Build Those Glutes with the Offset Split-Squat

Back in the day, I was a little too linear in my thinking.

As a powerlifter, I thought if you wanted to get strong or build a muscle, you needed to do it in the sagittal plane.

So if someone wanted to build their glutes they should do it with glute bridges, pull throughs and deadlifts.

And while that’s not necessarily wrong, it’s definitely self-limiting.

Nowadays, if I have a client or athlete that wants to develop their glutes – either for athletic or aesthetic purposes – I try to find ways to load them in all three planes of movement.

The offset split-squat is a great example of this. When you add in an element of rotation to a split-stance exercise, you’re definitely going to pick up some muscles that you haven’t felt in a while.

So if you haven’t tried the offset split-squat before, take a few minutes out of your busy day to check this out!

Now that you’ve watched the video, here are a few notes:

  • Set-up just like you would for a traditional split-squat. 90-90(ish) position, feeling the whole foot, etc. The only difference here is that you’ll hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in the hand opposite the front leg.
  • As you lower, let the weight come towards your front foot. This will drive some rotation through the hips and allow you to load them more effectively.
  • Drive the thorax. If you really want to light up your hips, consider rotating your thorax as well. For instance if your left leg is in front and you’re holding the weight in your right hand, rotate your thorax to the left – or even take your left arm and horizontally abduct it.

This is one of those exercises that might look simple, but I guarantee if you do it right, you’re going to feel your hips and glutes like never before.

Enjoy!

All the best,
MR

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