3 Gym Accessories that grew my glutes!

I've been training casually, but consistently, for almost 10 years now.

After years of trying different exercises, supplements, accessories, and types of training, there are 3 key gym accessories that are my ride-or-die for glute growth.

I can attribute so much of my glute growth to consistently using these 3 gym accessories!

1. Barbell Pad

Do you ever get to the gym to do hip thrusts, only to end up using a flimsy, broken, thin foam barbell pad that still hurts your hip bones? Or worse, there's not even a barbell pad to use.

I finally caved and bought myself a barbell pad. Although it feels a little embarrassing bringing in my own, I now feel badass carrying in my baby-pink barbell pad, because it shows I mean business.

Mine is from the brand Upper Gear. It's structured, it has Velcro to keep it attached to the barbell, it's thick, and it has a leather-like cover, so it won't rip like the cheap foam ones.

This has helped me lift heavier and more consistently (because there's always a barbell pad available when I need it), and I genuinely get excited to use my own pad.

If you're always doing hip thrusts at the gym—even if you're just a casual gym-goer—I highly recommend investing in your own barbell pad. Trust me.

2. Ankle Straps

A similar concept to the barbell pad is having your own ankle straps—so that you always have them available when you need them, making it more likely you'll do cable kickbacks.

Also, investing in some higher-quality ones means better support for your ankle, so you can lift heavier with more control.

I also feel badass with my pink ankle straps. I got mine from Upper Gear because, well, they had to match my barbell pad.

3. Lifting Straps

Lifting straps weren't something I was initially interested in buying, but when I was purchasing my barbell pad and ankle straps, I thought, If there's ever a time to buy them, it would be now—especially to match my already-pink pad and ankle straps.

So, yep, you guessed it, I got my lifting straps from Upper Gear.

These are pretty basic straps that you wrap around your wrists, and then you wrap the strap around a dumbbell (or whatever weight you're using) to help you lift heavier without being limited by grip strength—something I’ll admit I struggle with.

These have been great for RDLs. I'm able to lift heavier dumbbells (which my glutes can handle), but my poor palms cannot.

Again, being able to lift heavier has led to more tension on my glutes, and therefore, more growth.