12 March 2023
How to Recover From a Sports Injury With Exercise, Without Making It Worse
Best Glute exercises
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to the best glutes exercises for women.
Achieving a toned, firm, and rounded backside is a top goal for many women who work out.
While there are many exercises that target the glutes, not all of them are created equal.

In this article, we will outline the best glutes exercises for women, backed by science, to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts are a highly effective exercise for targeting the glutes.
They activate the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, which are the three main muscles that make up the glutes.
To perform a hip thrust, sit on the floor with your back against a bench and your feet flat on the ground.
Place a barbell across your hips, with your hands holding onto the bar for support.
Raise your hips up towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

Lower your hips back down to the ground and repeat for several reps.
Squats
Squats are a classic exercise that is often associated with working out the legs, but they are also excellent for targeting the glutes.
Squats work the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, making them a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups.
To perform a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward.
Lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your back straight and your knees in line with your toes.

Push back up to a standing position and repeat for several reps.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are another compound exercise that targets the glutes, as well as the hamstrings and lower back.
To perform a deadlift, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a barbell on the ground in front of you.
Bend down and grasp the bar with an overhand grip, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
Lift the bar up towards your hips, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Lower the bar back down to the ground and repeat for several reps.
Lunges
Lunges are a great exercise for targeting the glutes, as well as the quads and hamstrings.
To perform a lunge, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands on your hips.
Take a large step forward with one foot, bending your knee and lowering your body down towards the ground.
Your front knee should be directly above your ankle, and your back knee should be hovering just above the ground.

Push back up to a standing position and repeat with your other leg.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, these are the best glutes exercises for women that are backed by science.
Incorporating these exercises into your workout routine can help you achieve a toned, firm, and rounded backside.
Remember to start with lighter weights and gradually increase the weight as your strength improves.
Additionally, it is important to maintain good form and technique to avoid injury.
By including these exercises in your workout routine, you will be on your way to achieving the glutes of your dreams.
Frequently asked questions
If you've got a persistent sports injury, a dodgy knee, a shoulder that never fully healed, a lower back that flares up every time you try to train, you're probably frustrated.
You might have had physio. You might have rested for months. And yet the problem keeps coming back.
Here's why: rest and passive treatment alone rarely fix the underlying cause of a sports injury.
The root of most recurring injuries is weakness or movement dysfunction and the only way to address those is through progressive, targeted exercise.
The Most Common Mistake in Injury Recovery
Most people either rest completely (which weakens the area further) or return to full training too soon (which re-injures the same structures).
The sweet spot is a structured rehabilitation programme that progressively loads the injured area in a controlled way.
As a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms), I assess joint function before building a programme that specifically targets the movement restrictions and weaknesses driving your injury.
What an Exercise-Based Rehab Programme Looks Like
- Week 1–2: Joint assessment and movement re-education, teaching the body to move properly around the injury
- Week 3–4: Controlled strength work at the end of the available range of motion
- Week 5–8: Progressive loading, building strength and resilience in the injured tissue
- Week 9–12: Sport or activity-specific conditioning, preparing for return to full training
Why This Works
Tendons, ligaments and muscles respond to load. When you progressively challenge them with controlled exercise, they adapt and become stronger.
When you avoid using them, they weaken. The research is clear: exercise-based rehabilitation produces better long-term outcomes than rest alone for the vast majority of musculoskeletal injuries.
Getting Started in Orpington
Conditioned Fitness in Orpington offers sports injury rehabilitation programmes with Massimo Massaro BSc FRCms. One of very few personal trainers in South East London with an advanced qualification specifically in joint health and mobility.
Sessions are 100% private, 1:1, and tailored to your injury and your goals.
If you're dealing with a persistent sports injury in the Orpington, Bromley, or Sevenoaks area, call
07950 398025 to book a free assessment.
