Most people hope to fill out a flat behind for aesthetic reasons, but strengthening the gluteal muscles can also lower your risk of injuries.
Fortunately, social media platforms are awash with videos detailing which workouts guarantee success.
Fitness enthusiast Emily Yaisla took to social media to share her results, crediting a single workout: step-ups.
“I grew my glutes with one exercise,” she said in a recent post, demonstrating how she performs the workout for optimal results.
Emily Yaisla achieved an impressive glute transformation with just one exercise
|TIKTOK / EMILYYAILSA
How to perform step-ups
Step-ups are effective for building bigger glutes, with certain hacks helpful for maximising glute activation.
Gym-goers should focus on hinging at the hips and driving through the heel of the workout leg, and avoid pushing off with the back leg.
Varying the height of the step and incorporating lateral and crossover step-ups can equally affect different aspects of glute development.
Experts at the Mayo Clinic stress that form is more important than step height in this exercise and approve starting with a lower step height if necessary.
They also advise an alternative with the lead foot each time when stepping up, and doing as many reps as possible.
Keeping your back straight and foot entirely on the step will ensure “the best results” according to the health body, as will keeping movements smooth and controlled.
Physical therapist Marr Murray, who works with Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Outpatient Center Malden, warned that deflated glutes "often happen from too much sitting".
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The fitness enthusiast credits step-ups for her body transformation
|TIKTOK / EMILYYAILSA
He went on to explain that it most affects individuals in jobs that don’t require much, if any, physical exertion.
“Sitting for long stretches [is] common, and sedentary behaviour tends to worsen during retirement,” he noted.
He also explained that there are several downsides to having a flat behind: “It makes it harder to enjoy activities, like going for a hike and performing everyday movements such as picking up and carrying items.”
Other workouts that support glute activation include barbell hip thrusts, squats, Romanian deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and deadlifts.