11 Exercises Top Trainers Do Every Time They Work Out | SELF

They target the glute medius, an important muscle on the side of your butt that helps stabilize your body when you walk and run."—Kira Stokes, celebrity trainer and creator of the Stoked Method"Every time I work out I do glute activation exercises with a band. I will step into the band and bring it right up above my knees and do different variations of glute activation exercises, like crab walks, bridges with open and closing of the knees at the top of the bridge, Romanian deadlift to hops."—Astrid Swan, celebrity trainer in Los AngelesHow to do it:To mix it up, try adding a few full bridges (lifting the hips up and then lowering them back down) in between each set of pulses, Stokes recommends."Side lunges are my favorite exercise, period. They work the glutes and inner thighs, and you can add weight on days you want to increase intensity."—Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., creator of Le Sweat and master instructor at SoulCycleHow to do it:"This exercise is great because it gives a great bang for your buck and targets the glutes, quads, and core while you are in the split stance, the core during and knee drive, and the shoulder during the press."—Louise Green, plus-size trainer, athlete, author of the book Big Fit Girl, and SELF columnistHow to do it:"I do these pretty much every day. I love a squat because it is so primal and functional—babies sit in squats to relax, and our bodies naturally want to move in that pattern."—Alex Silver-Fagan, Nike master trainer, certified yoga instructor, and certified functional strength coachHow to do it:"The Bulgarian split squat is a terrific way to build single-leg strength and to strengthen and target your legs, glutes, and core. As you jump, keep your elbows close to your body, core engaged, and knees soft."—Juan Hidalgo, certified trainer and group fitness instructor in Los Angeles"I use my jump rope literally every single time I work out. My goal really is to keep my low back healthy and in a good place to do the meat of my workout, and strong glutes really help with that."—Kira Stokes, celebrity trainer and creator of the Stoked MethodHow to do it:Other variations include: keeping the knee bent and lifting your foot up toward the ceiling, holding a dumbbell in the crease of the knee of your moving leg, lifting the knee to hip height and pulsing an inch up and down (instead of bringing it all the way back to the floor each time), and holding a small exercise ball in the crease of the knee of your moving leg for extra hamstring activation."My glutes have always been my weakest muscle group, and this move strengthens them, plus my legs and core.