Research Says THIS is the Most Effective Glute Exercise
Key insights: 60-second read
- The single-leg RDL targets all three gluteal muscles - Research from Australia shows this exercise is one of the most effective for strengthening gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus simultaneously.
- Progress to the single-leg RDL gradually - If you are in pain or starting from scratch, begin with simpler exercises like bridging, clams, and banded walks before attempting this advanced movement.
- Use a broomstick to maintain form - Place a broomstick along your spine to ensure you are hinging at the hips, not bending your back.
- Hidden back dysfunction can inhibit your glutes - Weak glutes may actually be a sign of inhibition caused by lower back dysfunction, not true muscle weakness.
Are you working hard on your gluteal muscle strength but are not necessarily sure which exercise is the most effective way to target those glutes?
Thanks to recent research from here in Australia, we may now have a deeper understanding of which exercises might be best if you're trying to strengthen your gluteus maximus, your gluteus medius, or your gluteus minimus. Whether you are in pain and trying to improve your gluteal muscle strength, or you just want your glute muscles to feel stronger, let's talk about why it is probably not the exercise you might think, and why it might be a single-leg Romanian deadlift.
In this article, I'd like to explain what the research found, walk you through how to safely progress to a single-leg RDL, and discuss why your glutes may feel weak in the first place - and why it could be back-related.
On this page
1. What the Research Shows
A recent Australian study examined eight different hip-focused exercises to determine which ones were most effective at targeting the gluteal muscles. The researchers found that the single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) was the standout exercise for targeting all three gluteal muscles simultaneously - the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
Important Context
The participants in this study were fit, healthy, well-trained athletes with no pain to speak of. While this research tells us what is highly effective for healthy individuals, if you are currently in pain or recovering from an injury, the single-leg RDL is a goal to aim for, not necessarily the place to start.
The single-leg RDL - also known as a single-leg good morning or single-leg hip hinge - stands out because it requires your hip musculature to manage stability in real time. Being on one leg forces your gluteus medius and minimus to work hard at stabilisation while your gluteus maximus drives the movement.
2. Where to Start
If you are currently in pain or working back from being injured, you may need to progress to the single-leg RDL from simpler gluteal muscle strength exercises.
Progression Pathway
- Start with the basics: Side-lying leg lifts, side-lying clams, or bridging on your back.
- Progress to standing: Banded monster walks or banded crab walks to get the glutes firing.
- Two-leg RDL: Master the hip hinge on both legs before attempting single-leg.
- Single-leg RDL: Once you feel strong and stable, progress to the single-leg version.
When you are ready to progress to the single-leg RDL, a step before the single-leg is obviously being comfortable doing it on both legs. I would always recommend using a band when starting.
The Banded Two-Leg RDL
- Place a band just above your knees at the bottom of your thighs.
- Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart to feel a little tension in the band.
- Externally rotate your legs on a fixed foot - you should feel the tension in the band and through your glutes.
- Stand up nice and tall with your back straight.
- Hinge down as far as you feel comfortable until you feel a light tension, then extend back up again.
3. The Broomstick Technique
If you find it hard to figure out where your back needs to be in space, I recommend using a broomstick to check your form.
How to Use the Broomstick
- Place the broomstick on the top of your tailbone (sacrum) and also between your shoulder blades.
- When you stand up tall, there should be a little gap where you can reach your hand in through the broomstick.
- Hinge forward as far as you feel comfortable.
- The goal: The broomstick should not disconnect from either of those two points, nor should it flatten closer to your spine (which may indicate your back is bending).
- The purpose of this exercise is not to go down as far as you can. The purpose is to go as far as you can while maintaining a straight spine.
Start with just the first third of the movement. Get used to putting the hinge through your hips, getting it out of your lower back. As you feel confident and the stick is not changing relative to your back, start to explore how far you feel you can go.
4. Progressing to the Single-Leg RDL
Once you have mastered the two-leg RDL with good form, it is time to progress to the single-leg version.
How to Do the Single-Leg RDL
- Start next to support: Stand next to a wall, bench, or table so you can take the balance aspect out of it initially.
- Hinge forward: Stand on one foot, hinge down as far as you feel comfortable, then come back up again.
- Prioritise stability: It is okay if your leg wobbles a little bit. The more you do it, the more those hip muscles will wake up and get stronger.
- Gradually reduce support: Eventually, you want to be able to do this without holding on to anything.
- Add weight: Once you can do three sets of 10 with good form and it feels too easy, add a kettlebell or dumbbell.
- Do both sides: One side will feel slightly easier than the other. Make sure you train both.
The single-leg RDL should be a priority for anyone trying to reclaim lost gluteal function or improve how their hip functions as a whole. Your body does not think in isolation - it thinks of you as a hip or as a lower half where everything functions together. While exercises like clams or side-lying leg lifts can be great at strengthening muscles in isolation, eventually you want to train everything together so they can all learn to function together.
5. Hidden Back Dysfunction
One of the single biggest reasons I find that someone's gluteal muscles may feel weak is not actually weakness - it may be inhibition caused by hidden lower back dysfunction.
The Deactivation Cycle
If your lower back has some hidden dysfunction - stiffness, restriction, or nerve irritation - it can inhibit your gluteal muscles from activating properly. Your glutes may not be weak at all; they may simply be "turned off" by your nervous system because of what is happening in your back.
If you do not also take a step back to understand why those glutes became weak in the first place, something like a single-leg RDL might be an exercise you just have to keep doing indefinitely. As soon as you stop doing it, if you have not also addressed the hidden underlying cause, you might find that glute becomes inhibited or deactivated again.
This is why the basics are still the basics. Can you do the exercise correctly? Can you fatigue yourself? And can you feel those glute muscles as a whole working together? If the answer to any of these is "no," there may be something upstream that needs attention first.
The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a highly effective exercise for targeting all three gluteal muscles simultaneously, according to recent Australian research. However, it should be a goal to work towards, not a starting point, especially if you are currently in pain.
Start with the basics. Master the two-leg RDL. Use a broomstick to check your form. Progress to the single-leg version gradually. And always consider whether there may be hidden lower back dysfunction inhibiting your glutes from firing properly.
I genuinely hope that this was helpful and insightful. If you have hip dysfunction or persistent pain that you cannot seem to get rid of despite your best efforts, consider booking in for a consultation where we can do a deep dive on what might be causing this for you.
- Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most effective glute exercise?
Recent Australian research suggests the single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) is one of the most effective exercises for targeting all three gluteal muscles - the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus - simultaneously. However, it should be a goal to work towards, not a starting point, especially if you are currently in pain.
How do I know if I am doing an RDL correctly?
Use a broomstick placed along your spine - on your sacrum and between your shoulder blades. As you hinge forward, the broomstick should stay in contact with both points and should not flatten closer to your spine. This indicates you are hinging at the hips rather than bending your back.
Can I do the single-leg RDL if I have back pain?
If you are currently in pain, the single-leg RDL may not be the place to start. Begin with simpler exercises like bridging, clams, or banded walks. Work with a physiotherapist who can assess whether your glute weakness is actually due to inhibition caused by hidden lower back dysfunction.
Why might my glutes feel weak even though I train them?
Your glutes may not actually be weak - they may be inhibited by hidden lower back dysfunction. Stiffness, restriction, or nerve irritation in your lower back can "turn off" your gluteal muscles. This is why it is important to look beyond the glutes themselves when trying to understand why they feel weak.
What exercises should I do before attempting a single-leg RDL?
Start with simpler exercises like side-lying leg lifts, clams, bridging, banded monster walks, and banded crab walks. Progress to a two-leg RDL with a band, then to a two-leg RDL without a band, and finally to the single-leg RDL. Use a broomstick to check your form throughout.
One key insight from this video
"The single-leg RDL targets all three gluteal muscles simultaneously. But if you are in pain, it is a goal, not a starting point. And if you are not also addressing hidden back dysfunction, you may be fighting an uphill battle."
Living With Hip or Gluteal Pain?
If you are struggling with hip or gluteal pain that is not responding to exercise, or you are unsure why your glutes feel weak, we can help. Learn more about our hip pain physiotherapy services in Port Macquarie.
Want personalised guidance?
If you would like help making sense of your hip pain, gluteal weakness, or persistent dysfunction, you can book with Grant either in Port Macquarie or via an online telehealth consultation.
