Glute Exercises Men – A Look At The ‘Unlock Your Glutes Program’
Introduction
In this article I will be addressing glute exercises men and specifically analysing the “Unlock Your Glutes” program by Brian Klepacki. Weak and flat glutes are predominantly a problem amongst men as many men don’t incorporate enough glute training or don’t know how to build thicker and stronger glutes.
Women tend to have better glutes on the whole as they do a lot more lower body training and glute specific training in their routines. However the same principles of training that apply to men also apply to women. There are women who can also benefit from stronger and thicker glutes.
In this article I will take a look at the Unlock Your Glutes program and conclude whether this program is worth trying if your goal is to improve the size, shape and strength of your glutes.
Who Is Brian Klepacki?
Brian Klepacki is the Head Strength Coach and owner of Optimax Performance Training. Optimax is a performance based personal training business and Brian has lots of experience as a strength and conditioning coach.
He has a Master’s degree in Exercise Science as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. Brian Klepacki is a very well respected figure in strength and conditioning and is an author for the Critical Bench website.
Is Squatting, Lunging And Deadlifting Enough?
We all know that squatting, lunging and deadlifting are fantastic exercises for the entire posterior chain. I personally believe that low bar squats or box squats with a focus on sitting back are the best exercises you can do for glutes.
According to Brian, he doesn’t believe that the aforementioned movements are enough to give you the glute size, definition and strength that are optimal for you. He advocates training glutes on their own in a separate session – i.e. treat leg training and glute training separately.
This to me does make sense, if you want to focus specifically on building up your glutes it makes sense to train them with serious focus in a separate session. Brian has trained bodybuilders who do lots of squats and deadlifts regularly but struggle with some of his glute exercises. This illustrates the necessity to train the glutes with extra exercises that are very specific if you want to maximise your glute development and strength.
Core Philosophies Of The Program
The core philosophies that permeate through Brian’s program are as follows:
- Restorative Lengthening– This is to release opposing muscles that inhibit your glutes. Sitting is a big culprit for making your glutes fall asleep and becoming dormant. Sitting also leads to tight hip flexors, Brian is a big proponent of releasing the hip flexors first and foremost.
- Neuro-muscular activation– This is to develop the mind-muscle connection that can be easily lost. It will ensure your glutes are firing as they should be.
- Spine protecting movements- The exercises in the program are safe and won’t put extra pressure on your knees or lumbar spine.
- EMG proven- The exercises in Brian’s program are backed by science to produce the most muscle contraction.
- Iso-holds- Helps to build strength without the need for lifting weights. Brian is a proponent of bodyweight exercises as well as resistance exercises. The program incorporates both modalities.
- Time under tension- The program utilises tempo training for more time under tension, this is a highly effective training principle.
What You Get In The Program
In the Unlock Your Glutes program there is a lot of value for the price. You get the Unlock Your Glutes manual where Brian exposes all the myths surrounding glute training. There are many Instagram celebrities who promote glute training programs that are a complete scam and it is a scourge of the fitness industry.
In addition you also get complete coaching videos of all the exercises in the program – both the bodyweight and gym exercises. All 36 exercises to be exact! Brian goes over how to perform each exercise with perfect form so that you are in no doubt about how to perform them.
The program calls for two workouts per week for four weeks, each workout should last for just 15 minutes.
Testimonials
Here are some testimonials from people who have completed the program and reporting on their experiences:
- Alain Gonzalez (musclemonsters.com) – “Get ready to build your glutes in record time so that you can increase your confidence and perform better”.
- Sarah DeMarco (NPC Bikini Competitor) – Brian’s “level of understanding when it comes to glute training was unlike anything I’ve ever heard before”.
- Chris Wilson (Head Strength Coach, Clearwater Fl) – “My back, knees and hips feel so much better since I started doing Coach Brian’s Unlock Your Glutes program”.
Is The Program Worth A Try?
Having analysed the program I would say it is a good investment and worth trying. The results are very good, the concepts behind the program are also sound and based on scientific data. Whilst I do personally believe that low bar squatting is phenomenal for the glutes, it is not everything.
Brian is not saying that squatting and deadlifting is bad for your glute development, he is just saying that you need more than those movements for optimal glute development. Which makes complete sense really, if you want to focus in on a specific body part then you must also do specific movements and isolate the body part separately. This is what the Unlock Your Glutes program is all about.
The program also comes with a 60 day money back guarantee. If you have tried it for 60 days and it didn’t work for you then you can get your money back. So there is no real risk with this program, but a lot to gain in terms of glute development, strength and overall mobility.
Conclusion
To conclude, in this article I have looked closely at the Unlock Your Glutes program by Brian Klepacki. Overall the program is worth it, there is no risk with the money back guarantee and there are 36 exercises in the program. This makes the program thoroughly comprehensive and the exercises will isolate the glutes really well from all angles.
If you are a man with lagging flat glutes then you should definitely consider giving this program a try. Likewise, if you are a woman and want to bring up your glutes to the next level then I would encourage you to give it a go.
As always, stay safe and enjoy your training! If you have any questions please leave them in the comments for me to respond to.
