Jeff Nippard broke down 25 different exercises based on his own rankings system.
Jeff Nippard is an extremely prominent figure in both fitness and bodybuilding. He continues to preach his science-based methods and recently, that included ranking the best and worst exercises to build your glutes.
[RELATED: Jeff Nippard’s 21 Best & Worst Exercises For Shoulder Development]
Nippard’s dedication to bodybuilding led him to win the title of Mr. Junior Canada at 22. As a powerlifter, he boasts impressive lifts: a 502-pound squat, a 336-pound bench press, and a 518-pound deadlift, achieving an all-time best Wilks score of 446. The Wilks score is a formula used to measure the strength of powerlifters relative to their body weight, allowing comparisons across different weight classes.
Nippard has found great success in many avenues and continues to help others reach their ultimate goals.
| Full Name: Jeff Nippard (Natural Bodybuilder and Powerlifter) | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 178 lbs | 5’5″ | 10/6/1990 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilding | 2010s, 2020s | Canadian |
Jeff Nippard Ranks 25 Glute Exercises
Ranking System
Jeff Nippard created his own ranking system to break down these 25 exercises:
- S: The best exercises that you should try.
- A: Strongly recommend.
- B: Still try but there are better options.
- C: Better options for most.
- D: Not the best option.
- F: Will not recommend.
S-Tier Exercises
- Machine Hip Abduction
- Walking Lunge
- Smith Machine Lunge (Front Foot Elevated)
- 45-Degree Back Extension
t the very top of the list, Jeff Nippard puts different variations of lunges and hip abduction. He explains how lunges remains one of the top exercises for glutes because it will hit the entire area.
“Lunges will hit the entire glute. There are many different ways to do lungest but I like old-school walking lunges the best. I like the idea that you’re moving through space and gives you actually something to work toward.”
A-Tier Exercises
The A-tier of exercises includes many variations of thrusts and squats. Nippard believes that all squats are beneficial and are sometimes a forgotten exercise when hitting glutes.
“I think squats are a super underrated flute builder on social media. You’ll activate all regions of the glutes but especially that middle trunk. Research shows squatting deeper is great for glute growth.”
- Machine Hip Thrust
- Single-Leg Dumbbell Hip Thrust
- Barbell Back Squat
- Smith Machine Squat
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Kickback
- Step Ups
- Smith Machine Lunge
- Romanian Deadlift
Thrusts on the machine and using dumbbells will also work glutes, along with deadlifts.
“Because the machine is very stable, you won’t need to use any balance and should be able to focus on engaging your glutes better. I personally do these every single week.”
B-Tier Exercises
- Barbell Hip Thrust
- Glute Bridge
- Cable Hip Abduction
- Curtsy Lunge
- Deadlift
- Sumo Deadlift
- Cable Pull Through
The next tier of exercises is headlined by popular exercises, such as glute bridges and barbell hip thrusts. Nippard believes that hip bridges are a great exercise for beginners.
“It’s really just a hip thrust but with less range of motion. They are a bit easier to set up because you don’t need a bench and they are great for beginners because they require less stabilization.”
C-Tier Exercises
- Frog Pumps
- Lateral Banded Walk
The list continued with Nippard’s penultimate tier of exercises. He lists frog pumps here because they require high reps while lateral banded walks are more of a warmup.
“The band offers virtually zero tension in the stretch. These are fine enough as a warmup drill.”
“I actually don’t have these as a high-rep finishers,” Nippard said of frog pumps. “But they are hard to load, which forces you to use really high reps and don’t stretch the glutes very well.”
D-Tier Exercises
- Donkey Kicks
- Fire Hydrants
- Kettlebell Swing
Nippard listed both donkey kicks and fire hydrants in the D-tier but shared these are his least favorite movements.
“Donkey kicks probably don’t grow your glutes very well. They are really hard to overload. Even with a band, you’re still getting very little tension while the glutes are stretched.”
“Fire hydrants have similar issues. They just don’t get high tension on the glutes.”
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