I’ll never forget a conversation I had with a client. She was hip thrusting 60 kilos and told me, “I really feel my glutes working.”
“Ok great,” I said. “Let’s try 70 kilos.”
She hesitated. “I’ve tried that before, but I didn’t feel my glutes as much. So I went back to 60.”
Now, let’s fast forward 12 months.
Who do you think will have bigger, stronger glutes?
Person A: Stays at 60kg all year because as soon as the weight gets heavier, they don’t “feel” their glutes as much.
Person B: Stops worrying about the feeling and builds their hip thrusts from 60kg to 120kg.
The answer will always be Person B.
Muscle growth isn’t about what you feel—it’s about the tension and load you put on the muscle.
You don’t need to feel your glutes on a hip thrust (and the same goes for any other muscle and exercise).
If the exercise makes the muscle the prime mover, your set up and execution are on point – I guarantee you the muscle is doing it’s job – because it’s not your biceps that’s thrusting your hips.
And as the weights get heavier, the only thing you might feel is your teeth grinding together—and that’s completely fine.
Don’t let a lack of “feeling” stop you from making progress. Focus on getting stronger, and the results will follow.
By the way, here are 3 more ways I can help you improve your strength, physique and gym confidence:
1. Grab a free copy of my new book – Lower Body Workouts for Women
If you’ve been doing random exercises at the gym without a plan, this is for you. Steal one of my favourite workout templates to build strong and toned legs! Click here to grab your free copy.
2. Join Our Strong Not Skinny Program
I’m putting together a new Strong Not Skinny group at the end of this month… stay tuned for details. If you’d like me to create a brand-new strength program for you each month so you can build strength and muscle, join our WAITLIST HERE, and I’ll give you first access before spots open to the public.
3. Learn more tips and tricks on any one of my socials below:
