Hip Thrust

The Hip Thrust is the Mack Daddy of glute exercises. It will take you a few weeks of diligent glute activations to learn the range of hip extension to do them safely, but you will be rewarded with an exercise that will change your lower body forever. The key to this movement is getting the full range of motion. Your torso should be close to vertical when you bottom out and your hips should be all the way at the top of their extension (with no lumbar spine movement!) at the top. Go ahead and hold it up there for a beat. The sexy will thank you.

Coach Stevo's Top Tips

• No, it doesn't hurt your pelvis.
• Do not rush this exercise. Activations first.
• Lock the core! Do not cheat and use your spine to complete the lift.
• Master bodyweight before you move to the bar.
• Invest in a Hampton Thick Bar-Pad.

Bodyweight

Barbell

Full Instructional Video from the Inventor of the Hip Thrust

Half-Kneeling Lift

Like the Half-Kneeling Chop, this diagonal lift is prehab and core strengthening. It can be performed on a cable stack or with any other weight that fits in the hand. If you are very unstable, I suggest a stability ball to start with, then move up to a small dumbbell that you can hold sideways.

Coach Stevo's Top Tips

• Engage the glute.
• Stay tall.
• Slow and smooth.

Half-Kneeling Chop

Half-kneeling, diagonal movements may not seem "hard," but they are the best exercises in the world for correcting asymmetry and providing a lifetime of pain free movement. In a pinch, you can rig up an elastic band to a tree if you do not have a cable stack.

Coach Stevo's Top Tips

• Engage the glute.
• Sit up tall.
• Slow and smooth.

Body Saw

The step-child of the roll out, in this version you gently rock back and forth at the shoulder. You'll need a slideboard, valslides, or a towel on a hardwood floor. I prefer these on the TRX, as the motion is smoother, but it can be tricky to get your feet in the handles. 

Coach Stevo's Top Tips

• Pack your shoulders.
• Slow and smooth.

Slideboard

TRX (Pike is optional)

Roll Outs

Also called "ab wheels" because of the most common tool used to do them, these are old-school ab punishers. I suggest everyone start on a big stability ball (as is demonstrated in the "Phase 1" video below) then work up to a wheel. Another alternative is to use a TRX (video below), where they are often called "fall outs."

Coach Stevo's Top Tips

• Slow and smooth.
• You can also try holding the "out" position for time.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

TRX "Fall Outs"