Video summary

The ONLY 2 Exercises You Need to Fix Your Flat Butt

Main summary

Key takeaways

Wellness and Self-Improvement

Key wellness / performance strategies from the video

  • Fix weak, underdeveloped glutes to improve the whole chain

    • Weak glutes can stall strength, worsen posture, and contribute to persistent back pain.
    • Targeting glutes helps improve hip extension strength (useful for squats/deadlifts) and can reduce low-back stress.

  • Avoid common glute training problems (especially with big compound moves)

    • Many popular glute exercises are compound/taxing movements, so you may hit failure because of lower back, grip, or quads before glutes fully work.
    • If glutes are hard to activate, other muscles “steal” the work, limiting glute growth.
    • Some exercises cause brutal soreness, making recovery difficult and reducing how often you can train legs/glutes.

The 2 exercise approach (with self-care-friendly benefits)

1) Glute Focus Step Down (stretch / lengthened-position emphasis)

Why it’s recommended

  • Designed to force glutes to do most of the work with less “everything else” soreness.
  • Can be performed more frequently since it’s typically less sore than many alternatives.

How to do it (form cues)

  • Use a platform/bench (or a sturdy setup like a bench + equipment/rack; even a chair at home).
  • Start standing tall; step back and keep the back leg aligned.
  • Lean forward and “sit back” until the back foot lightly touches the ground.
  • At the bottom: freeze briefly and control the position.
  • From the bottom: drive hips forward using the planted leg’s glute—no momentum.
  • Prevent quad takeover
    • Keep the knee from traveling too far forward over the toes.
    • Aim for the knee to stay more over the foot.
  • Choose the right height
    • Ideally, the front thigh is parallel to the ground at the bottom.
    • If too high, shorten the range (e.g., add a plate under the back foot).

Progression / overload

  • Start with bodyweight, then progressively add weight over time.

Bonus technique: dumbbell in the opposite hand

  • Holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand forces stabilization and increases activation:
    • Outer hip/upper glute (glute medius) when more upright
    • Main glute max demand (glute maximus) more in the stretched position

2) Hip Thrust (squeeze / end-range hip extension emphasis)

Why it’s recommended

  • Builds end-range hip extension strength, which can help:
    • squats/deadlifts feel better
    • posture/stress distribution improve
    • walking stride length increase
    • lower-back comfort (when hinge/hip extension is stronger)

Two setup options

  • Barbell hip thrust (including machines)
  • Single-leg dumbbell hip thrust (easier setup; can be done at home)

Key hip thrust setup steps (the “3 steps”)

  • Place upper back high on the bench for stability.
  • Set foot position so that at the top:
    • knees are directly over feet
    • (too close = more quads; too far = more hamstrings)
  • Brace core, squeeze glutes, drive hips up.

Game-changing form adjustment: the “Scoop method” vs “Hinge method”

  • Scoop method (often best for glute activation)

    • Tuck chin and keep eyes forward.
    • Let the back arch at the bottom and move from the chest downward.
    • Focus on tilting the pelvis upward by squeezing glutes.
    • Note: it may feel weird at first and you may move less/heavier weight at first—but it can improve glute dominance.
    • Many people benefit from keeping chin tucked (Brett held the head in place to reinforce this).

  • Hinge method

    • Look forward at the bottom and up at the top, hinge in a straight-line body position.

  • Personalization tip

    • About 60/40 split among Brett’s clients: 60% prefer scoop, 40% prefer hinge—experiment to find your best fit.

Back pain-friendly note

  • The scoop method was highlighted as a way someone could return to heavy hip thrusting pain-free after previously having to stop.

Recommended programming (productivity/consistency guidance via structure)

  • Frequency

    • Train glutes 2–3 times per week (at least twice).

  • Sets/reps

    • 3 sets of 8–12 reps, performed 2–3x per week.

  • How to combine the two exercises

    • Use one stretch-focused glute move (step down) + one squeeze-focused glute move (hip thrust) for best overall results (growth and function).

Presenters / sources

  • Brett Contrarus (glute expert; described as having invented the hip thrust)
  • Video host / speaker (unnamed in the subtitles; also references their “wife Taing” and “our team”)
  • Built With Science Plus / BuiltWithScience.com (app mentioned for form guides and progression coaching)

Original video