Butt-Ups
Butt-Ups Exercise Description
Butt-ups (also called quadruped bent‑knee hip extensions) are a bodyweight glute exercise performed on hands and knees. The goal is to extend at the hip while keeping the spine and pelvis stable. The gluteus maximus is the primary mover; the hamstrings assist, while the gluteus medius/minimus and the core musculature help control pelvic alignment. This drill reinforces glute-driven hip extension without compensating through the low back. Expect a focused contraction in the working-side glute when the leg approaches torso level and the lumbar spine remains neutral.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, Multifidus, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Butt-Ups Exercise
‘- Start on all fours: wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, fingers spread, gaze down. Set a neutral spine and level pelvis.
– Brace your abdominal wall as if preparing to cough; keep ribs stacked over the pelvis.
– Bend one knee to about 90 degrees and dorsiflex the ankle (toes toward shin). Keep hips square to the floor.
– Without arching your low back, drive the heel of the bent leg upward by extending the hip. Move only at the hip.
– Lift until the thigh is roughly in line with your torso or just below. Stop before the pelvis rotates or the lumbar spine extends.
– Briefly hold the top position, maintaining even pressure through both hands and the grounded knee.
– Lower the knee with control to the start position without letting the low back sag or the pelvis tip.
– Keep your neck neutral (chin slightly tucked) and shoulders gently pulled down away from ears.
– Maintain a steady breath; exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
– Complete controlled repetitions on one side, then switch legs while preserving the same alignment and range.
Butt-Ups Tips
‘- Set up on all fours with wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, fingers spread, and gaze down.
– Establish a neutral spine and level pelvis before you start moving.
– Brace your abdominal wall “as if preparing to cough” and keep ribs stacked over the pelvis.
– Bend the working knee to about 90 degrees and dorsiflex the ankle, keeping hips square to the floor.
– Drive the heel up by extending only at the hip; avoid arching the low back.
– Lift only until the thigh is roughly in line with the torso or just below.
– Stop the lift as soon as the pelvis starts to rotate or the lumbar spine begins to extend.
– Maintain even pressure through both hands and the grounded knee, especially at the top.
– Lower the knee with control without letting the low back sag or the pelvis tip.
– Keep your neck neutral (chin slightly tucked), shoulders gently pulled down from ears, and exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
Butt-Ups Beginner Introduction
Butt-ups (also called quadruped bent‑knee hip extensions) are a bodyweight move done in an all-fours position that centers on strong, controlled hip motion. The working leg travels backward and upward from a bent-knee position while the torso stays quiet, so the action comes mainly from the glutes rather than the lower back. The hamstrings lend support, and the upper glutes, deep glutes, and core contribute to steady, balanced alignment through the hips and trunk.
This drill emphasizes precision over speed. The lower back remains long and calm as the thigh lifts toward the line of the body, creating a concentrated squeeze in the glute on the moving side near the top of the arc. Because the shoulders, arms, grounded knee, and midsection all share the job of holding a stable base, the exercise links hip strength with overall body control. It serves as a simple way to practice powering hip extension from the glutes without relying on unwanted motion through the lumbar spine.