Dislike: Glute Training
Raphael Konforti, MS, senior director of fitness at YouFit Gyms
I Think It Could Be Better: The last time you scrolled through your feed and looked around the gym, you couldn’t help but see glute training. Finally, people are using the squat racks for squats and deadlifts. There used to be a wait at the racks because people used them for curls. Now you’re waiting for the right reasons, even if people take 30 minutes on a rack.
Commercial gym suppliers are in on the trend, too, with the Glute Drive and Booty Builders getting installed everywhere. Using glute-specific equipment, incorporating squats, hip thrusts, and deadlift variations, is a massive upgrade to how people used to train.
The glutes are one of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body, so it always made sense to train them for looks and function. You must train your glutes whether you want speed, power, or looks. While everyone has stepped their game up, many things still need to be clarified.
The glutes don’t only extend your hips like a deadlift; they also perform abduction and external rotation. Other exercises and rep ranges from 5 to 30 must also be performed for fully developed and functional glutes. Spoiler, walking sideways on a Stairmaster or using the Smith machine as an inverted leg press don’t count.
Standing, lying, and seated abductions with a looped band will target those other movements. As long as you train with a purpose rather than workout by blindly following social media videos, you’re good to go, and glute training is one of the best trends I’ve seen in fitness in years.
