Strength Training
Written By Marnie Kunz
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified running coach
If you’re looking for the best glute exercises to sculpt your booty, you’ve come to the right place. Glute exercises serve more of a purpose than aesthetics also, as the glutes are the largest muscle in the human body and weak glutes are often linked to injuries. Here are the three best glute workouts you can do at home, with options to use just your body weight, a resistance band, or dumbbells. This power trio will give you maximum results, making them the most important glute exercises to include in your workouts.
Recommended: Women’s Muscle-Building Workout You Can Do At Home
The big three glute-building exercises are squats, hip thrusts, and deadlifts. So if you are short on time, do at least three sets of 10 of these glute exercises. You can add more glute exercises and variations but these three are the best for seeing the biggest results in glute strength and booty building.
Squats
Squats are a staple glute exercise that targets your gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in your butt, as well as your quads, hamstring, hip flexors, and core muscles. Squats are a great compound exercise, which means they strengthen multiple muscles at once with just one exercise.
Squats are adaptable to all fitness levels and have many variations that can focus on specific muscles.
A bodyweight squat is great for all levels. To do a bodyweight squat:
Begin from a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, and your abs engaged, chest up and head and neck neutral, looking forward.
Slowly lower your body and inhale, bending at the knees and hinging at the hips with your weight resting in your heels. Keep your chest up and shoulders back and engage your glutes.
Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and make sure your knees stay above your ankles. If you can look in a mirror (or you can take a video of yourself), make sure your knees are aligned above your ankles and do not cave inwards or outwards. Also, keep your ankles straight (not rolling inward or out). You will feel like you’re sitting back into an invisible chair, with your butt sticking out and your chest up.
Push off of your heels and exhale, rising back up into the starting position.
Squat Variations: Once you master the bodyweight squat, you can add intensity by using dumbbells. Hold your dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing inwads throughout the squats. You can also use a kettlebell by holding it next to your chest. For an advanced variation with more weight, do the squats with a barbell resting across your back.
Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts are one of the best glute exercises that specifically target your glutes and effectively lift your derriere. Hip thrusts strengthen your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius as well as hamstrings. This booty-building exercise also targets the quads, core, and hip adductors.
To do hip thrusts, use a workout bench or stable, elevated surface.
Begin with your upper back resting on the bench and knees bent with your feet shoulder-width apart, resting on the floor.
Squeeze your glutes and push through your heels until your thighs are parallel to the floor, with your legs at 90-degree angles. Keep your chin tucked and core engaged.
Squeeze your glutes at the top and then lower your butt back down toward the floor.
Tips: Keep your core tight throughout this exercise, maintaining a neutral position of your spine. Do not arch your back. It may take a little experimenting to find the right distance of your feet from the bench. If your feet are farther from the bench, you’ll feel the hip thrusts more in your hamstrings. If your feet are close to the bench, you’ll feel the hip thrusts more in your quads. Aim for a middle ground between the two.
Hip Thrust Variations: You can add intensity by holding a dumbbell across your hips, with one side in each hand. For more weight, use a barbell across your hips. If you use a barbell, you’ll need a barbell pad to cushion your hips form the weight.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a compound exercise that strengthens multiple muscle groups, including your glutes, hamstrings, back, hips, core, and trapezius muscles. You will feel the burn in your glutes when you do deadlifts and also will get additional benefits such as boosting your metabolism and bone mass while building your booty.
Deadlifts are most commonly done with a barbell but if you are a beginner or working out at home without a barbell, you can use dumbbells or a kettlebell.
To do a deadlift:
Begin from a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, facing the barbell. Keep your core engaged and back straight.
Hinge at the hip and bend slightly at the knees as your reach down for the barbell. Grip the barbell with your hands placed wider than your knees. Keep your chest up and push your butt back, keeping your back flat and core tight.
Pick up the barbell with straight arms, hinging at the hips until you are in a standing position with your legs straight. Squeeze your glutes as you lift the barbell.
Slowly lower the bar back to the floor, keeping your back straight and your shoulders pulled back.
Tips: Keep your core engaged and your back straight throughout deadlifts. You do not want to curve your spine or allow your back to arch as this will put you at risk of injury.
Variations: If you are using a kettlebell, hold the handle of the kettlebell with both hands, lifting the weight from the floor until you are in a standing position. Follow the same movement as the barbell deadlift. If you are using dumbbells, hold the dumbbells in each hand in front of your feet in a similar position as a barbell. When you lift, the dumbbells will come up and rise next to your shins.
Have you tried any of these glute exercises? Share your workouts with us by tagging @Runstreet on Instagram. If you need a custom workout program, head to our Training Center to get started. Happy lifting to you!
Related Posts: How to Set Up Your Home Gym, How to Do Lunges for Beginners,
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, a dog lover and Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.
glutesworkoutshome workouthome workoutsstrength trainingweightliftingbutt exercises
Marnie Kunz
Marnie Kunz is a writer and dog lover based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a running coach and certified trainer.
