What Is A Glute Burnout

Strengthen the glutes at the end of your training session by using a glute burnout. Exactly as it sounds, glute burnouts are a set of strategic exercises that take the glute muscles to failure and cause a serious pump (or burn).

Having a set of strong glutes can come in hands when it comes to better posture, less low back pain, and improved sports performance (learn more about the benefits of glute training). However, to truly build a muscle, you want to be taking it close or right to failure.

As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, training to failure is one of the most under-utilized tools when it comes to working, but home workouts in general. Obviously progressive overload is the optimal way to maintain and develop strength but getting a serious pump on is right up there in priority.

And it’s this pump you’re aiming for.

A glute burnout is when you perform 1-4 exercises with very little or no rest that target the glutes in multiple planes for higher repetitions and take the exercises toward failure. At the end range of repetitions, your glutes will be on fire from effort and thus makes a “glute burnout”.

The Glute Burnout System

Glute burnouts that are most effective target all three areas of the gluteal muscles, not just the gluteus maximus. So, if you’re creating your own burnout make sure to give some variety to your glute exercises to get the biggest bang for your buck.

What you want to do is take 1 exercise from the first list and pair them with 1-2 exercises from the second set of glute exercises, then finish with one exercise from the third list.

Since you’ll be using a light to medium load, aim for higher repetitions like those in the 15-30 range and 30 seconds for the squeeze exercise

Hip extension exercises

• Single leg glute bridge (single leg elevated bridge is great too)
• Elevated glute bridge
• Single leg hip thrust
• Quadruped kickbacks
• Standing kickbacks
• Banded glute bridge
• Glute focused Bulgarian split squat
• Banded squats

Abduction Exercises

• Fire hydrants
• Clamshells
• Side lying hip raise
• Straight leg abductions
• Banded quadruped abductions
• Sumo walk
• Monster walk
• Seated abduction

Glute Squeezes

• Isometric glute bridge
• Isometric banded squat
• RKC plank
• Reverse plank

Equipment You Need To Train Glutes

Any piece of equipment can be used in a glute burnout, so use what you have. Mini loops are my personal favorite for at-home workouts, and especially in glute training as they provide a great amount of tension at the hardest part of the exercise.

However, dumbbells, barbells, your own body weight, or TRX straps can all be sued as well. Check out these glute finishers for some ideas on burning out the glutes with multiple pieces of equipment.

How Often Should You Use Glute Burnouts?

Glute burnouts can be added to the end of your heavy lifting or running workouts 3-4 times per week. Glute muscles tend to respond well to high volume work so even at 4 times per week, your glutes shouldn’t be too sore.

Example Glute Burnout 1

The mini workouts below are all done in 3-4 minutes and will leave your glute muscles on FIRE.

Banded glute bridge	25 seconds
Seated abduction	30 seconds
Banded glute bridge	20 seconds
Reverse plank	30 seconds
Rest	10 seconds x 2 sets

Example Glute Burnout 2

Quadruped Hip Extension
Banded quadruped abductions
Side lying hip raise
Isometric banded squat
Rest	10 seconds x 2 sets

More Glute Training Tips

With my coaching clients, I’ve been known to say that “strong glutes solve life problems” … because they do! There are so many perks of having stronger glutes that it’s silly not to prioritize them.

If you want a done-for-you approach to getting started with glute training, grab my Glute Guide for Moms which gives you the exact workouts to follow for the next 10 weeks. Otherwise, browse through the blog posts below that cover all the ins and outs of training glutes.

• The best weighted glute exercises
• Glute hypertrophy workout
• Upper glute workout
• Banded glute workout
• How to grow your glutes
• Glute HIIt workout
• Gluteus minimus exercises
• Best glute isolation exercises

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