Gluteus maximus

The gluteus maximus is a key muscle for hip extension and stabilization. Strengthening this muscle can improve overall lower body strength and posture.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
  3. Lift one leg straight back, squeezing your glutes at the top.
  4. Lower your leg back down and repeat on the other side.

How to perform the Gluteus maximus

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Gluteus maximus using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your glutes.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your glutes rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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