Kate Upton found a glute-building exercise variation you'll want to try

Kate Upton found a glute-building exercise variation you'll want to try

Kate Upton's Instagram followers know she's serious when it comes to working out. The supermodel has shared all sorts of physical feats on the social media platform and often posts videos of fitness workouts with her trainer Ben Bruno. Recently, Bruno shared a clip of Upton crushing a series of eccentric one-legged hip thrusts, despite being adorably distracted by her dog Norman.

In the video, Upton demonstrates what Bruno called "one of the best glute exercises you've never tried before" using a barbell with weight plates designed to look like donuts and pizzas. Watch Bruno's video of Upton crushing this glute exercise with Norman by her side below, then find out how you can do the exercise yourself at home.

How to perform a single-leg hip thrust

AStart in a seated position with your upper back against the edge of an exercise bench, knees bent and feet flat on the floor close together.

b.Place the barbell on your hips with a pad in between to act as a cushion.

CPush through feet to lift hips until they are approximately parallel to the floor. Squeeze the glutes at the top and tighten the core to avoid arching the lower back.

DLift one foot off the floor with a slight bend in the knee. Pause.

EKeeping foot lifted, slowly lower hips back to starting position. Take 2 to 3 seconds to lower yourself in a controlled manner.

Do 6 reps on one side and then repeat on the other side

To better understand why this glute exercise is so powerful, you should know the difference between the eccentric and concentric parts of an exercise. The eccentric portion of an exercise focuses on lengthening the working muscles, but this often requires resisting gravity (as Upton demonstrates by slowly lowering the barbell to the floor rather than slamming it back down). "Eccentric contractions can also literally grow your muscle fibers, making the muscle itself physically longer," Ally McKinney, ACSM-certified personal trainer at Gold's Gym and GOLD's AMP coach, previously told Shape.

This is different from the isometric and concentric portions (the other types of movements that make up all strength training exercises). The isometric portion of an exercise involves holding still or pausing mid-movement to thoroughly activate the muscles. Think: high planks, wall sits, pull-up bar hangs. Finally, the concentric portion of an exercise focuses on contracting the muscles, such as: B. the upward movement of a bicep curl or sit-up.

While Upton takes it up a notch with single-leg reps, all variations of hip thrusts have major benefits. In addition to the obvious benefit of strengthening your glutes, they also target the hamstrings and recruit the core. Additionally, hip thrusts help improve hip mobility because they require a wide range of motion. "Start by working through the hip thrust range of motion without weight. Get comfortable there. Then add weight, this will help you build strength within the newfound range of motion," Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, founder of Movement Vault, a mobility and functional movement program, previously told Shape.

Whether you're planning on trying this one-legged hip thrust yourself or just want to get inspired by Upton's happy fitness vibes, everyone will be laughing as you watch Norman try to get in on the action in the second video of the Instagram carousel. Enjoy!