The 27 Best Glute Exercises For Size and Strength – Fitness Volt (2024)

In today’s digital age, a quick scroll through Instagram might lead you to believe that everyone’s flaunting a picture-perfect booty. But let’s face facts – we’re living in what could rightly be termed an ‘ass-less era’. For many, behind those filtered photos lies a reality of flat, underdeveloped glutes. And some of those seemingly rounded rears? More fat and fluff than firmness.

Why this deficiency in the derrière department? Our chair-bound lives are largely to blame. Hours upon hours of sitting not only neglects the glutes but stretches and weakens them. This prolonged inactivity paves the way to hypotonicity, causing our butts to lose that much-desired tone.

But there’s a silver lining. Armed with the right exercises and a pinch of determination, you can bid adieu to the flabby flatness and reignite your glutes to their powerful potential. Ready to embark on this transformative journey? Read on, as we present the crème de la crème of glute exercises tailored for a toned, tight, and truly terrific tush.

27 Best Glutes Exercises

Don’t waste your time on second-rate exercises. Instead, build your best glutes ever with the best exercises! Include at least a few of these 12 exercises in your lower body workouts to sculpt the ultimate butt.

1. Barbell Back Squat
2. Conventional Deadlift
3. Romanian Deadlifts
4. Banded Barbell Romanian Deadlift
5. Belt Squat
6. Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat
7. Sumo Deadlift
8. Modified Curtsy Lunge
9. Walking Lunge
10. Cable Glute Kickback
11. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
12. Hip Thrusts with Raised Shoulders
13. Bulgarian Split Squat
14. Pull-Up
15. Good Mornings
16. Total Hip Machine Hip Extensions
17. Double Bench Hip Thrust
18. Clamshells Against a Wall
19. Reverse Hyperextensions
20. Side-lying Hip Abductions with a Booty Band
21. Deficit Reverse Lunge
22. Step-Up
23. Smith Machine Reverse Lunge
24. Kettlebell Swing
25. Lateral Lunge
26. Goblet Squat
27. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Editor’s Note: Content on Fitness Volt is informational, not medical advice. Before starting a new training or diet routine, consult a medical professional. We don’t offer medical diagnoses or treatments. Always seek professional medical guidance.

1. Barbell Back Squat

Muscle worked: Quadriceps, Glutes

The barbell back squat is often thought of as a quadriceps exercise. While that is definitely the case, it’s also a great glute mass exercise too. Make it even more so by wearing a booty band around your knees the next time you do squats.

How to do it:

1. Rest and hold a barbell across your upper back. Step out and into a shoulder-width stance, with your feet turned slightly outward. If using a booty band, make sure you push your knees outward against the material. Brace your abs and lift your chest.
2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back. Make sure you keep your weight on your heels.
3. Stand back up and repeat.

Coach’s Tip: For greater glute activation, wear a booty band around your knees and ensure you push your knees outward against the material.

Sets and Reps: Typically 3-5 sets of 5-12 reps, depending on your goal.

Benefits:

• A very functional exercise
• A great total lower body move
• Useful for building muscle mass and strength

2. Conventional Deadlift

Muscles Worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, Erector Spinae, Forearms, Upper Back, and Core.

The conventional deadlift stands out as the monarch amongst deadlift variations. This time-honored exercise earns its high reputation by intensely engaging the muscles spanning the hip, knee, and ankle regions. Furthermore, it demands strength from muscles around the wrist, elbow, and shoulder when gripping the barbell, even though these joints don’t play a role in the movement’s range of motion.

Predominantly targeting hip extension, it seamlessly integrates into back or leg training sessions. When it comes to generating sheer mechanical tension on the posterior, few exercises can match the conventional deadlift’s prowess.

How to Do It:

• Start with a hip-width stance, hinge forward at the hips, push your buttocks back, and reach down for the barbell.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than your shins.
• Ensure a straight back, lift your chest, and inhale deeply.
• Drive through your heels, lifting the bar off the ground.
• Once the bar ascends past your knees, powerfully push your hips forward and clench your glutes to stand tall.

Coach’s Tip: Dedicate some sessions to refine your initial position, aiming for maximum glute activation.

Sets and Reps: For an emphasis on glute enlargement, opt for 3-4 sets consisting of 5-8 repetitions.

Benefits:

• Enhances hip extension strength.
• Contributes to overall posterior chain development.
• Enhances grip strength.
• Offers functional strength benefits that translate to daily activities.

3. Romanian Deadlifts

Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae, Forearms, Upper Back.

Romanian deadlifts exercise provides your glutes with a good stretch and also works your hamstrings and lower back. It’s a strong exercise that lends itself well to lifting heavy weights, which is what makes it a superior mass builder.

How to Do It:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent but rigid.
2. Push your butt back, hinge forward from your hips, and lower the weight down the front of your legs as far as you can without rounding your lower back.
3. Squeeze your glutes, drive your hips forward, and stand up straight.
4. This exercise can also be performed using dumbbells.

Coach’s Tip: Avoid rounding the back; this is about the hip hinge, not spinal flexion.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions.

Benefits:

• A useful exercise for increasing conventional deadlift performance
• Works not only the glutes but the entire posterior chain
• An excellent upper back and forearm exercise too

4. Banded Barbell Romanian Deadlift

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

A tension-enhanced variation of the Romanian deadlift. The resistance band provides a counterbalance, ensuring optimal movement and greater engagement of glutes.

How to Do It:

1. Secure a resistance band behind you at waist height, wrap it around your hips, and create moderate tension by stepping forward.
2. With a hip-width stance, bend and grip a lightly-loaded barbell.
3. Hinge forward, allowing the band to retract your hips until you feel the stretch.
4. Counteract the band’s pull, thrusting your hips forward to stand.

Coach’s Tip: Ensure the band’s tension doesn’t compromise your balance. Utilize it to reinforce a powerful hip extension.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 2 sets of 12-15 reps with moderate weight.

Benefits:

• The band’s positioning increases muscular load across the motion.
• Facilitates a better hip hinge.
• Provides tension at the peak of the movement.

5. Belt Squat

Muscles Worked: Quadriceps and Glutes.

An exceptional squat variation that uses a machine to prioritize the lower body, removing strain from the low back and spine. Ideal for individuals across various fitness spectrums aiming for robust quads and glutes.

How to Do It:

1. Stand on the platform, securing the belt around your hips.
2. Position your feet either side of the platform pulley and grasp the handles in front.
3. Engage the pulley, finding your balance and taking a deep breath.
4. Descend in a squatting motion, letting the pulley guide you.
5. Return to the standing position.

Coach’s Tip: Visualize the pulley drawing your hips directly into the squat’s depth.

Sets and Reps: Opt for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps using moderate weight.

Benefits:

• It promotes a more vertical spine, reducing load on the low back.
• This allows for enhanced training volume without added strain, as the weight directs towards the hips instead of pressing on the torso.

6. Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat

Muscles Worked: Glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

A variant of the Bulgarian split squat, targeting one leg, beneficial for evening out strength discrepancies between legs.

How to Do It:

1. Elevate your non-working leg onto a platform about two feet behind.
2. Holding weights in hand, center on your active leg.
3. Lower into a squat, letting your knee flex forward.
4. Push upwards to the starting position.

Coach’s Tip: To further engage the glutes, minimize the forward travel of your knee over your toes.

Sets and Reps: Execute 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps, maintaining impeccable form.

Benefits:

• The elevated rear foot deepens the hip flexion.
• Heightened front leg tension.
• Helps rectify imbalances and hones balance.

7. Sumo Deadlift

Muscles Worked: Glutes, adductors, hamstrings, and lower back.

A popular deadlift variation that emphasizes a wide stance, targeting the lower body. It’s ideal for those looking to boost strength and sculpt their glutes.

How to Do It:

1. Approach a loaded barbell and assume a wide, outward-facing foot stance.
2. Hinge at the hips, descending to grip the bar.
3. With a braced core, push your knees out while elevating your chest.
4. Engage your legs, pushing off the ground and standing up to complete the motion.

Coach’s Tip: The sumo deadlift lacks an eccentric phase; maintain grip, but let the bar descend freely between repetitions.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 3-4 sets of 3-6 reps, focusing on lifting substantial weight.

Benefits:

• Engages the hips in external rotation, emphasizing the glute medius and minimus.
• Allows a more upright torso, reducing lumbar spine load.
• Celebrated for its effectiveness in strength competitions and aesthetics.

8. Modified Curtsy Lunge

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

A nuanced lunge variant promoting enhanced glute medius and minimus activation, achieved by employing a distinct foot positioning.

How to Do It:

1. Stand holding dumbbells, and place one foot’s toes on an elevated surface behind.
2. Internally rotate your lead foot, aligning it with the knee of the back leg.
3. Lean forward slightly, descending until both knees are at a 90-degree angle.
4. Drive through the front foot to rise.

Coach’s Tip: Prioritize stability. Proper balance ensures effective glute engagement.

Sets and Reps: Consider 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps, determined by balance proficiency.

Benefits:

• Provides extended range for the glute medius.
• Aligns the body for the intended movement pattern.
• Elevation of the rear foot accentuates front leg engagement.

9. Walking Lunge

Muscles Worked: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

A dynamic lunge variant where stepping forwards is integral, offering a balanced blend of muscular and cardiovascular exertion.

How to Do It:

1. Begin with feet together, then step forward, planting your foot.
2. Lower your back knee directly downwards, ensuring the front knee aligns with your toes.
3. Push off the front foot, bringing the back foot forward to reset.

Coach’s Tip: Maintain a steady pace; the walking lunge taxes cardiovascular stamina significantly.

Sets and Reps: Opt for 2-3 rounds, walking approximately 10 steps per leg.

Benefits:

• Enhances coordination and balance.
• Offers extensive and dynamic glute activation.
• Versatility in weight options catering to beginners and advanced trainees.

10. Cable Glute Kickback

Muscles Worked: Glute medius and glute maximus.

An isolative glute exercise employing cables or machines to ensure targeted muscle contraction, ideal as a concluding workout movement.

How to Do It:

1. Attach a strap to the cable machine and fasten it around your ankle.
2. With a neutral spine and engaged core, lean forward slightly.
3. Extend your leg backward, ensuring a minor knee bend.
4. Elevate until the working glute contracts fully, relaxing the non-working leg.

Coach’s Tip: Maintain a nearly straight knee — avoid locking it out.

Sets and Reps: Consider 2-3 sets of up to 15 repetitions for optimal glute isolation

Benefits:

• Offers unparalleled gluteal isolation.
• Effective across the entire muscular contractile range.
• Adaptable for targeting either the glute medius or maximus.

11. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

Muscle worked: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, and TFL.

We could have just added this exercise as a post script to #3, but it’s such a good glute move that it deserves its own mention. Using one leg, this exercise not only works gluteus maximus, but medius, minimus, and TFL too.

How to Do It:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand or a kettlebell in both. Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent but rigid. Shift your weight over onto one leg.
2. Hinge from your hips and lean forward, lowering the weight(s) down the front of your leg as far as you can without rounding your lower back. Extend your non-working leg out behind you for balance.
3. Stand back up and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on each leg.

Coach’s Tip: Keep a slight bend in your standing knee and maintain balance throughout the movement.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per leg.

Benefits:

• Less low back stress than regular Romanian deadlifts
• Good for developing your balance
• An excellent exercise for athletes

12. Hip Thrusts with Raised Shoulders

Muscle worked: Glutes

While you can do hip thrusts lying on the floor, it’s a much more effective exercise when done with raised shoulders. Why? Because it increases your range of motion, and that increases the difficulty of this exercise.

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the floor, so your upper back is resting against a sturdy exercise bench. Bend your legs and place your feet flat. Rest and hold a barbell across your hips.
2. Contract your glutes and push your hips up toward the ceiling. At the top of the rep, your knees, hips, and shoulders should form a straight line.
3. Lower your butt back down to the floor and repeat.
4. No weights? No problem! Just do this exercising with one leg to make up for any lack of resistance.
5. Add a booty band to make this exercise more glute-centric

Coach’s Tip: Ensure full hip extension at the top without hyperextending your lower back.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Benefits:

• Minimal low back stress
• Produces an intense contraction at the top of each rep
• Can be done with or without weights

13. Bulgarian Split Squat

Muscle worked: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

This is another exercise that is often thought of as “just” a thigh exercise when, in actuality, it’s a great glute move too. Using one leg at a time, it’s ideal for training gluteus minimus, medius, and TFL, as well as glute max.

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your back to a knee-high exercise bench. Bend one leg and place the top of your foot on the bench behind you. Hop forward and into a split stance.
2. Bend your legs and lower your rear knee down to within an inch or so of the floor. Lean forward slightly from your hips to maximize glute activation.
3. Stand back up and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on each leg.
5. Hold dumbbells by your sides, a barbell across your upper back, or a kettlebell in front of your chest to make this exercise harder.
6. You can also do this move with your rear foot in a suspension trainer.

Coach’s Tip: Maintain an upright posture and ensure your knee doesn’t travel too far past your toes.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions per leg.

Benefits:

• An excellent exercise for improving balance
• Good for hip mobility
• A useful exercise for athletes, and especially runners

14. Pull-Up

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, Biceps, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Brachialis, and Core.

A cornerstone for upper body strength, the pull-up places primary focus on the muscles of the back and biceps. Using your bodyweight as resistance, this movement requires significant strength and control.

How to Do It:

• Grip a pull-up bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Hang freely with your arms fully extended.
• Pull yourself up by squeezing the lats until your chin is above the bar.
• Slowly lower back down.

Coach’s Tip: Avoid using momentum; ensure the movement is controlled and focused.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of as many repetitions as possible.

Benefits:

• Develops a strong and wide back.
• Improves grip strength and arm musculature.
• Encourages better shoulder mobility and health.

15. Good Mornings

Muscle worked: Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower back

Good mornings are a somewhat controversial exercise because some trainers think they are bad for your lower back. If you round your lower back, this move could definitely cause injury but, done right, it’s not really much riskier than Romanian deadlifts.

How to Do It:

1. Rest and hold a barbell across your upper back as though you were going to do squats. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, but then keep them rigid. Brace your core and lift your chest.
2. Hinge from your hips and bend forward as far as you can without rounding your lower back. Feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
3. Stand back up and repeat.
4. You can also do this exercise with the bar in the crook of your elbows – a Zercher good morning.

Coach’s Tip: Ensure you don’t approach failure; it’s challenging to safely release the weight.

Sets and Reps: 2 sets of 8-12 reps with a moderate weight and controlled tempo.

Benefits:

• Useful for developing a powerful hip hinge
• An effective strength and muscle mass exercise
• Very little grip strength required

16. Total Hip Machine Hip Extensions

Muscle worked: Glutes

With no weights in your hands or on your back, this exercise is a stress-free way to build glute mass. You can also adjust the range of motion to suit your flexibility. Most gyms have a total hip machine.

How to Do It:

1. Adjust the lever arm so that the leg pad is about hip height. Standing side on to the machine, lift and place the crook of your knee over the leg pad. Bend your supporting leg slightly for balance and grab the handles.
2. Drive your thigh down and back against the resistance offered by the machine. Extend your hip fully but without hyperextending your lower back.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on each leg.

Coach’s Tip: Focus on squeezing the glutes at the peak of the movement and ensure no hyperextension of the lower back.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps per leg.

Benefits:

• No spinal compression
• A functional, full-range exercise
• An excellent way to ensure both sides are trained equally

17. Double Bench Hip Thrust

Muscle worked: Glutes

This exercise is the plus-sized version of #4. Raising your shoulders and your hips significantly increases the range of motion, making this one of the most effective hip extension glute mass exercises around.

How to Do It:

1. Set up for the shoulder raised hip thrust but, this time, also place your feet on a similar height platform. Only your butt should be resting on the floor.
2. Drive down through your feet and lift your hips up into the air until they are fully extended. Take care not to hyperextend your spine.
3. Lower your butt back down to the floor and repeat.
4. Make this exercise harder by resting and holding a weight on your hips or using just one leg.

Coach’s Tip: Drive through the heels and ensure full hip extension at the top without hyperextending your spine.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Benefits:

• Minimal lower back strain
• Can be done with or without weights
• Suitable for home exercisers

18. Clamshells Against a Wall

This exercise involves nothing but external hip rotation, which means it emphasizes the gluteus minimus and medius. If you have problems with your knees falling in when you squat, lunge or run, this exercise could be the solution.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on your side with your back against a wall. Bend your legs and place your feet flat against the wall too. Rest your head on your outstretched arm.
2. Without moving your pelvis, open your legs and lift your uppermost knee up and out toward the wall. Your range of motion will depend on your flexibility.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. Try to do the same number of reps on each leg.
5. This exercise can also be done without the wall, but you’ll have to really focus on keeping your hips square.

Coach’s Tip: Keep hips square and focus on external hip rotation without moving the pelvis.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps per side.

Benefits:

• No lower back stress
• A good exercise for hip stability
• A prehab-rehab exercise for getting your glutes firing properly

19 Reverse Hyperextensions

Muscle worked: Glutes, Hamstrings

Most hip extension exercises involve lifting your upper body. This can, in some cases, put a lot of stress on your lower back. With reverse hyperextensions, your upper body remains stationary while your legs move. This is easier on your lower back but still provides an effective glute workout.

How to Do It:

1. Lie face down on a hyperextension bench. Your hips should be on the edge of the bench, in line with the pivot point. Attach the loading strap to your ankles and grab the handles.
2. With your knees slightly bent, extend your hips and lift your legs up behind you until they are roughly parallel to the floor.
3. Lower your legs and repeat.
4. Adjust the weight to match your current level of strength.

Coach’s Tip: Ensure only the legs are moving and the upper body remains stationary.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Benefits:

• Minimal lower back stress
• Works the glutes and hamstrings together
• Can also be done using a bench and a stability ball if required

20. Side-lying Hip Abductions with a Booty Band

Muscle worked: Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius

This exercise emphasizes gluteus minimus and medius, which are located on the side of your hip. It’s a bit of an aerobics class classic, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful for building outer glute mass, especially when done with a booty band.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on your side with your legs straight. Loop a booty band around your ankles, or just above or just below your knee. The closer the band is to your feet, the harder this exercise becomes. Lie down flat and rest your head on your outstretched arm.
2. Without rolling your hips back, lift your uppermost leg up and out to the side to about 45-degrees of hip abduction, or as far as your booty band allows.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. You can also do this exercise without a booty band or while wearing ankle weights.

Coach’s Tip: Ensure your hips remain stacked and don’t roll backward during the movement.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps per side

Benefits:

• Easy on your lower back
• An effective way to emphasize gluteus minimus and medius
• Helps fire up the glutes before more complex exercises, e.g., squats

21. Deficit Reverse Lunge

Muscle worked: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

Lunges are a great glute exercise. Working one leg at a time, they increase gluteus minimus and medius activation as these muscles have to work hard to keep your hips stable. Add an increased range of motion by using a step, and you’ve got a really useful glute mass exercise.

Benefits:

• Good for developing balance and coordination
• A very effective total leg exercise
• Easier on your knees than forward lunges

How to Do It:

1. Stand on a stable step with your feet together. Use a step that’s between 4-12 inches high.
2. Step back and place your rear foot on the floor behind you. Bend your legs and lower your rear knee down toward the floor as far as your flexibility allows. It should drop below the level of your front foot. Lean forward slightly from your hips to increase the stretch on your glutes.
3. Step forward and up back onto the platform.
4. Either do another rep with the same leg or swap sides and alternate as preferred.
5. Make this exercise harder by holding dumbbells or using a barbell.

Coach’s Tip: Maintain an upright posture and ensure your rear knee drops below the level of your front foot.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per leg.

22. Step-Up

Muscle: Mainly targets the glute max.

For those not into lunges or split squats, step-ups are an alternative unilateral glute exercise. It puts a lot of tension on the glute max without needing external load and requires minimal equipment.

How to Do It:

1. Begin with one foot close to the edge of a knee-height step-up box or bench, ensuring full foot contact.
2. Lower the foot, controlling the descent with the opposite leg.
3. Gently tap the heel on the ground and drive through the step to return to the start.

Coach’s Tip: The higher the step, the more glute engagement due to increased range.

Sets and Reps: Aim for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.

Benefits:

• Targets the glute max efficiently without additional weight.
• Can be performed with little equipment.
• Suitable for various fitness levels due to its simplicity.

23. Smith Machine Reverse Lunge

Muscle: Primarily engages the glutes with deep contraction.

A controlled lunge variant that uses the Smith machine, suitable for both beginners and advanced individuals.

How to Do It:

1. Begin with feet together on an elevated surface, positioning yourself under the Smith machine bar.
2. Unrack the weight, step one leg backward, and lower until the knee is just above the floor.
3. The front leg should also bend at a 90-degree angle. Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.

Coach’s Tip: There’s no need to lift the non-working leg at the top of each rep.

Sets and Reps: 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps with a challenging weight.

Benefits:

• Stability from the Smith machine allows for a refined technique.
• Suitable for adding varied weights.
• Provides a wide and safe range of motion for the glutes.

24. Kettlebell Swing

Muscle: Primarily targets the glutes, but also engages the hamstrings and lower back.

The Kettlebell Swing is a dynamic movement that combines strength and conditioning. This explosive exercise propels you into a hinge position and requires a strong hip thrust, making it ideal for rapid glute activation while also offering cardiovascular benefits.

How to Do It:

1. Position yourself with a kettlebell between your feet, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hinge down to grab the kettlebell, swinging it back between your legs before thrusting your hips forward powerfully.
3. Allow the kettlebell to rise naturally to belly button height or a bit higher, then let it fall back down, initiating the next swing.

Coach’s Tip: Keep the arms relaxed; the motion should come from the hips, not the arms.

Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps to warm up the glutes.

Benefits:

• Enhances explosive power in the hips.
• Provides cardiovascular benefits along with strength training.
• Can be used for conditioning, active recovery, or muscle-building.

25. Lateral Lunge

Muscle: Focuses on the glute medius and minimus, vital for hip stabilization.

The lateral lunge stands out by demanding a sideward motion, directly challenging the hip muscles responsible for leg rotation. It’s particularly valuable for athletes who predominantly work in the sagittal plane, offering diversity in lower-body stimulation and ensuring balanced muscle development.

How to Do It:

1. Take a sizable step to the side, around 18 to 24 inches, planting your foot firmly.
2. Allow the leading knee to move forward as your body shifts to the side.
3. Push through your leading foot to return to the starting position.

Coach’s Tip: Starting with dumbbells can aid stability.

Sets and Reps: 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps.

Benefits:

• Enhances internal and external leg rotation strength.
• Balances unilateral muscle development.
• Can help improve athletic resilience and adaptability.

26. Goblet Squat

Muscle: Engages the entire lower body, especially the quadriceps and glutes.

The Goblet Squat, a front-loaded squat variation, assists lifters in maintaining an upright posture. Using either dumbbells or kettlebells, it’s beginner-friendly and acts as a bridge from bodyweight to weighted squats, introducing lifters to more advanced squat variations.

How to Do It:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight just under your chin, elbows tucked.
2. Keep your chest up, squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push through the heels to return up.

Coach’s Tip: Maintain an active hold on the weight, avoiding resting it on the chest.

Sets and Reps: 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Benefits:

• Promotes proper squat posture.
• Suitable for beginners and advanced trainees.
• Versatile for leg muscle development and endurance.

27. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Muscle: Targets the glutes intensively.

The Single-Leg Glute Bridge is a powerful unilateral exercise that specifically targets glute activation. It’s a foundational movement, useful for those wanting to build glute strength without diving into more complex exercises right away.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on the floor, one leg bent and the other straight.
2. Push the bent leg into the ground, lifting your hips while maintaining a straight line from the knee to shoulders.

Coach’s Tip: For an easier version, bend the non-working knee in the air.

Sets and Reps: 1-2 sets of 5-10 reps with a slow tempo.

Benefits:

• Promotes unilateral strength.
• Improves glute activation and mind-muscle connection.
• Can be done with minimal to no equipment.

Glutes Warm-Up

Before you deep dive into glute sculpting, invest some quality time in essential mobility drills. Proper glute exercises, especially when done with precision and perhaps with resistance bands, are not a cakewalk.

The gold standard for warming up any muscle group lies in the very exercises that your training day encompasses. Say, you’re tackling back squats – initiate with light repetitions and gradually ramp up the intensity as you transition to your main sets.

This strategy ensures prime readiness of the necessary muscles and joints, mitigates injury risks, and amplifies your training prowess. Consider this warm-up routine for your subsequent glute-intensive workout:

• 5-10 minutes of cardio: incline treadmill, stair-stepper, or elliptical.
• 2 sets of 15-20: banded side shuffles, unweighted step-ups, or bridges.
• 1-2 sets of your premier compound exercise using a bare bar or featherlight dumbbells.

Glute Training Tips

Get more from your glute training with these crucial and helpful workout tips.

Don’t overemphasize hip extension

Hip extension IS an important glute function, but it’s one of several movements that your glutes are responsible for. To develop your glutes to their fullest, make sure you include exercises that involve hip abduction and lateral rotation as well as extension.

In some cases, all three of these movements can be combined into one exercise, for example, by wearing a booty band during hip thrusts and squats.

Use a full range of motion

Some glute exercises involve a very short range of motion, often just the last 45 degrees of hip extension. While these exercises aren’t entirely useless, they are not as useful as those that involve a much bigger range of motion. Choose at least a few exercises that involve moving from full hip flexion to hip extension to work your glutes through their entire range of motion.

This is better for muscular development and developing functional strength, not to mention maintaining or improving flexibility.

Use a broad rep range

Your glutes are made up of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch fibers respond best to heavy weights and low reps. In contrast, slow-twitch fibers are more aerobic in nature and do better with lighter weights and higher reps.

To maximize glute complex development, make sure you include low rep/heavy weight and higher rep/lower weight training in your workouts.

Watch your lower back

Many of the best glute exercises for mass also involve the lower back. In most cases, the lower back has to act as a stabilizer to prevent unwanted movement of the spine.

Rounding your lower back could lead to injury, so make sure you avoid doing so. Instead, make sure you hinge from your hips instead of moving your back. Not only will this reduce your risk of injury, but it will also make your chosen exercise more effective.

Don’t forget to include some single leg exercises

One of the most effective ways to activate and strengthen your gluteus minimus, medius, and TFL, is to stand and move on one leg. These small but no less important muscles will then have to work extra hard to stabilize your pelvis. If you want to increase hip stability, make sure you include some unilateral exercises in your glute mass workout.

What Muscles Make Up the Glutes

Glutes is usually short for gluteus maximus. However, there are other muscles that make up the glute complex that are no less important.

Providing you use the best glute exercises, you should have no problem building a muscular butt. Still, it’s always useful to know a little about the underlying anatomy of the muscles you want to develop.

And don’t for a moment underestimate the importance of the glutes. They are biomechanically similar to your deltoids or shoulder muscles. In fact, some people call them the deltoids of the hip.

The muscles that make up the glutes complex are:

Gluteus maximus

This is the muscle you are currently sat on, but it’s more than just somewhere convenient to sit! The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body and also potentially the most powerful. Located on the back and side of your hip, the functions of the gluteus maximus are:

• Hip extension
• Hip lateral (external) rotation
• Hip abduction (superior or upper portion)
• Hip adduction (inferior or lower portion)

Gluteus medius

The gluteus medius is located above and beneath the gluteus maximus near the iliac crest of the pelvis. It works alongside gluteus maximus and also has some additional functions.

• Hip abduction (movement away from midline of body)
• Hip medial (internal) rotation
• Pelvis stabilization

Gluteus minimus

This is a small triangle-shaped muscle located within the posterior aspect of the hip. Like the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus also works alongside the gluteus maximus, and its functions are:

• Hip abduction
• Hip medial rotation
• Pelvis stabilization

Tensor fascia latae

Meaning white tissue, the TFL is part of the glute complex despite not having the word gluteus in its name. It’s a biaxial muscle which means it crosses two joints – the hip and the knee. As part of the glute group, TFL is involved in:

• Hip internal rotation
• Hip abduction
• Pelvis stabilization

Gluteus maximus might be the most prominent muscle in the glute complex, but the other muscles deserve your attention too. They might not contribute much to butt mass, but they are critical for hip stability and performance.

If these other, smaller muscles are neglected, your hips won’t be as stable, and that will affect your athletic performance. Because of the complexity of this part of your body, you must train your glutes from several different directions to ensure you include all of these muscles.

Wrapping Up

Your glutes are one of the most important muscles in your body. Not only do they give your rear an attractive shape, but they are also involved in almost every human movement. From getting out a chair to climbing stairs to walking, running, and jumping, your glutes are the engine that drives you forward and upward.

Your glutes are also crucial for the health of your lower back. When lifting heavy objects off the floor, if your glutes are weak, your back ends up bearing more of the load, and that’s a recipe for injury.

Say “no” to weak, soft, small glutes! Add some mass to your ass with these tried and tested exercises.

References:

Fitness Volt is committed to providing our readers with science-based information. We use only credible and peer-reviewed sources to support the information we share in our articles.

1. Elzanie, A., & Borger, J. (2022). Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
2. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697.
3. Buckthorpe, M., Stride, M., & Villa, F. D. (2019). ASSESSING AND TREATING GLUTEUS MAXIMUS WEAKNESS – A CLINICAL COMMENTARY. International journal of sports physical therapy, 14(4), 655–669.

This article was written by Patrick Dale, a Training Editor with 30 years of experience in Personal Training and Strength & Conditioning. Passionate about accuracy and reliability, Patrick delivers content that is both informative and engaging. Should you have any questions or require further clarification on this article, please leave a comment below. Patrick is dedicated to addressing your queries promptly.