It is crucial for everyday movement and athletic performance to strengthen the glutes, or muscles in the buttocks. Incorporating butt exercises into your fitness routine can be highly effective, whether you’re looking to improve your athletic performance, strengthen your lower body, or enhance your buttocks’ appearance.
It can, however, be difficult to determine which exercises are most effective when there are so many options to choose from. These 21 best butt exercises can help you build strength, increase muscle mass, and achieve your fitness goals.
Several muscles make up the buttocks, or glutes, including the gluteus maximus, gluteus Medius, and Gluteus minimus. As a large and strong muscle, the gluteus maximus is responsible for hip extension and external rotation.
Hip abduction and internal rotation are dependent upon the gluteus medius and minimus, which are located on the side of the hip.
Walking, running, jumping, and squatting are all made possible by gluteal muscles that help provide stability and mobility to the hips and pelvis. Strong glutes can also improve posture, reduce injury risk, and enhance athletic performance.
Why do we need to do butt exercises?
Incorporating butt exercises into your fitness routine is essential for several reasons. First and foremost, strong glutes can improve overall athletic performance. The muscles in the buttocks are essential for most physical activities, including running, jumping, and squatting.
In addition, butt exercises can help improve posture, relieve back pain, and reduce injury risk. In addition to improving their overall body composition, individuals can also achieve a toned and defined physique by strengthening their glutes.
Last but not least, butt exercises can boost self-confidence and body image, enabling individuals to feel more comfortable and confident about their bodies. Whether you are an athlete looking to enhance your performance, or simply looking to improve your overall health and well-being, incorporating glute exercises into your fitness routine can be highly beneficial. So, those who are looking for a natural body contouring method, working one the glutes is one of the best ways out there.
Warm Up Before Glute Workout
warming up is crucial before any type of work out and glute exercises are not exception. To get the most out of the workout session and to avoid common injuries that happen due to not warming up you should release and mobilize muscles and make them ready for contractions about to come. The following set of movements are good for warming up your buttocks in your home or at the gym.
Side-Lying Clamshell
First lie on your side and bend your knees up to a ninety degree position, note that your knees and feet should be stacked. Then put your hand on your butt and push through your heel while you are rotating your hip open, raising your knee until it points to the ceiling. repeat the movement for at least 10 times then turn and do it from the other side with your other knee.
Running
If you have a treadmill in your house you can use it as a great way to warm up before your exercises. running with a slow pace at the start is a great warm up method for most work out plans, it will pump more blood to different muscles in your legs and will lead to more muscle mobilization.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Lie down on the ground facing up! place your right heel on the floor and extend your left leg, then brace your six packs and contract your glute muscle to bridge your hips off the floor and at the same time, raise your left leg up until it aligns with your right thigh. lower your left leg just until your butt touches the ground. 10 reps for each leg for at least 3 times is recommended.
Most Effective Buttocks Exercises in Home or at the Gym
Here are some of the best and most effective butt exercises that we have ever seen. with these exercises, you can Lose fat and gain muscle. in your buttock, resulting in a much better shaped leg figure and stronger lower body.
Squats
Squats work out the glutes or buttocks. They tone and strengthen the muscles in the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. You need to stand hip-width apart with your toes facing forward, then lower your body as if you were sitting in a chair.
Make sure your back is straight and your knees are aligned with your toes. To build a stronger, firmer butt, you can incorporate the sumo squat, jump squat, and split squat into your workout routine. you can do this workout both in your home or at the gym though you probably do not have a barbell in your house so you might end up just using your body weight when working out.
whether you squat with a barbell and heavy weights or with just your body weight, when it comes to glute workouts, squats are always going to be on the list of the most effective glute exercises as they put pressure on your buttocks muscles as well as other muscle groups in your legs.
Lunges
It is also excellent for targeting the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings with lunges. Start with your hands on your hips and your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, bend both knees until your back knee is almost touching the ground, keeping your front knee aligned with your toes.
Take a large step forward with one foot. It is also possible to add variations to your lunges, such as walking lunges and reverse lunges, to challenge your glutes and add variety to your workout routine.
Deadlifts
Starting with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell on the ground in front of you, deadlifts build strength and size in the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core muscles. Bend down and grip the barbell shoulder-width apart with your hands.
Lift it off the ground with your legs straight and you’re back straight. To avoid injury, you should begin with light weights and work your way up gradually, with guidance from a qualified trainer, once you’re standing straight. To prevent injury, deadlifts require proper form.
Pistol Squat
This squat variation can put the utmost pressure on your glutes! Pistol squat is considered to be an advanced workout and not everyone is capable of performing it correctly due to the fact that their leg muscles are not yet strong enough, however, you can start working with a chair behind you.
To start, stand on one leg firmly, lift the other leg slightly forward. bend your knee ( the one that is one the ground ) and send your hips backward and reach your arms forward at the same time. move your hips down to level that your thigh is no longer parallel with the floor. push yourself back up by contracting your glute muscles.
Do 2 sets of 5 reps on each leg.
Hip thrusts
To perform hip thrusts, sit on the ground with your back against a bench or step and place a barbell across your lap. They target the glutes as well as the hamstrings and lower back. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, push through your heels to lift your hips towards the ceiling.
Bend your knees, place your feet flat on the ground, and place your heels close to your glutes. At the top, squeeze your glutes, then lower your hips. If you want to target each glute individually, you can also add variations like single-leg hip thrusts. Bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike like hip thrusts because they sculpt and tone the glutes.
Bulgarian split squats
Bulgarian split squats are challenging exercises that target the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, step forward with one foot, and place your back foot on a bench or step behind you. Your front knee should be directly over your ankle, and your back knee should be pointed downward.
You can perform Bulgarian split squats unilaterally to correct muscle imbalances and improve lower body strength and stability. Return to the starting position through your front heel.
Step-ups
A step-up is a simple butt exercise that targets the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. To perform one, stand in front of a sturdy bench or step, place one foot on top, and press your heel to step up onto the bench. After several reps on one side, switch legs.
Hydrants With Leg Extension
Fire hydrants is another common exercise that you can do to shape your buttocks. It is important to use the right technique and have the right position to get the most out of this workout.
To start, put your hands and knees on the ground just like when you want to do donkey kickback exercise, tighten your core muscle and look down on the floor or look on the front of yourself. Then, lift your left leg to left side of your body with a 45 degree angle. keep your knee to 90 degrees. Lower your leg to the point where it is near your other leg and near the floor but it does not touch the other leg or the ground and move it back up again.( to the side of your body)
Do 3 sets of 10 reps. Repeat with the other leg.
Glute bridges
It involves lying on your back and bending your knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top while lifting your hips toward the ceiling, and then lower them back down.
Donkey kicks or Quadruped Hip Extension
This exercise may look simple, but studies show that it can cause more muscle contraction and activation in the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius muscle when compared to other buttocks workouts. Beside making your glute muscles stronger and more in shape, this workout can even make your Hamstrings stronger. You can do donkey kicks at your home or a the gym and you can even use resistance bands for better contractions.
Put yourself in the following position:
hands and knees on the floor, knees directly below your hips and wrists directly below shoulders, your fingers pointing forward. Note that you should keep your core muscles engaged to avoid arching back. start lifting your right leg up while keeping your knee bent all the way, avoid rotating your hips by keeping your shoulders and hips at a squared position. bring back your leg up down but do not let it touch the floor and the raise it back up.
Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per leg.
Sumo deadlifts
As a variation of the deadlift, Sumo deadlifts involve holding the barbell with your hands inside your knees and standing with a wider stance. In addition to targeting your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, this glute exercise also engages your core and upper back.
You can build strength, improve muscle definition, and achieve a more toned, sculpted butt with these exercises, which are great additions to your glute workout routine.
Curtsy Lunge
This exercise can be done both in home and gym. Curtsy lunge is a variation of the typical lunge workout that activates the gluteus medius muscle which is just on the side of your buttocks. this workout can help with your hip rotation movements. To get the most out of the workout you can do it with dumbbells or a kettlebell or even just the weight of your body if you are a beginner.
First, stand on your feet as they are hips-width apart. Take a big step back with your right leg and cross it over your other leg while keeping the weight in your left leg. Note that your hips should face forward. Then you should bend your knees and lower down until your thigh is placed at a parallel position with the floor. Note that both of you knees should be bent at a nearly ninety degrees level. Push through your left heel to return to the standing position.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps per side.
Cable kickbacks
With a cable machine or resistance band, cable kickbacks are another effective glute exercise. Attach a cable to your ankle and stand facing the machine while performing a cable kickback. Keeping your core engaged and your upper body stable, kick your leg back behind you while squeezing your glutes at the top.
Box jumps
Jumping up onto a sturdy box or bench and landing softly on both feet is a plyometric glute exercise that can help you improve your explosive power and strength in your legs and glutes.
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Frog pumps
Frog pumps are a bodyweight exercise that isolates the glutes and can be performed anywhere without equipment. You can do a frog pump by lying on your back with your knees bent and your soles touching. Press your feet together and raise your hips, squeezing your glutes at the top. Repeat several times.
Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps
The Bulgarian split squat jump is a challenging variation of the traditional Bulgarian split squat. To perform this exercise, stand in front of an elevated bench or sturdy surface and place one foot behind you while keeping the other foot planted firmly on the ground.
Bend your front knee and lower your back knee while keeping your weight in your front heel while you bend your front knee. Jump explosively from your front foot and switch legs mid-air, landing in the opposite stance with your other foot on the bench behind you. During this exercise, the glutes, quads, and hamstrings are engaged, which builds explosive power in the lower body.
Single-leg deadlifts
Stand on one leg while holding a weight in the opposite hand and do Single-Leg Deadlifts to build strength in the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. To perform this exercise, stand on one leg. As you hinge forward at the hips, keep your spine straight and raise your other leg behind you while reaching the weight towards the ground. Repeat on the other side.
Goblet squats
Another effective exercise for the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings is the goblet squat. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out, then squat, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels. Repeat.
Barbell Hip Thrusts
During barbell hip thrusts, the glutes are targeted primarily, but the hamstrings and lower back are also engaged. Place your feet flat on the ground while holding a barbell across your lap and your back against a bench. Drive through your heels to lift your hips to the ceiling. Lower your hips back down to the ground and repeat.
Resistance Band Side Steps
A resistance band side step strengthens the glutes and hips while improving mobility and stability at the same time and it is a butt exercise without weights. Put a resistance band around your ankles and stand hip-width apart. Step one foot to one side, maintaining tension on the band, and then bring your other foot to meet the other foot. Repeat.
Kettlebell swings
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out to perform kettlebell swings, a full-body exercise that engages your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core.
The kettlebell should be held between your legs with both hands, hinge forward at the hips, and swing at shoulder level by driving your hips and squeezing your glutes, then lower it back down and repeat. You can improve glute strength, size, and overall fitness by incorporating these exercises into your fitness routine.
