Bret Contreras - Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training

Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

2019 Bret Contreras and Glen Cordoza

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1628603-46-0

This book is for educational purposes. The publisher and authors of this instructional book are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any adverse effects arising directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided in this book. If not practiced safely and with caution, working out can be dangerous to you and others. It is important to consult with a professional fitness instructor before beginning training. It is also important to consult with a physician prior to training due to the intense and strenuous nature of the techniques outlined in this book.

Cover and Interior design by Charisse Reyes

Illustrations by Elita San Juan, Crizalie Olimpo, and Charisse Reyes Photography by Glen Cordoza

Models: Katie Cordoza, Jamie De Revere, and Alex Sterner Printed in Canada

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1:

CHAPTER 2:

CHAPTER 3:

CHAPTER 4:

CHAPTER 5:

CHAPTER 6:

CHAPTER 7:

CHAPTER 8:

CHAPTER 9:

CHAPTER 10:

CHAPTER 11:

CHAPTER 12:

CHAPTER 13:

CHAPTER 14:

CHAPTER 15:

CHAPTER 16:

CHAPTER 17:

CHAPTER 18:

CHAPTER 19:

CHAPTER 20:

CHAPTER 21:

Foreword

Its always an honor being asked to write the foreword for a book by someone you respect and admire. Its particularly gratifying for me when that individual is Bret Contreras. There is no one I respect and admire more, both personally and professionally.

Those of you who are fairly new to fitness may not truly appreciate the magnitude of influence that Brets had on the industry. In fact, its no exaggeration to state that Bret has changed the way fitness enthusiasts and pros alike approach glute training.

All thats needed to fully comprehend Brets contribution to the field is a perusal of the exercise literature in the years prior to his arrival on the fitness scene. Youll see that until the late 2000s, virtually every article on glute training advised people to go heavy and hard on squats and deadlifts. The occasional paper might have included a few sets of lunges or stiff-leg deadlifts, but many so-called authority figures were all too quick to dismiss lunges as a

sissy exercise. To that end, cable kickbacks and the seated hip abduction machine were also for wimps. Bodyweight exercises, banded exercises, single-leg exercises, and high reps in general were regarded as ineffective for enhancing glute development. Back extensions were performed with the intention of targeting the lower back musculature, and the entire category of glute bridges and hip thrusts didnt even exist.

Bret spends the bulk of his days figuring out ways to further evidence-based glute training. No one devotes more time and energy to scouring the relevant literature and then testing out his applied theories in the trenches.

Indeed, Bret invented barbell glute bridges, barbell hip thrusts, frog pumps, and nearly every other loaded bridge and thrust variation you can think of.

Moreover, he invented glute-dominant back extensions (rounded back and feet turned out), side-lying hip raises, extra-range side-lying hip abductions, and many other popular glute exercises. He popularized turning the foot inward for frontal plane hip abduction exercises, greatly influenced the rise in popularity of mini bands and elastic loops for glute training, and helped make it acceptable to utilize machines, cables, and higher rep ranges for glute growth. Bret also created force vector terminology to differentiate glute

exercise categories and aid in program design. The list goes on and on

Brets tireless research in the lab and in the gym has revolutionized the way we train glutes today; his reach on the topic spans the globe. While training strategies for the pecs, delts, lats, arms, quads, and hammies havent changed much over the past few decades, the science and practice of glute training has progressed exponentially thanks to Bret. In the case of the hip thrust, nobody else in the world can be credited for inventing and popularizing an exercise that is now universally performed in fitness facilities on a daily basis. I still get a kick out of the fact that pretty much every time I hit the gym, I see someone performing an exercise that Bret devised. Suffice it to say, youll never meet anyone as passionate about glutes as Bret Contreras, and Im proud to have collaborated with him on dozens of published research studies, lay articles, and podcasts.

I know that Bret and Glen worked relentlessly on Glute Lab for two years, making sure that it communicates Brets complete system of glute training in a manner that is easy for the masses to comprehend. Whether you are a personal trainer, strength coach, athlete, physical therapist, or just somebody looking to improve the strength and appearance of your glutes, do yourself a favor and read Glute Lab; I guarantee you wont be disappointed.

Yours in Fitness, Brad Schoenfeld, PhD

INTRODUCTION

If you could improve any part of your body, what would it be? For me, its always been the gluteus maximus, or glutes.* Not because its the largest muscle in the body or one of the most important. No, I first became fascinated with glutes because I didnt have any.

Long before I was known as the Glute Guy, I was a skinny, lanky teenager. My flat backside in particular was a constant source of embarrassment. Some guys are shy to talk about it, but we all know that having nice glutes is both attractive and desirable; its a symbol of health, strength, athleticism, and beauty. But I had nothing.

In high school, I would often overhear girls talking about my friends

butts. Theyd say things like, So-and-so has a nice butt, or, His butt looks great in those jeans. I often wondered what they said about me. Then one incident, which Ill never forget, made it clear.

I was out golfing with my sisters boyfriend, and at one point I went to swing the club when he said, You know, Bret, you have no butt. He was drawing a straight, vertical line in the air with his hand: Your back just goes right into your legs! I was devastated. He had just called attention to my biggest insecurity. Even worse, I now knew what the girls at school were saying about me. I thought, if this is what my sisters boyfriend thinks, imagine what all of the girls at school are thinking.

This was a turning point for me. Something needed to change. I needed to get glutes.

From then on, I was obsessed with glute training. My underdeveloped

backside put me on a quest to find the best training methods and techniques for strengthening and developing the glutes. Now, after 28 years of training, coaching, and experimentingand getting my PhD and publishing numerous research papersIve developed the worlds first comprehensive glute training system. This book is that system. You will learn why glute training is important, how your glutes function, the critical role they play in your body, and, most importantly, how to design a program and perform techniques that maximize glute development and performance.

But before I delve into the system, I want to share my journey because it explains why and how the system and techniques were developed.