In this video, members from Elite Performance Center demonstrate two movements that are effective for glute development. Both lifts have strong carryover to the core barbell lifts. Carryover is specifically mentioned for a reason: when dealing with core full body application of force, as seen in the powerlifting and Olympic lifting movements, the glutes work as part of a system and not in isolation. This system includes hip flexion, pressurization of the core, and spinal stabilization. In my experience as a coach and an athlete, I have seen a clear distinction in the superiority of glute exercises that mimic this approach. Anytime I do loaded glute training, I choose movements that allow you to drive the heel through the floor and don’t put the lumbar spine in either flexion or lordosis. Even a slight bit of lordosis changes the effect on the psoas function as a deep spinal stabilizer, which also impacts full extension as seen in the core barbell movements. These deviations, while minor, change the movement and muscle firing patterns of a strength athlete.

For additional information on how to pressurize and integrate the core properly in these movements, refer to my video on Breathing and Abdominal Pressurization for Strength. Here are two of my favorite development tools, both shown in the video, for strength athletes that do not engage their glutes optimally:

Band Resisted Dimels for Speed

The first is a fairly common movement of a Dimel deadlift combined with some extra band tension to increase the load at lockout. Reps are high (target 20), weight is moderate, and speed is imperative. Glutes must be fired early and hard. This movement is practiced by a number of powerlifting teams.

Ukrainian Stallion

The second takes a more obscure movement, the Ukrainian deadlift, and adds a band around the waist for a Reactive Neuromuscular Training (RNT) effect on glute firing. While the load on the hip looks like that of a weighted glute bridge, it has several key differences:  the load from the band is minor and the athlete is in a standing position. Between those two factors, there is no effect on full hip extension or the lordosis effect. Volume and reps are high (4x20 target) and the weight is fairly heavy. Glutes must be fired early and hard. This movement is an Elite Performance Center original.