5 Gluteus Medius Exercises for Strength and Stability

The gluteus medius is the often-overlooked ‘sidekick’ to the gluteus maximus, the largest of the three muscles that make up the buttocks. The gluteus medius runs along the outer edge of the buttocks, on the side of the hip. It’s primarily responsible for stabilizing the hip and pelvis during movement.

Strengthening the gluteus medius muscle can help support athletic performance and injury-free movement. Many accessible exercises can effectively target this muscle.

Clamshells

Here’s how to perform a clamshell exercise:

1. Grab a resistance band that you can wrap around your knees.
2. Lie on your side with your legs bent at about 90 degrees and your feet stacked on top of each other.
3. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee as high as you can against the banded resistance while keeping your bottom knee on the floor.
4. Feel your glutes contract at the top, and slowly lower your knee back down with control.
5. After performing your desired reps, switch sides and repeat with the other knee on top.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts

Here’s how to perform a side-lying leg lift:

1. Begin by lying on your side and resting your head on your arms. Extend your legs straight, stacked on top of each other. 
2. Keeping your legs straight and aligned with your shoulders, flex your foot slightly and lift your top leg upward until you feel the side of your hip engage.
3. Hold for a second at the top and then slowly lower the leg back down.
4. Complete your desired reps before switching sides. 

Bulgarian Split Squats

Here’s how to perform a Bulgarian split squat:

1. Stand a few feet in front of a bench or an elevated surface and place one foot behind you.
2. Keeping your chest upright, lower your back knee toward the floor until your front leg bends to about 90 degrees or lower. 
3. Push through your foot and extend your front knee to the starting position.
4. Complete your desired reps and switch legs to repeat on the other side.

If you want to make this exercise more challenging, hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand to add extra resistance.

Lateral Band Walks

Here’s how to perform lateral band walks:

1. Place a resistance band around your ankles and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees slightly and begin stepping laterally (to the side) while maintaining tension in the band. 
3. Keep your feet facing forward, step several feet in one direction, and then change directions.

Standing Hip Abduction

Here’s how to perform a standing hip abduction:

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and holding onto something sturdy in front of you for support.
2. With your leg straight and your foot slightly flexed, slowly raise one leg outward to the side until you feel your outer hip engage.
3. Lift your leg as high as you can without tilting your pelvis or torso, and slowly lower the leg back down.
4. Complete your desired reps and repeat on the other side.

The best way to efficiently target the glute medius is to incorporate the exercises into your regular workout routine. Most of the above exercises also target other muscle groups.

To see the most progress, aim to perform the exercises two to three times per week, working up to three to four sets of each movement. Once you start feeling that the exercises are getting easier as you get stronger, you can add more sets, reps, or resistance.

The gluteus medius plays a crucial role in controlling movement in your leg. It serves as the prime mover for hip abduction (moving the leg away from the body) and assists with medial (internal) and lateral (external) rotation of the hip.

The muscle assists during walking, running, and other single-leg activities by preventing the opposite side of the pelvis from dropping and losing stability as your leg swings forward during each step.

Several factors contribute to a weak gluteus medius, most of which are related to lifestyle or posture. A lack of physical activity, particularly in the lower limbs, can lead to muscle weakness and associated conditions. Muscular imbalances, where other muscles compensate for the gluteus medius, can also further weaken it over time.

In terms of posture, standing for prolonged periods of time with more body weight shifted on the lower limb and the pelvis swaying sideways can cause the glute medius to become too relaxed and weaken.

Sitting cross-legged for long periods may also weaken the hip abductor muscles since this position elongates the muscle beyond resting length, reducing the stability of the pelvis. Tight hip adductors are another factor that can weaken the gluteus medius.

Training your gluteus medius muscles with targeted exercises offers a range of benefits, such as improved posture, enhanced athletic performance, and injury prevention. Key benefits of strengthening your gluteus medius include:

• Stabilize your pelvis during movement. This prevents unwanted pelvic tilting that could lead to faulty movement patterns and potential injury. A stable pelvis is important during single-legged activities, like walking, running, and jumping, where one leg is in contact with the ground while the other is swinging forward.
• Enhance athletic movement patterns. Gluteus medius exercises can improve movements like quick changes in direction, side-to-side agility, and better force transfer. Without proper stabilization from the gluteus medius, the pelvis may tilt or rotate excessively, disrupting the alignment of the hip and knee joints. Misalignment can also reduce how efficiently your muscles produce force.
• Reduce the risk of muscle imbalances. Targeted gluteus medius exercises reduce the risk of other muscles becoming overactive. Muscles that may compensate for a weak gluteus medius include hip flexors, quadriceps, and lower back muscles. Muscle imbalance can lead to conditions like iliotibial band syndrome (pain above the knee), patellofemoral pain syndrome (pain on the kneecap and sides of the knee), or lower back pain.

The gluteus medius is a muscle on the side of the hip and buttocks that is crucial for pelvic stabilization. Building strength in your gluteus medius can improve posture, boost athletic performance, and prevent injuries. Exercises that train this muscle include clamshells, side-lying leg lifts, Bulgarian split squats, lateral band walks, and standing hip abductions.