Gluteus minimus exercises (and medius): the side glutes runners need

Gluteus minimus exercises are the least glamorous part of glute training, which is exactly why they get skipped. The gluteus medius and minimus don't show up in progress photos. They just keep your pelvis level every time you stand on one leg, which, if you run, is every single stride.

This guide covers what the side glutes do, which exercises actually train them according to the research, how to do each one, and how to fit them into a week without turning it into a 40-minute band circuit. Do it by hand or use an app that programs strength and running for you. The side glutes don't check who wrote the plan.

What the gluteus medius and minimus do

• ›Gluteus medius: a fan-shaped muscle on the outer hip, running from the top of the pelvis down to the bony point at the top of your thigh bone. It moves your leg out to the side and holds your pelvis level when you're on one leg.
• ›Gluteus minimus: smaller and deeper, directly underneath the medius, attaching to the same part of the thigh bone. It helps with the same jobs.

Both muscles have front, middle and back sections (segments) that don't always behave the same way. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis noted that the medius and minimus segments respond differently to pathology and ageing, which is why the authors looked at which exercises hit each segment hard.

Why it matters for runners and lifters: every running stride, step-up, split squat and single-leg deadlift asks these muscles to stop your hips from dropping or twisting. If you want them strong for that job, train them directly. If you're after a plan you can start this week that combines lifting and running, side glute work belongs in it.

They're the third piece of the glute puzzle, after hip extension and single-leg work. For the bigger lifts, there's more on glute exercises in the main guide.

Don't squats and hip thrusts already train them?

Less than you'd hope. In a 9-week training study of untrained adults, both the hip thrust and back squat groups grew their glutes similarly, but gluteus medius plus minimus muscle size showed little to no growth in either group. Heavy hip extension is great for the big glute. It isn't a side-glute program.

That's the case for direct work: a few sets of abduction and single-leg stability work, two or three times a week.

The best exercises for gluteus minimus and medius

The 2020 review drew on 56 studies to find which common exercises generate at least high activity (above 40% of a maximal voluntary contraction) in each segment. Its main findings:

• ›Hip hitch (pelvic drop) variations produced at least high activity in all gluteus medius segments and all gluteus minimus segments.
• ›Standing isometric hip abduction did the same for all gluteus minimus segments.
• ›For the middle gluteus medius: the single leg bridge, side-lying hip abduction with the hip turned in, the lateral step-up, standing hip abduction with added resistance, and the resisted side-step.
• ›For the back of the gluteus minimus: side-lying hip abduction, the dip test, the single leg bridge and the single leg squat.

Here's how to do the best ones.

1. Hip hitch (pelvic drop)

Stand on one leg on a step, the other foot hanging off the edge. Keep the standing knee straight. Let the hanging side's hip drop a few inches, then lift it back up past level using the standing hip's side muscles. Small movement, slow tempo. Hold a dumbbell on the standing side or add a pause at the top when it gets easy.

It looks like nothing. Do 15 slowly and you'll know exactly where your gluteus medius is.

2. Standing isometric hip abduction

Stand side-on to a wall, a foot or so away. Lift the leg nearest the wall slightly and press the outside of that knee or ankle into the wall as hard as you can without leaning. Hold 20–30 seconds. Both legs are working: the one pressing and the one you're standing on. No equipment, very hard to cheat.

3. Side-lying hip abduction

Lie on your side, bottom knee bent, top leg straight and slightly behind your body. Turn the top leg slightly inward (toes pointing a little down) and lift it, leading with the heel, without rolling your hips back. Lower slowly. In a 2009 EMG study of 12 exercises, side-lying hip abduction produced the highest gluteus medius activity. Add an ankle weight or a cable when bodyweight reps get easy.

4. Single-leg glute bridge

On your back, one foot planted, the other leg up, drive your hips up and keep them level. It shows up in the review for both the middle medius and the back of the minimus, and in a 2013 fine-wire EMG study the unilateral bridge was one of the exercises best at activating the gluteal muscles while keeping the tensor fascia latae (a small hip muscle that also lifts the leg out) relatively quiet. The 1 leg glute bridge guide covers form and progressions.

5. Lateral step-up

Stand side-on to a low box, step up sideways with the near leg, drive through that foot to stand tall, and lower slowly. Keep the working knee in line with your toes and your pelvis level. Hold dumbbells once bodyweight is easy.

6. Resisted side-step (lateral band walk)

Band around your knees or ankles, slight squat, small sideways steps without letting your feet snap together or your torso rock. The ankle position is harder than the knee position.

7. Clamshell

On your side, knees bent, feet together. Open the top knee without letting your pelvis roll back. The clam joined the sidestep and unilateral bridge on the 2013 study's shortlist of exercises that activate the glutes while minimizing the tensor fascia latae. Add a band above the knees for load.

8. Machine or cable abduction

Not in the review's top list, but it's the easiest way to add load in small steps over months. Seated machine or standing cable, slow and controlled, full range.

Gluteus medius and minimus exercises: sets and reps

Coaching conventions, not commandments. RPE 8 means about two reps left in reserve. Reps are per side.

Pick two or three, not all eight. Rotate them every few weeks if you get bored.

A 15-minute side glute session

Do it after an easy run, at the end of a lower-body session, or on its own at home.

Progression: add reps until you hit the top of the range, then add load (ankle weight, dumbbell, band, cable) or slow the tempo. If 30 reps feel easy, you're not progressing, you're just counting.

How side glute work fits with everything else

The side glutes are one piece. The other pieces still do most of the heavy lifting:

• ›Hip extension: hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts and squats train the gluteus maximus with real load. If you're starting there, barbell hip thrusts explained covers setup and how heavy to go.
• ›Single-leg strength: split squats and step-ups train hip extension and the side glutes' stabilizing job at the same time.
• ›Hamstrings: the glute-ham raise or a leg curl covers the back of the thigh, which side glute work doesn't touch.

If the goal behind your search is the top, outer part of your hips, the best upper glute exercises overlap heavily with this list: abduction work plus heavy hip extension.

Side glutes and running

Running is a series of single-leg landings, and the gluteus medius and minimus help hold your pelvis level on each one. That's a sound reason for runners to keep them strong. It isn't a promise that side-glute work will stop any particular injury, and if you have hip, knee or back pain, see a professional rather than self-prescribing clamshells.

Scheduling is easy because the fatigue cost is low:

• ›Bodyweight side glute work can go almost anywhere: after an easy run, before a lower-body session, or on its own.
• ›Loaded single-leg work (lateral step-ups, split squats) is leg work: put it on an easy run day and keep it away from the day before intervals or the long run.

After training, some gentle glute stretches can feel good. They're optional and don't replace the strength work.

How exrsz handles it

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, so side glute work shows up as banded or bodyweight moves at home and cable or machine abduction in a gym. It balances lower-body work against your runs in one plan, adapts each week to how you actually trained, and reshuffles missed sessions instead of stacking them.

FAQ

What are the best gluteus minimus exercises?

Hip hitches (pelvic drops) and standing isometric hip abduction. A 2020 meta-analysis found both generated at least high activity in all gluteus minimus segments, with side-lying abduction, single-leg bridges and single-leg squats also targeting the back of the muscle.

What are the best gluteus medius and minimus exercises together?

Hip hitches cover both, according to the same 2020 review. Side-lying hip abduction and the single-leg glute bridge are good second and third choices.

Do I need separate exercises for the gluteus minimus?

Not really. The minimus and medius do the same jobs, so the same abduction and single-leg exercises train both.

Do hip thrusts work the gluteus medius and minimus?

Not much for growth. In a 9-week study, gluteus medius plus minimus size showed little to no growth with either hip thrust or squat training, so add direct work.

How often should I do exercises for gluteus minimus?

Two or three times a week, two or three exercises at a time. They're low-fatigue, so they fit after easy runs or at the end of a lower-body session.