Sculpt your glutes in no time with these bridges, squats, and more.
While you spend your days sitting, walking, and climbing stairs, it's easy to forget how important the glutes are in helping you move throughout your day. But the gluteus maximus is actually the largest muscle in the body—so keeping it strong is essential, and butt exercises? They can help.
“Glutes are the powerhouse in our posterior chain—a.k.a. the backside of your body—and generate maximum efficiency and power during workouts,” says Aaron de Jong, a personal trainer in Vancouver and founder of the MOVR app. And along with making your workouts better, a strong butt helps make your daily life feel a little easier and more comfortable. You're also more likely to avoid injury and have less lower back pain with rock-solid glutes.
“Your glutes are technically part of your core and help with all your everyday activities: walking, going up stairs, getting up, sitting down,” says Mike Donavanik, CSCS, a personal trainer in Los Angeles and creator of the Extreme Burn workout series.
The best way to sculpt your glutes is to perform exercises that challenge the entire muscle group. We all know the gluteus maximus, but the butt is actually made up of more muscles, like the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, that can be targeted differently.
These butt exercises will strengthen every square inch of your rear from side to side, front to back, and in rotation. Weighted moves, like single-leg deadlifts, will add muscle while bodyweight exercises, like bird dogs, strengthen smaller stabilizing muscles. Aim to do three to five sets of each exercise, with 12 to 20 reps for each bodyweight or resistance band exercise, and eight to 12 reps for moves with weights.
1
Single-leg glute bridge
How to: Lie on an exercise mat faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on floor. Extend your right leg up so that your foot is pointing towards the ceiling. Exhale and press down through your left heel to push your hips up, then slowly lower to start. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side.
2
Single-leg deadlift
How to: Stand with your feet hips-width apart while holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Extend one foot straight back behind you as you hinge forward until your body is parallel to the floor, extending your arms toward the floor. Return to start. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side.
3
Step-back lunge
How to: Stand with your feet hips-width apart while holding either a kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest or one small dumbbell in each hand at your side. Inhale as you step right foot back and lower your knee until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then exhale as you push up to return to start. Repeat on opposite side to complete 1 rep. Continue, alternating sides.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
4
Deep squat
How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a kettlebell or weighted ball with both hands in front of your chest. Lower, bending the knees, until your hips are below the knees. Then push back up to the starting position. Make sure to straighten your legs completely and squeeze the glutes at the top for the most toning action.
5
Split jump
How to: Stand in a lunge position and drop your back knee to the floor. Jump up, switch your feet, and repeat, while alternating your feet forward and back.
6
Bird dog
How to: Start in a table top posture. Looking at the floor with your neck in a neutral position, extend your right leg behind you and left arm in front of you (both should be parallel to floor). Exhale and bring your left elbow and right knee together to touch under your belly. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
7
Fire hydrant
How to: Start in a table top posture. Raise your right knee to the side, then draw a circle with the knee and return to start. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side.
8
Side lunge
How to: Stand with your feet hips-width apart and hold a kettlebell or weighted ball with both hands in front of your chest. Take a big step to the right and lower your weight into your right heel, keeping your left leg straight and your spine long. Exhale to push back up to start. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side.
9
Banded hip thrust
How to: Sit on the floor in front of a padded bench and place a small resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lean your upper back against the bench, bend your knees and place your feet flat on floor. Pushing into your heels, lift your butt off the floor slightly. Then push your hips up toward the ceiling so your torso and thighs are parallel to the floor. Lower and repeat.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
10
Banded bridge
How to: Place a small resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees. Lie face-up with your knees bent and feet flat on floor near your glutes. Pressing your heels into the floor, push your hips up towards the ceiling. Slowly lower and repeat.
11
Clamshell
How to: Place a small resistance band around your thighs. Lie on your left side with your legs stacked directly on top of each other and your knees bent. Rotate your right leg up, then slowly lower. Repeat all reps, then switch to the opposite side.
12
Banded kickback
How to: Start in a table top position and wrap a long resistance band around your right sole, holding the ends of the band in each hand. Extend your right leg behind you and up on a diagonal. Return to the starting position and repeat for all reps, then switch to the opposite side.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
13
Squat thrusters
How to: Stand with a medicine ball between your feet, a bit wider than hip-distance apart and slightly turned out. Lower down into a squat, sending your hips back and down, to plant your hands firmly on top of the medicine ball. Jump your feet back into a plank position. Next, hop your feet forward to the outsides of the medicine ball and squat down to touch your fingers to the ground. Move as quickly as you can to get your heart rate up but don't sacrifice form.
Laurel Leicht
Laurel Leicht is a writer and editor in Brooklyn. She's covered health, fitness, and travel for outlets including Well+Good, Glamour, and O, The Oprah Magazine.
