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With great value pieces of equipment like resistance bands and adjustable dumbbells for your home gym, it’s now easier than ever to give your glutes a proper workout at home.
One such piece of exercise equipment is the glute-ham roller.  For those of you on tight budgets or with limited space, it offers one of the simplest solutions for next level glute training in the comfort of your own home. Â
If you’re not familiar with it, keep reading to learn more about this innovative training solution along with some fantastic glute ham roller exercises.
What Is The Glute Ham Roller
The glute ham roller, also referred to as a glute ham slider, is an exercise device designed to target and strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain, specifically the glutes and hamstrings.
What’s more, the glute ham roller isn’t limited to working just the glute and hamstring muscles; it can also effectively engage your core muscles.
By incorporating a variety of ab exercises, like those done with an ab roller, you can maximize the use of the glute-ham roller for a more comprehensive workout.
Best Glute Ham Roller Exercises For Strength Gains
If you’ve never used a glute-ham roller before, you may be surprised at how effective they are.  It may be small, but don’t be fooled, it can offer the perfect package for lighting up your glutes.  Below we’ve suggested a few of the great exercises you can do using a glute ham roller.  Â
Hamstring Curls
Performing hamstring curls using a glute ham roller helps to mimic using the leg curl machine in the gym.
This exercise primarily focuses on bilateral hamstring engagement and requires good coordination to do it with proper form.
- Start by lying on your back and place your heels on the roller.
- Raise your hips from the floor and keep your arms down by your sides.
- Roll your feet towards your glutes.
- Pause, squeezing your glute at the top.
- Extend your legs back out and repeat.
Single Leg Curl
This is a great way of progressing from the hamstring curl and involves raising one leg in the air. Â This puts more emphasis on unilateral hamstring strength and stability, as your supporting leg has to work a little harder to maintain balance. Â
- Begin in the same position as with the hamstring curl.
- This time, bring one knee up lifting your foot away from the roller.
- Brace your abs and roll your working foot towards you.
- Pause briefly then return to the starting position.
Knee Tucks
Doing knee tucks on a glute ham roller will really work your core muscles, specifically the lower abdominals (rectus abdominis).
They can be a bit of a challenge when starting as you need to support your body weight throughout the movement.
- ​Start in a high plank position with both feet placed on the roller, hands directly under your shoulders on the floor.
- ​Engage your core and use your abdominal muscles to pull the roller towards your hands by tucking your knees towards your chest.
- Use control to slowly extend your legs back to the starting plank position.
- Repeat the exercise while maintaining a tight core throughout.
Ab Rollouts
The ab rollout is a classic exercise that’s usually performed using an ab roller.  However, because of the design of the glute ham roller it lends itself well to being able to perform this effective ab strengthening exercise. Â
- Start on your knees with the glute ham roller just in front of you.
- Lean forward and place both hands on the roller. This is the starting position.
- Tighten your core and use control to lower your upper body towards the floor by rolling forward.
- Go as low as you find comfortable. The lower you get to the floor the more your abs will engage.
- Keep squeezing your abs as you roll back to the start.
Side Lunges
Side lunges, also called lateral lunges, are a functional exercise that’s going to work the muscles of your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and, abductors.
As it works several muscle groups at once, it’s considered a compound exercise and is perfect for improving functional mobility and strengthening your lower body.
- Stand upright with the glute ham roller just outside of your left foot.
- Carefully position your left foot in the v-shaped notch of the roller.
- With your head and chest up, lower yourself to the ground by bending your right knee to squat down and rolling your left foot straight out to the side.
- Keep your left leg straight throughout the movement.
- Slowly return back to the start using plenty of control.
Single Leg Mountain Climbers
The single-leg mountain climber makes for a great glute ham roller exercise which will fire up your core and burn a ton of calories in the process making it ideal if you’re looking to lose some bodyfat.
- Start in a high plank position with one foot in on the roller.
- Keep the knee of the free leg tucked up towards your chest.
- From here, roll the glute ham slider towards you.
- At the same time, extend your free leg straight out.
- Bring both legs back to the start and repeat.
- Complete the same number of reps on both sides.
Alligator Walks
Alligator walks are one of the more unique chest exercises you can do.  Besides working your chest muscles, they’ll also engage your arms and core. Â
You’ll need a bit of space to perform this exercise as you have to move backwards and forwards a few steps.  As you get stronger you can increase the challenge by anchoring a band to the roller and a solid base such as a squat rack or the bottom of a doorway. Â
- Get yourself into a high plank position with both feet resting on the glute ham roller.
- With your arms extended, move your body forward by alternating between your arms. Your feet should remain in place.
- Continue in this way moving for several steps.
- The reverse the movement and head backwards.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Glute Ham Roller
Whether you use the Sorinex original glute ham roller or you opt for a lower-cost alternative from somewhere like Amazon, using a glute ham roller offers many benefits.
1. It Can be Used On Different Surfaces
Compared to equipment like slider pads, you can use a glute ham roller on different surfaces.
Whether it’s carpet, astroturf, rubber, or concrete, your ab roller should glide easily over these surfaces so no matter where you are, you can achieve a great workout.
2. It’s Space Efficient
One of the best benefits of the glute ham roller is its compact size. Â Unless you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated room for your workout equipment, you’ll probably need something that can easily be stored away after use. Â
The small size and slim design of the glute-ham roller means you can easily tuck it away in a cupboard or drawer when you’ve finished your workout.
It’s even small enough to be portable, so if you’re travelling somewhere pop it into your suitcase so it can meet your mobile training needs!
3. It’s Low Cost
There’s no getting away from it, gym equipment can be costly. Â Especially when you consider that you have to invest in several items to achieve a full-body workout. Â
One of the great benefits of the glute ham raise is that whether you choose the best hamstring curl unit on the market or opt for something less well-known, it’s going to be relatively inexpensive to purchase.
4. It’s Versatile
Not only does the glute ham roller allow for an ultra easy setup, but it’s also really versatile.  As well as being able to perform a multitude of hamstring and glute exercises, you can also effectively work your core and other muscles with no special training required! Â
You can even hook on a resistance band to increase tension on your muscles for an even more challenging workout!
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking to intensify your core workouts, target specific muscle imbalances, or simply add variety to your routine, the glute ham roller offers a compact, effective solution.
Start integrating these exercises into your regimen and you’ll quickly feel the difference in muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Remember, consistency is key. Happy rolling!
