5 Simple Exercises To Grow Your Upper Glute Shelf

What is the upper glute “shelf”?

Firstly, before we begin discussing the upper glutes let’s start off understanding the anatomy of the glutes. The glutes, short for gluteal muscles, are a group of three muscles in each buttock region: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The upper glutes primarily refer to the upper part of the gluteus maximus.

1. Gluteus Maximus:
   • Location: This is the largest of the three gluteal muscles and forms the bulk of your buttocks.
   • Function: The gluteus maximus is responsible for hip extension, which means it helps you stand up from a sitting position, climb stairs, and perform movements like squats and lunges.
2. Gluteus Medius:
   • Location: Situated on the outer surface of the pelvis.
   • Function: The gluteus medius is crucial for stabilizing the pelvis during walking and other activities. It also assists in moving the leg away from the midline of the body.
3. Gluteus Minimus:
   • Location: Smaller and situated beneath the gluteus medius.
   • Function: Like the gluteus medius, the gluteus minimus assists in hip abduction (moving the leg away from the body’s midline) and helps stabilize the pelvis.

The so called “Shelf”

The upper glutes are also know as the glute medius. Consistently training the glute medius helps to give the glutes are rounder shape and gives the appearance of a “shelf”. The glute shelf has become a trending topic in recent years through the fitness side of social media. People want that shelf look as it gives the glutes a lovely aesthetic and muscular look.

You may be asking okay that’s great, but how do I get this “shelf” look? Let me explain it to you. There are a number of exercises you can do that target the glute medius. I will describe these in greater detail below:

4 Exercises To Grow Your Upper Glutes

The best exercises that target the top of the glutes are cable kickbacks, bulgarian split squats, step ups and hip abductions. There are many exercises for the glutes, but there are specific ones that target the upper glutes.

1. Cable Kickbacks

1. Set Up:
2. How to perform movement:
   1. Hold onto the cable machine for support with your hands.
   2. Engage your core to maintain stability.
   3. Kick your leg back
   4. Focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
   5. Avoid arching your lower back excessively. Keep your back straight throughout.
   6. In a controlled manner, bring your right leg back to the starting position.
   7. Avoid letting the cable pull your leg back; control the movement throughout.
3. Attach an ankle strap to the cable machine.
4. Adjust the cable to the lowest setting and attach the ankle strap to one of your ankles.
5. Stand facing the cable machine, about an arm’s length away.

Tips:

• Start with a light weight to ensure proper form.
• Keep your movements controlled and deliberate.
• Focus on the mind-muscle connection, feeling the contraction in your glutes with each kickback.
• Perform the exercise in front of a mirror if possible to monitor your form.

2. Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Setup:
   • Stand facing away from the bench or elevated surface (about two feet away).
2. How to perform:
   1. Take a step forward with your right foot, placing the top of your left foot on the bench behind you.
   2. The distance between your front and back foot will depend on your comfort and flexibility. A longer stance emphasizes the glutes, while a shorter stance targets the quads more.
   3. Begin by bending your straight leg, lowering your body toward the ground.
   4. Keep your front knee directly above your ankle, and aim to create a 90-degree angle with both knees.
   5. Lower yourself as far as your flexibility allows
   6. Then push through your right heel to return to the starting position.

Tips:

• Keep your core engaged throughout the movement for stability.
• Maintain a controlled pace, especially when lowering your body.
• If balance is an issue, you can use a wall or a sturdy object for support.

3. Step ups

1. Setup:
   • Position the bench or step in front of you.
2. How to perform:
   • Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Lift your foot and place it firmly on the center of the step or bench.
   • Push through your right heel and lift your body up onto the step.
   • Ensure that your foot is entirely on the step, and your knee is directly above your ankle.
   • Straighten your leg at the top of the step.
   • Lower yourself back down by bending your knee and hip.

Tips:

• Focus on a controlled movement rather than speed.
• Keep your core engaged to maintain balance and stability.
• Ensure that your knee tracks over your toes and doesn’t collapse inward.
• Use your arms for balance but avoid using them to push yourself up.

4. Hip Abductions

1. Setup:

1. Set the machine according to your height. The pads should be positioned at the sides of your thighs, just above your knees.
2. Sit on the machine with your back against the backrest and your feet flat on the footrest.
3. Select a suitable weight on the machine’s weight stack. Start with a lighter weight to get used to the movement and gradually increase it as needed.
4. Select a suitable weight on the machine’s weight stack. Start with a lighter weight to get used to the movement and gradually increase it as needed.

1. Starting Position:
   1. Start with your legs together.
   2. Push the pads away from each other by moving your thighs outward.
   3. Open your legs until they are at a comfortable distance, feeling the contraction in your outer thighs.
   4. Hold the position for a moment at the peak of the movement to maximize muscle engagement.
   5. Slowly bring the pads back together, controlling the resistance.
   6. Stop just short of allowing the weight stack to touch, maintaining tension on your muscles.

Tips:

• Focus on using your outer thigh muscles to perform the movement rather than relying on momentum.
• Maintain a steady and controlled pace throughout the exercise.
• Avoid locking your knees at any point during the movement.

Grow your upper glutes!

Try out these exercises and be patient! Muscle growth takes time. To see muscle growth you need to stay consistent and focus on your nutrition. Proteins are essential for the glutes they are the building blocks of muscle!

Try out these exercises and let me know what you think and how they work for you!