yourself up when you have to.
Tricks for performing the One Leg Bench Squat better to build the glutes more effectively...
1. Stick your butt out
To focus the exercise more on your glutes rather than the thighs, stick your butt out as you push yourself up, especially once you pass the halfway point on the way up. This will help optimize the biomechanics of the exercise to focus on the glutes.
2. Adding resistance - methods
You may find, after doing this exercise for awhile, that using only your bodyweight is not enough. When you get to this point, you have a few options for resistance.
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If you are working out at home, try loading a backpack up with heavy books. Add books slowly, increasing as you get accustomed to the resistance. This allows you to add resistance while keeping both your hands available for balance and assistance.
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Another option is to hold onto a dumbell with one hand. You should be quite strong with this exercise before attempting this version. Also, you should be comfortable balancing yourself while using only one hand (practice this balancing before using extra weight).
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If you go to a gym, you may have access to a calf raise machine or squat machine. If you do, slide a flat bench underneath the shoulder pads. Use a very light weight to start with until you get used to the movement. You will be standing on the bench with your shoulders under the pads just like you normally would have them during the calf raise or squat movement. Because you are on a bench, your body will be higher and you will get resistance during the one-leg squat movement. You will also be able to balance yourself by holding onto the shoulder pads. The machine will do the balancing for you.
3. Pause at the bottom
To maximize the stretch you put on the glutes, hold the stretch at the bottom of the movement for a 2 count. Hold it there until you totally diffuse all the elastic tension you've built up on the way down. This will increase the work that your glute must do to get yourself back up.
4. Pulling yourself up
As you begin to tire, you can use your arm to pull yourself up as necessary. This allows you to keep going far longer than if you were working on leg power alone. You can use that pull to basically give yourself forced reps.
Another excellent single-leg glute exercise is the Pistol Side Squat.
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Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
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