Avoid These 3 Glute Exercise Mistakes

1. Glute Bridge Mistakes

The glute bridge is great for activating the gluteus maximus, your main hip extensor. But many people do it wrong.

Common mistakes with the glute bridge include:

1. Lifting the hips too high causes your lower back to arch. This can lead to back pain and takes the work away from your glutes.
2. Pushing through your heels with feet too far away from your bottom.  This overuses the hamstrings and can lead to muscle cramps.

How to fix it:

• Start with your feet close to your body and flat on the floor.
• Do a pelvic tilt to flatten your lower back.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift just a few inches—only as high as you can go without arching your back.
• Push through your whole foot, not just your heels.

It’s not about how high you lift—it's about keeping the glutes active and the back neutral.

2. Clamshell Exercise Mistake

The clamshell targets your gluteus medius and minimus—muscles on the outside of your hip. These help with hip abduction and rotation. But it's easy to do it wrong.

One of the most common mistakes with this exercise is allowing your body to roll backward. This substitutes lower back movement for hip movement.

This also allows the front of your hip (tensor fascia lata) to take over the work that your glutes are supposed to be doing.

How to fix it:

• Roll slightly forward so your belly button points a bit toward the floor.
• Place your hand on your hip—thumb on the front and fingers on the glutes—to feel them working.
• Brace your abs to keep your spine stable.
• Lift your top knee just a little and feel the glutes firing under your fingers.
• Hold at the top for up to 10 seconds to build strength.

Don’t worry about lifting high—what matters is feeling the glutes work.

3. Monster Walk Glute Exercise Mistakes

Monster walks are done in standing, making them more functional. You use a resistance band around your knees or ankles and step side to side. But they have some issues.

Common mistakes with the monster walk include putting the band around your ankles.

This creates a creates a longer lever arm and more resistance, but it also causes your hips to internally rotate. This is the opposite of the desired action and again allows the tensor fascia lata to substitute for the glutes.

How to fix it:

• Keep your knees bent and hips back in a slight squat.
• Place the band just above your knees for better control.
• Step slowly and deliberately—no bouncing or leaning.
• Keep your feet pointed forward and hips square.

Focus on quality over quantity to truly work your glutes.

Bonus Glute Exercises

Once you’ve mastered the basics, try these bonus moves to strengthen your glutes even more:

Standing Hip Abduction

Hold a counter or chair and lift one leg out to the side slowly.

Step-ups

Use a low step and drive through your heel as you lift your body up.

Single Leg Balance

Stand on one leg to activate the glute stabilizers. Add a soft knee bend for a challenge.

These exercises train your glutes in a way that’s closer to how you use them in everyday life.

Conclusion

If you’ve been doing these exercises without results—or with more pain—you might be making one of these glute exercise mistakes. Fix your form, feel the difference, and build stronger glutes that support your hips, knees, and back.

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