To feel "good mornings" in your glutes, focus on the hip hinge movement by pushing your hips back as if closing a door with your butt, keeping a neutral spine, and squeezing your glutes to return to standing, feeling a deep hamstring stretch at the bottom and glute activation at the top, using lighter weight or no weight to master the form first before adding a barbell.
Bring your torso as close to parallel to the floor as possible without your back rounding. You should feel the load in your hamstrings. (Note: If your back rounds, don't bring your chest as low.) Extend your hips back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
With many people sitting down for large portions of their day, glute activation is reduced, and these muscles become weaker than they should be. For more active people, reduced glute strength and poor activation can result from an over-reliance on other muscles during athletic or everyday movements.
You probably have poor activation of gluts and hamstrings. I recommend hip raises and focusing on feeling your glutes. The exercise for anterior pelvic tilt would also work well.
Weak glutes symptoms often include lower back pain, hip/knee pain, poor posture (like a swaying or dropping hip), balance issues, and difficulty with activities like climbing stairs, as other muscles overcompensate, leading to instability and strain in the hips, knees, and even feet. Common signs are knees caving in during squats, hamstrings cramping during bridges, and general weakness or fatigue during functional movements.
The hardest muscles to grow for most people are the calves, due to their high percentage of endurance-focused Type I muscle fibers and constant use in daily activities, making them resistant to growth. Other notoriously stubborn areas include the forearms, upper chest, and rear deltoids, often because they're frequently used or neglected in workouts, requiring specific, high-intensity, and varied training to stimulate growth.
Symptoms of Dead Butt Syndrome
It is characterized by a lack of muscle tone and strength in the buttocks. The condition can be caused by prolonged sitting, which leads to decreased blood flow to the muscles. This can lead to pain and soreness in the buttocks, as well as numbness or tingling sensations.
The 8-8-8 glute method is a high-intensity technique for hip thrusts, involving 8 full reps, followed by 8 partial (pulse) reps, and finishing with an 8-second isometric hold at the top, creating intense muscle fatigue and pump for glute growth. While great for mind-muscle connection and targeting the top contraction, some experts suggest traditional sets might be better for progressive overload and strength gains, making the 8-8-8 method a good finisher or variation rather than a primary routine.
To activate your glutes, put together a routine that will wake them up so they perform during your workout. The routine doesn't need to be any longer than 5 minutes. An idea of what to include could be glute bridges, clams, fire hydrants and donkey kicks. This ensures you are targeting all of your gluteal muscles.
Here are the most common mistakes people make with Good Mornings and how to fix them:
Glute activation test
The "5 5 5 30 rule" is a popular, simple morning workout routine popularized by Sahil Bloom, involving 5 push-ups, 5 squats, 5 lunges (per leg), and a 30-second plank done immediately after waking up to build energy, focus, and consistency by kickstarting metabolism and getting blood flowing with minimal time and no equipment. It's designed to overcome inertia, boost physical and mental readiness for the day, and serve as a foundation for better habits, making it ideal for beginners or those needing a quick start.
Choosing the Right Exercise
If your main goal is bulletproofing your lower back or improving your squat, Good Mornings get the edge. If you're chasing hamstring development, athletic performance, or a more impressive backside, RDLs might be your best bet.
When trying to grow your glutes faster, you should train them multiple times a week (2-3X) and make sure you are eating enough calories to build muscle. Below I'm going to cover all of the factors that go into how long it takes to grow your glutes, and how to optimize each one.
Squats primarily target the gluteal muscles, so doing 100 squats a day can potentially lead to a bigger and more toned butt. However, the exact results will vary depending on factors like genetics, diet, and overall fitness level.
It strengthens your mind-muscle connection , and that is very important when it comes to building the butt, though on it's own that will not make it grow.
Weak glutes symptoms often include lower back pain, hip/knee pain, poor posture (like a swaying or dropping hip), balance issues, and difficulty with activities like climbing stairs, as other muscles overcompensate, leading to instability and strain in the hips, knees, and even feet. Common signs are knees caving in during squats, hamstrings cramping during bridges, and general weakness or fatigue during functional movements.
Dormant butt syndrome is a condition that occurs when your gluteal muscles are weak, and your hip flexors are tight causing them to not work as efficiently as they should. This can happen from sitting for too long, sleeping in the fetal position, or repetitive activities.
Age. As you age, it becomes more challenging to build muscle. After age 30, muscle mass naturally declines, making it harder to gain power and strength.
Training-related signs of overtraining
🎉 Ever wonder what the weakest muscle in the human body is? 🤔 Meet the Stapedius – a tiny muscle inside your ear that's only 1mm long! 🦻✨ Despite its size, it helps protect your inner ear from loud noises.