No-Weights Workout: Glutes

Body Bridges
This is the perfect starting movement because it both stretches your glutes, and trains them. As we know, stretching is tantamount to weight lifting. Without stretching, we are more likely to injure ourselves and develop soreness. Without stretching, our muscles can't get longer, and therefore can't get larger. Stretching is an imperative part of exercise, and these body bridges fulfill that need.

Lying on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips off the floor while keeping your back straight. Hold the contraction as hard as you can, return, and repeat. Each set of this exercise should be performed to failure.

Glute Kick-Backs
This movement is excellent for developing great glute strength and shape. For practical purposes, glute strength is important because during everything from climbing stairs, standing up, walking up hill, or bending over, the glutes are hard at work. We all know, of course, how important glute shape is too. Who doesn't want to develop a shapelier derriere? With that in mind, this movement targets the gluteus maximus and medius - the two parts of the glute muscle - so it's a great staple to firm, lift, and shape the entire area.

While on your hands and knees, extend one leg with the foot cocked so that the sole of your shoe is parallel to the ceiling. Your knee should be floating just above the floor. This is the starting position. For each rep, raise your leg as high as you can, making sure your foot is at least higher than your head. The key to maximum results with this movement is to concentrate on contracting the glutes throughout the full range of motion.

NOTE: You can vary which part of your glutes you work by manipulating where your toes are pointing. If you turn your foot so that your toes point outward, away from you, you can emphasize the outer glute. By turning your foot inward, you focus on the inner glute. So, if you feel your glutes are sagging, you might want to do a set or two with your foot turned inward to focus on the thickest, and therefore most "lifting," portion of the muscle. If you feel your glutes are too wide, you can harden the outside by pointing your foot outward.

Reverse Leg Lifts
This movement is a variation of the glute kickback, but because you're standing and your leg is kept relatively straight, it's much better for tying in your hamstrings. There's a condition called Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS), which refers to postural problems that arise when the strength of the glutes and that of the hamstrings are not comparable - usually the glutes are too weak resulting in lower back pain. The late Professor Vladimir Janda, who founded the rehabilitation clinic at Charles University in Prague and discovered LCS, studied back pain intensely, and discovered that by strengthening the glutes, lower back pain could be assuaged, and even avoided. Janda's research remains a pinnacle in the world of physical therapy and rehabilitation today.

Grabbing the top of a chair back to brace yourself, stand up straight, lift one leg behind you while keeping the other leg straight. Lift your leg as high and as far behind you as possible and contract the muscle tightly. Bring the raised leg back to the floor and repeat. Then do the same for the other leg. Concentrate on flexing the glutes so that you feel them do the work.

Freestanding Squats
This weight-free exercise is perfect for tying in your quads and glutes. As with the hamstrings, it's functionally important to work your glutes and thighs together. It's our quads and glutes working in tandem that allow us to stand, climb stairs or hills, and bend over, and this movement mimics all these daily activities. Also, because it works every area of the glute, it's perfect for finishing your workout off with, as it will fatigue one last time every muscle we're trying to work.
With your arms extended in front of you for balance, perform freestanding squats. Be sure to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Focus on pushing up through your heel. This will direct the work toward your glutes.