Men Over 40 Shouldn't Be Afraid to Build Their Butts
Author, fitness model, and trainer Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldn’t prevent you from being on top of your game. He’ll help to answer the tough training questions that come with age so you too can be Fit Beyond 40.
One of my clients has been suffering from lower back discomfort for most of his adult life. He took a bad spill while playing ice hockey about 15 years ago, and he’s never been the same since. Fortunately, surgery is not required—but the deeper he gets into his forties, the more his back aches.
To make matters worse, he sits most of the day at work, so his hips get tighter and his glutes get weaker, which is not good for the lower back. All he cares about is getting back on the ice, so we work on exercises to strengthen his glutes and core to take some of the pressure off his back. Basically, the plan is to build up a stronger butt to help support the back. One of the exercises we do all the time, specifically for his glutes, is the hip thrust.
To execute the hip thrust most people use a flat weight bench, with a load like a barbell across their waist. However, if you’re working out at home and you don’t have access to a weight bench, you can use your couch, bed, or another sturdy, flat surface about the height of a bench. Also, I recommend trying the movement without any weight to get started, as it can be effective just using bodyweight in the beginning, working up to isometric holds and weights later.
To set up for the exercise, sit on the floor with your shoulder blades against your sturdy object. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor. Focus on a point in front of you at about a 45-degree angle upward. Your eyes should remain locked on that point during the exercise, which will help to keep your neck in a neutral position. To make sure your legs are in the right position, fire your glutes to raise your hips upward so your body is in a tabletop position. Then place your feet so your shins are perpendicular to the floor, a little more than hip-width apart. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle in the upward position, and you should feel your heels driving into the floor. Now you can lower back down to the floor. This is your starting position.
The repetitions should basically mirror the setup, but your main focus should be on firing your glutes and keeping your muscles engaged. When you’re at the top of the hip thrust, focus on squeezing your glutes and core as hard as you can. Make sure to keep your knees open, with a slight abduction (movement away from your midline)—if you cave in (adduct) your knees, you're in a less knee-safe position and your glutes won’t get as much activation. Hold the top position for a few seconds to emphasize the squeeze, then reverse the movement to lower back down.
I recommend 4 sets of 10 to 20 reps, three times per week. As you get better and stronger with the hip thrust, you can also use it as an isometric exercise. In the top position, challenge yourself to hold and squeeze your glutes for a longer time, while also locking in your core, around 30 to 60 seconds. Then rest for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat.
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