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The Glute March

By December 2, 2011January 10th, 2014Glute Training

I was just thinking the other day that I’ve never written about glute marches. Glute marches are a simple end-range hip extension exercise that you can incorporate into your training from time to time. You’re essentially alternating between brief bent-leg hip extension isoholds for the right and left hips while alternating between right and left side bent-leg hip flexion. Essentially this is a supine “marching” movement.

You can glute march from the floor or you can elevate the shoulders to increase the difficulty. Moreover, you can drape a chain around the hips and wear ankle weights to increase the challenge on the glutes and hip flexors.

You want to make sure that you don’t twist or shift excessively from side to side. Keep the hips tall and lock the glute into hip extension with a strong glute contraction.

8 Comments

  • Carlo Buzzichelli says:

    I find the glute marches to be the best pre-workout glute activation drill of all, for this reason it’s included in almost every program I design. I use a ground based version which incldues a simultaneous contralateral shoulder flexion.

  • Kevin says:

    Hi Bret and Carlo: It`s interesting that I never see a fully extended fire hydrant meaning where the leg is completely perpendicular to the ground fully extended.

  • Michael Gray says:

    Love it. Simple and effective!

  • Sounds like a good substitution for clients that may struggle with glute bridges. I’ll have to keep this exercise in mind when working with some of the new clients that are weak in the glute complex and have yet to develop the necessary strength in the glutes for more advanced exercises. Thanks for the tip!

  • fiona says:

    I use this on a client recovering from SI joint dysfunction…such a great exercise to rid that horror imbalance of ‘glute amnesia’.
    Thanks for all the great info you give us…just lovin’ it.!!

  • Carlo Buzzichelli says:

    Exactly Fiona.

    My sequence for the glute amnesia is: mcKenzie push-ups, glute march, active release on the hip flexors, BW bent-leg hip extension.

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