We joke about a flatter butt after having a baby, but it’s a real thing. So many women notice decreased glute size and strength postpartum.

As your bump size grows during pregnancy, the position of the pelvis alters, you rib cage shifts and the relaxin hormones causes laxity in your joints which we need for birth. This change in alignment puts more pressure on your low back, stretches your core muscles, adds more demand to your pelvic floor, challenges your overall stability, weakens your glutes and tightens the front side of your body. Whew, that was a lot.

YOUR GLUTES WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH YOUR PELVIC FLOOR

A glute and pelvic floor weakness can result in clenching, excessive gripping or tucking under as compensation to create stability.  This creates a lot of compression in the low back and pelvis, becomes harder for you pelvic floor to respond when you really need it to and can contribute to other things like SI joint pain or low back pain.

It also means you’re not properly activating your glutes if they are in a constant state of clench. If you’re squeezing your glutes all day long it means the muscles are not moving through their full range of motion (both lengthening and contracting) which results in tightness. A tight muscle is not strong and chances are if your glutes are tight, your pelvic floor is too.

When your pelvic floor struggles to respond to the demand placed on it, for example move full its full range of motion during sudden impact like a cough or sneeze, this is where you’re likely start to see pelvic floor symptoms such as leaking.

There’s so much emphasis on your core and pelvic floor (which is great and absolutely needed) but focusing on your glute strength postpartum should be just as much a priority for a well rounded recovery. Our body works as a system and strong glutes = a strong pelvic floor.

GLUTE EXERCISES TO ADD TO YOUR WORKOUTS  

So, how can you build strong glutes postpartum?

Think about including the following:

• Hip extension: for pelvic alignment and glute max strength.
  e.g Glute bridges/hip thrust variations;

• Hinging: lengthen and open your glutes (and pelvic floor) to create a strong contraction.
  Length = strength! e.g deadlift variations;
• Internal rotation: your pelvic floor needs hip rotation as well as lateral hip strength.
  e.g crossover step ups, rotational lower body;
• Single leg strength: a super simple way to add in pelvic floor and core strength with a direct carryover to everyday movement patterns. e.g single leg deadlifts, skater squats, lunges.
• Ab/adduction: for pelvic stability and rotation at the hip joint. e.g side lying leg lifts, adductor lift offs.

Here are some of my favourite exercises for a well rounded approach to your glute strength:

HIP THRUST 8-8-8

Hip extension for pelvic alignment and glute max strength. This 8-8-8 version is full range hip thrusts, partial range hip thrusts, and 8 second hold. This method is a great way maximize glute engagement , forces you to practice external rotation and put constant tension on the glutes. It can be performed with both a barbell or dumbbell.

CURTSY STEP DOWN

Include hip internal rotation into your lower body strength is a great way eccentrically load and lengthen the glutes. The curtsy step down also challenges the glute medius to keep the pelvis stable, helps improve knee stability by firing the quads to control knee stability as you lower and foot mobility.

Adding in the support of a rack like shown alongside a slow, controlled eccentric will allow you to really feel the targeted muscles fire. Start here before removing the support.

Note: if you feel any pinching in the front of the hip, it’s likely because you don’t have the range of motion in the back of the hip actually get hip internal rotation. If you cannot open the backside of the hip, you’ll likely feel some restriction. If this is you, include this hip shift mobility drill to get the femur moving back in the socket and then try loading again.

SINGLE LEG HIP HINGE WITH SLIDER

I love this exercises as an approach to prime and practice a single leg hip hinge with support on the non working leg. Hinging movement patterns lengthen and open your glutes (and pelvic floor) to create a strong contraction. Including single leg variatons also help address asymmetries and mimic everyday movement patterns although I often see people struggle to actually sit back into their hips and glutes when doing an unsupported variation and instead focus more on a forward/torso lean.

SLIDER LATERAL LUNGE

When strengthening your glutes it’s important to work in all planes of motion. I love this slider lateral lunge variation as not only are with priming a hip hinge in the frontal plane, we’re also hitting those adductors on the sliding leg which need strength postpartum.

3 WAY GLUTE KICKBACK

Hit 3 areas of your glutes with 8-10 reps of each variation.

• Start with hip abduction to target the glute minimus. You’ll want to set up with resistance to the side of you and that working leg behind your stationary.
• Next rotate your feet/body to a 30 degree ( and no more than 45 degree angle) from the rack to bias your glute medius. Take a step back if needed to allow the working leg to cross the front. This is going lengthen the glute med specifically. Kick out and back simultaneously, stabilize the pelvis throughout. At the fully extended position is where you’re hitting that glute med.
• To target the glute max, you’re going to face the rack and kick straight back behind you. Hinge at the hips and come forward on to the rack for support, ensuring extension is not coming from the low back.

NEED MORE GUIDANCE WITH YOUR POSTPARTUM STRENGTH TRAINING?

Take the guesswork out of your return to exercise. Understand and learn how to safely progress movements that supports your pelvic health and overall recovery. Get back to doing what you love in the gym – and feel strong doing it with my Return to Strength program. Options for vaginal and ceserean births included