Glute exercises for runners: a plain-English guide

What the glutes actually do

Your glutes are the muscles of your buttocks. There are three: gluteus maximus (the big one that pushes your hip back and drives you forward), and gluteus medius and minimus (smaller ones sitting higher on the side of your hip, which keep your pelvis level each time a foot lands).

When they're doing their job, you barely notice them. When they're not, the signs show up late in a run: your pelvis drops on one side, your knee drifts inwards, your stride gets ragged and the last 2 km (1.2 miles) feel like hard work. Most running niggles come from weak hips, glutes and calves rather than from running too much — which is why a couple of short strength sessions a week is such good value.

The moves worth knowing

You don't need a gym. Bodyweight or light weights, controlled reps, and a handful of moves you can repeat are plenty.

• Glute bridge: lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Push through your heels and lift your hips until your body is a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze at the top, pause 1 second, lower.
• Single-leg glute bridge: the same move on one leg. Harder than it sounds, and excellent for the side glutes.
• Squat (bodyweight or holding a weight at your chest): sit back as if into a chair, knees tracking over your toes, then stand tall.
• Walking lunge: step forward, lower until both knees are bent, then step through. Stay upright rather than leaning forward.
• Bulgarian split squat: a split squat with your back foot resting on a bench. A big glute builder — start with just your bodyweight.
• Romanian deadlift (a hip hinge: push your hips back with a flat back, then stand up): light dumbbells are fine. It works the glutes and hamstrings together.
• Single-leg Romanian deadlift: the same hinge on one leg, for balance and hip control.

Pair those with a couple of planks and some calf raises and you've covered the muscles that keep runners upright.

How to fit two sessions into your week

Twenty to forty minutes, twice a week. That's the whole target. Pick two days that aren't right before your hardest run — after an easy run, or on a day you're not running at all, works well.

There's no need to go heavy. A couple of sets of 8–12 controlled reps of each move is a good starting point, and you should finish feeling worked rather than wrecked. If your legs are trashed the day before a key session, skip the heavier sets — the strength work is there to support your running, not compete with it. If you're new to all this, do runners need strength training? explains why it's worth the time.

As a block progresses, the weights can creep up a little for a few low-rep sets, which builds force without bulk. Later on, a few short, sharp jumps or hops keep things springy. In the final week or two before a race, drop to one light session — the work is already in the bank.

Cues to keep it honest

• "Sit back, knees tracking over toes." If your knees fold inwards on a squat, use less weight.
• "Hinge at the hips, flat back." On deadlifts, the movement comes from your hips, not your lower back.
• "Squeeze at the top, pause 1 second." Slow, deliberate reps beat fast, sloppy ones.
• Feel it in your glutes, not your back. If your lower back is doing the work, reduce the range or the load.

Stronger hips also help how you look when you run — fewer bouncing, more of a quick, light turnover. If that interests you, what is running cadence? is a gentle next read.

If something hurts

Mild next-day muscle soreness is normal. Sharp pain, pain that changes how you run, or anything that lingers for more than a week or two isn't something to train through — see a GP or a physio. Nothing in this article is medical advice.