Dumbbell Glutes & Hamstrings

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Keep a soft bend in your knees, your shoulders back, and your spine long.

1. Inhale — hinge from your hips, sending them back as your torso lowers and the dumbbells travel down the front of your legs.
2. Lower until you feel a stretch along the backs of your thighs, or to a range that suits you, keeping your back flat.
3. Exhale — drive your hips forward to rise back to standing, keeping the dumbbells close to your legs.

• Keep the dumbbells close to your legs as they travel down.
• Hinge from the hips and keep your spine long rather than rounding.
• Keep a soft, steady bend in your knees throughout.
• Let your hips lead the movement back and forward.

Stand tall with your feet a little wider than hip-width and your toes turned slightly out. Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest, cupping the top end in both hands with your elbows pointing down. Draw your ribs down and set your weight across the middle of each foot.

1. Inhale — send your hips back and down, bending your knees to lower into the squat while keeping the dumbbell close to your chest.
2. Lower until your elbows travel toward the inside of your knees or to a depth that suits you, keeping your chest tall.
3. Exhale — drive through both feet to extend your hips and knees back to standing.

• Keep the weight close to your chest and your elbows pointing down.
• Let your knees track outward in line with your toes rather than caving in.
• Keep your torso upright and your chest lifted throughout.
• Keep your heels grounded and your weight through the mid-foot.

Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and drawn close to your hips. Rest your arms by your sides with your palms down. Set your lower back into a neutral position.

1. Inhale — press your feet into the floor and settle your ribs down.
2. Exhale — drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
3. Pause at the top and squeeze your glutes.
4. Inhale — lower your hips back down to the mat with control.

• Drive through your heels to lift the hips.
• Stop rising when your body is in a straight line rather than overarching your lower back.
• Keep your knees pointing forward, in line with your feet.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of each lift.

Stand tall near a wall, chair, or counter and rest one hand on it for balance. Set your feet hip-width apart with your weight settled onto the leg closest to the support. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your hips level.

1. Shift your weight fully onto your supporting leg, keeping a soft bend in that knee.
2. Exhale — lift your other leg out to the side, keeping it straight and the toes pointing forward.
3. Raise it to a comfortable height where your hips stay level, then pause briefly.
4. Inhale — lower the leg back down with control to meet the other foot.
5. Work through your repetitions, then turn around and work the other side.

• Lift the leg directly out to the side, not forward — keep your toes pointing ahead.
• Keep both hips level and your torso upright; don't lean toward the support to gain height.
• Let the outer hip do the work rather than swinging the leg up with momentum.
• Keep your standing knee soft and your core gently engaged for balance.

Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent to about 45 degrees, stacking your hips, knees, and ankles. Rest your head on your lower arm and place your top hand on the floor in front of you for support. Keep your feet together.

1. Set your spine long and draw your lower ribs in so your torso stays still.
2. Exhale — keeping your feet touching, lift your top knee upward, opening your knees like a clamshell.
3. Rotate only as far as you can without letting your top hip roll backward.
4. Inhale — lower the top knee back down with control, and repeat.

• Keep your feet pressed together throughout the movement.
• Let the motion come from the hip; keep your pelvis stacked and still.
• Open your knee to a comfortable range rather than forcing the height.

Sit on the floor (or sit upright on a chair). If you're on the floor, lie back. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee, so your right shin forms a horizontal line across your left thigh.

1. Inhale — flex the right foot to keep the right knee protected. Place your hands behind your left thigh (or on top of it if chair-seated).
2. Exhale — gently draw your left thigh toward your chest (floor variant) or lean forward over your shin (chair variant). Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing steadily.
3. To switch sides, release and repeat with the left ankle over the right thigh.

• Keep the right foot flexed — this keeps the right knee aligned.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed; don't shrug them up to your ears.
• Stop where you feel a stretch in the glute, not at the knee joint.