The Legit Benefits of Squeezing Your Glutes for 15 Minutes a Day (2024)

It can be more effective than glute bridges—and you can do them right at your desk.

By Danielle Zickl
The Legit Benefits of Squeezing Your Glutes for 15 Minutes a Day (1)
  • According to a new study published in PeerJ—the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences, squeezing your glutes for 15 minutes a day can help increase your power, endurance, and strength.
  • Doing glute squeezes each day can also help prevent injury.
  • Glute squeezes are easy to add to your everyday routine, since you can do them anywhere: at work, while watching TV, during your commute, etc.

When it comes to strength training, your glutes are an important muscle group to work. Not only can having strong glutes help give you the power you need to run faster, but you’ll prevent injury as well.

And while glute bridges probably come to mind as one of the best exercises, new research out of Wichita State University suggests that there’s a more effective—and convenient—way to build muscle: gluteal squeezes.

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Yep, simply squeezing your glutes. No weight required—or even the need to get up off your chair.

The eight-week study, published in PeerJ—the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences, involved 32 participants who first had hip and glute girth and strength measurements taken. Then, they performed a vertical jump, broad jump, and timed single-leg bridges.

Next, they were randomly assigned to two groups: one performed gluteal squeezes for 15 minutes a day and the other performed bilateral bridges (a.k.a. glute bridges) for 15 minutes a day. Participants from each group could perform the exercises in either one 15-minute session or multiple times a day as long as their total time added up to 15 minutes.

To perform the gluteal squeezes, participants were instructed to sit up straight and squeeze their glutes as hard as they could for five seconds before relaxing and repeating. For proper form, they were instructed to sit with their hips and knees at a right angle, knees shoulder-width apart, and the insides of their feet together.

Researchers found that those who performed gluteal squeezes increased their hip extension—or glute—strength by 16 percent compared to an 11 percent increase in those who performed glute bridges. Gluteal girth also increased in the group who performed gluteal squeezes. Both groups saw about the same amount of improvement in their single-leg bridge endurance and jump power.

There are several possible reasons for these differences between each group, according to Bryan J. Lehecka, Ph.D., D.P.T., an associate professor in Wichita State University’s department of physical therapy. One is that while doing glute bridges, muscles other than your glutes—your hamstrings, for example—can sub in and do more work. With glute squeezes, the only possible muscles that can do the work are your glutes.

The second potential reason is that glute squeezes are simply more convenient, Lehecka told Runner’s World. Participants who performed glute squeezes were 13 percent more compliant with their exercises than participants who performed glute bridges.

“[This is] likely because squeezes can be weaved into daily activity so easily,” he said. “They can be done on a commute, in a classroom, on the couch, in a waiting room, at work, etc.”

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Gluteal function in the form of jump power, endurance, and strength are incredibly important for athletes like runners, according to Lehecka.

“Deficits or relative weaknesses have been linked to patellofemoral pain—the most frequent running injury—ACL injury, low back pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, medial tibial stress syndrome, and more,” he said.

Gluteal power, endurance, and strength are the “cornerstones to performance,” as well.

“Good athletes use their legs,” Lehecka said. “Great athletes use their glutes.”

The Legit Benefits of Squeezing Your Glutes for 15 Minutes a Day (2)

Danielle Zickl

Senior Editor

Danielle Zickl for Runner's World and Bicycling.

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The Legit Benefits of Squeezing Your Glutes for 15 Minutes a Day (2024)

FAQs

The Legit Benefits of Squeezing Your Glutes for 15 Minutes a Day? ›

It helps to activate the glutes and hips: The glutes and hips are the primary movers in kettlebell swings and squats. Squeezing the glutes helps to activate these muscles, which allows you to generate more power and perform the exercises more effectively.

Does squeezing your glutes do anything? ›

It helps to activate the glutes and hips: The glutes and hips are the primary movers in kettlebell swings and squats. Squeezing the glutes helps to activate these muscles, which allows you to generate more power and perform the exercises more effectively.

How long should I hold a glute squeeze? ›

How: Lie down on your back or sit in a chair. Squeeze your buttocks together tightly. Your hips should raise slightly. Hold for 5 seconds.

How to properly squeeze your glutes? ›

This exercise is SO easy – just squeeze your glutes together and hold for 3-5 seconds and release! You can do them seated or standing. This might not seem like much, but if you sit all day, your glutes likely aren't “awake” and doing their job when it's time to walk.

What are the benefits of contracting your glutes? ›

Three reasons strong glutes are important
  • Reduce back pain. Your gluteals are responsible for hip extension and assist their reverse action. ...
  • Reduce knee pain. ...
  • Increase power and exercise performance.

Does squeezing buttocks make it flat? ›

Posture and aesthetics: Squeezing the butt will make you appear to have a smaller rear end. You may also have been told to maintain good posture by pulling in the stomach and tucking the butt. And you do that by squeezing the butt. The butt looks smaller, but it also has a flat and long appearance.

What does clenching your buttocks mean? ›

adjective. informal. making one tighten the buttocks through extreme fear or embarrassment. buttock-clenching embarrassment.

What exercise has the highest glute activation? ›

In general, the step-up exercise and its variations present the highest levels of GMax activation (>100% of MVIC) followed by several loaded exercises and its variations, such as deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges, and squats, that presented a very high level of GMax activation (>60% of 1RM).

How many glute squeezes? ›

Gently contract glute muscles. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times.

How important is squeezing the muscle? ›

By squeezing your muscles and applying maximum tension to each muscle contraction and repetition, you can catapult out of your plateau to new heights. So how do you do this? One of the most important contributors to muscular growth is the tension that muscle fibers experience under load.

What is the most important muscle in the glutes? ›

Gluteus maximus.

This is the largest glute muscle, responsible for the shape of your butt. It helps keep us upright when sitting or standing. Your gluteus maximus is also important for activities that require generating force from your lower body: jumping, running, standing up, climbing a staircase, etc.

What are the 3 main benefits of having strong glutes? ›

3 Benefits Of Training Your Glutes
  • Better Posture. As a consequence of sitting around too often and looking down at phone screens and computer screens all day, many people suffer from poor posture. ...
  • Reduced Knee Pain. ...
  • Improved Athletic Performance.

Are glutes and buttocks the same? ›

The gluteal muscles are a group of muscles that make up the buttock area; the muscle group consists of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus is the most superficial and largest of the three muscles and makes up the bulk of the shape and form of the buttock and hip area.

Does squeezing your glutes make them bigger? ›

Researchers found that those who performed gluteal squeezes increased their hip extension—or glute—strength by 16 percent compared to an 11 percent increase in those who performed glute bridges. Gluteal girth also increased in the group who performed gluteal squeezes.

Is it good to squeeze glutes when squatting? ›

If you're still having difficulty feeling your glutes, focus on squeezing your glutes as you rise from a squat, which can help increase glute activation ( 2 , 10 ).

Does squeezing help build muscle? ›

By squeezing your muscles and applying maximum tension to each muscle contraction and repetition, you can catapult out of your plateau to new heights. So how do you do this? One of the most important contributors to muscular growth is the tension that muscle fibers experience under load.

Should you squeeze glutes when standing? ›

Your butt should work/activate when you are squatting, walking or whenever your leg is in extension. However, you shouldn't clench your butt when you are just waiting in line at the grocery store or doing dishes. Your quadriceps should work when you are hiking downhill, but they shouldn't grip the knee cap in standing.

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