Hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats and Romanian deadlifts have long dominated glute workouts. But according to PT and glute coach Cassidy Morgan, many popular exercises focus more on building size than changing shape.
That’s why she created the ‘Sumo Fairy’ – a single-leg glute exercise designed to target the lower glutes, an area she says is key for creating lift and a more rounded shape.
‘While many popular glute exercises focus on the glute medius, creating width, this movement shifts the emphasis to the lower glute max,’ Morgan explains.
The exercise actually came about by accident. Morgan says she was performing a variation of a Bulgarian split squat when Bret Contreras – the trainer widely credited with popularising the hip thrust – pointed out that her form resembled a sumo-style movement.
Rather than correcting it, she kept experimenting with the variation.
‘I felt insane engagement in my lower glutes, and it allowed me to isolate these muscles in a way that most traditional movements weren’t able to,’ she says.
After sharing the movement online, it quickly gained traction with women looking to improve glute shape and lift.
Why the Sumo Fairy targets the lower glutes
Morgan says many women she works with feel frustrated that despite regular glute training, they struggle to achieve more lift through the lower glutes.
She believes the issue often isn’t a lack of training, but exercise selection and positioning.
Because the Sumo Fairy combines a squat and hip hinge in a unilateral (single-leg) position, it creates a deeper stretch through the glute max while also challenging balance and stability.
According to Morgan, this can help:
Improve lower-glute engagementCorrect side-to-side imbalancesIncrease pelvic stabilityReduce over-reliance on the quads and lower backHow to do the Sumo FairyStand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outwards.Place one foot onto a low platform while keeping the other grounded.Holding a dumbbell on the same side as your elevated leg, hinge at the hips and lower into a deep sumo stance.Keep your knees pushed out and your weight centred through the glutes.Press through your heel to return to standing.
Morgan says the key is to ‘sit back into the glute’ rather than allowing the movement to shift into the quads.
Common mistakes
According to Morgan, the most common mistakes include:
Letting the knees collapse inwardsStaying too upright instead of hinging at the hipsShifting tension into the quadsRushing through reps instead of controlling the movementCan beginners do the Sumo Fairy?
Yes – Morgan recommends beginners start with bodyweight only or hold onto a support for balance.
More advanced lifters can increase the dumbbell weight or slow the tempo to make the exercise more challenging.
Try Morgan’s Core-to-Glute (CTG) Method, which combines deep core strength, mobility, and targeted glute training.
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