Best Exercises for Gluteus Medius

Gluteus Medius is responsible for hip abduction, meaning laterally moving the leg away from the center of the body. It’s also engaged to stabilize the hip during single leg exercises.

Machine Hip Abduction

Hip Abduction machine is the best way to isolate Gluteus Medius. The important benefit of the machine is the ability to progressively add weight with moderate repetitions, increasing the muscle’s size and strength.

Steps

1. Sit down on the machine with knees bent, directly in front of you
2. Squeeze the glutes to push the knees out and open the hip
3. Return to starting position

Lying Hip Abduction

In the absence of a dedicated machine, Lying Hip Abduction is a decent alternative. It is more difficult to add resistance but it’s possible with a hip band, ankle weights, or just by holding weight on top of the thigh.

Steps

1. Lie down on the side
2. Lift the leg on top up until you feel a contraction in the glute
3. Return to starting position

Lateral Step Up

The step up involves the gluteus maximus, quadricep, gluteus medius, and inner thigh muscles. This exercise may fatigue other muscles before gluteus medius. However, it’s still a decent exercise for gluteus medius as it will have to work hard to stabilize the hip through the multi-planar movement.

Steps

1. Stand to the side of a box
2. Put one foot on the box
3. Drive through the heel of the foot to step onto the box
4. Return to starting position