Best Glutes Exercises 2024: The Ultimate Guide to Building Stronger, Leaner Glutes

Introduction

Desire more powerful, stronger glutes? Pay attention! It is crucial to strengthen your glutes through Glutes Exercises. These exercises target the muscles that comprise your butt, and are essential if you want to be physically strong and athletic. Three of the biggest and strongest muscles in your body are your glutes.

Maintaining them in good shape offers you a distinct visual advantage in addition to many practical advantages. The best glute exercises, workout plans, essential muscle information, and insider training advice are all included in this comprehensive guide to help you develop incredibly strong, toned glutes.

Best Glute Exercises

1. Conventional Deadlift

Overview: The conventional deadlift is a powerhouse exercise that targets your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Lifting a barbell off the ground strengthens your entire backside and boosts overall muscle growth.

The Proper Way to Perform the Conventional Deadlift (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, lower back, hamstrings, core.

How to Do It:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell on the floor.
• Bend at the hips to grip the bar with your hands outside your shins.
• Keep your back flat and engage your core.
• Drive through your heels to lift the bar, thrusting your hips forward at the top.
• Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use elevated boxes or plates to decrease the range of motion.
• Make it harder: Try the stiff-leg variation with nearly straight legs.

2. Back Squat

Overview: The back squat is a classic leg exercise that primarily works your quads, glutes, and core. With a barbell on your back, you lower into a squat to build lower body strength and improve athletic performance.

How to do a barbell back squat (Video Credit: Centr YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, lower back, core.

How to Do It:

• Set a barbell across the rear of your shoulders at a squat rack.
• Grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip and straighten your wrists.
• Keeping your chest upright, send your hips back while bending your knees.
• Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
• Drive through your heels to return to the starting position.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use a box to control your depth.
• Make it harder: Slow down the squat’s eccentric (lowering) portion.

3. Hip Thrust

Overview: The hip thrust isolates and strengthens your glutes, giving them a powerful lift. With your back resting on a bench and a barbell across your hips, you thrust your hips upward for a strong, rounded butt.

A Barbell Hip Thrust The RIGHT Way! (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings.

How to Do It:

• Roll a barbell into position over your hips while sitting on the floor.
• With your shoulders on a bench, drive through your heels to extend your hips upward.
• Squeeze your glutes forcefully at the top of the movement.
• Control the barbell back to the starting position.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use your body weight or hold a dumbbell on your hips.
• Make it harder: Perform single-leg hip thrusts.

4. Bulgarian Split Squat

Overview: The Bulgarian split squat is a single-leg exercise that works your quads and glutes. Elevating one leg behind you challenges your balance and helps correct muscle imbalances.

The Only Way You Should Be Doing Bulgarian Split Squats!(Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, core.

How to Do It:

• Stand lunge-length in front of a knee-high box or bench.
• Place your rear foot on the box, keeping your knee bent.
• Send your hips straight down until your front thigh is nearly parallel.
• Drive through your front foot to return to the start position.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use assisted split squats holding onto something stable.
• Make it harder: Add tempo eccentrics or bottom-position pauses.

5. Romanian Deadlift

Overview: The Romanian deadlift is a variation that targets your glutes and hamstrings while protecting your lower back. By keeping a slight bend in your knees, you hinge at the hips and lower the bar to feel a deep stretch.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift(Video Credit: Glute Lab YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back.

How to Do It:

• Stand upright holding a barbell at arm’s length.
• Push your hips back while hinging forward, keeping your back flat.
• Lower the bar as far as flexibility allows, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
• Drive your hips forward to return to the start.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use a weight bench to limit your range of motion.
• Make it harder: Use a wider snatch grip on the barbell.

6. Sumo Deadlift

Overview: The sumo deadlift uses a wide stance to work your glutes, quads, and inner thighs. It’s perfect for those who want to lift heavy while reducing stress on the lower back.

How To Sumo Deadlift (The RIGHT Way) (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, quads, hip adductors, lower back, core.

How to Do It:

• Position your feet very wide with your toes pointed outward.
• Bend at the hips to grip the barbell with a narrow grip.
• Drive through your entire foot to pull the bar off the floor.
• Finish by squeezing your glutes and thrusting your hips forward.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use dumbbells or kettlebells instead of a barbell.
• Make it harder: Pull from an elevated deficit.

7. Cable Glute Kickback

Overview: The cable glute kickback isolates your glutes for a well-defined look. Standing at a cable machine, you extend one leg back to focus on your butt muscles.

How To: Cable Glute Kickback (Video Credit: Kia Khadem YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings.

How to Do It:

• Attach an ankle cuff to a low cable pulley.
• With your knees bent, kick your working leg straight back.
• Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the kickback.
• Control the movement back to the start under tension.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use just your body weight to start.
• Make it harder: Stand with your trail leg elevated.

8. Step-Up

Overview: The step-up is a simple yet effective exercise that builds strong quads and glutes. Stepping onto a raised platform with one leg at a time strengthens your lower body and improves balance.

Step-Up Variations (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, core.

How to Do It:

• Stand facing a knee-high box or bench.
• Lead with your right foot and step fully onto the box.
• Press through your right heel to bring your left foot up to meet it.
• Step back down under control, alternating lead legs.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use a lower step height.
• Make it harder: Add a vertical jump between reps.

9. Goblet Squat

Overview: The goblet squat is a beginner-friendly squat variation where you hold a dumbbell close to your chest. It’s great for improving posture while working your quads, glutes, and core.

Goblet Squat (Video Credit: Testosterone Nation YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, core.

How to Do It:

• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest.
• Set your feet slightly beyond shoulder width.
• Send your hips back to descend until your thighs are parallel.
• Drive through your heels to return to the start position.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use just your body weight.
• Make it harder: Elevate your heels or pause in the bottom position.

10. Good Morning

Overview: The good morning strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. With a barbell on your shoulders, you bend at the hips to work your entire backside.

How To Do A Barbell Good Morning(Video Credit: Pure Gym YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Lower back, glutes, hamstrings.

How to Do It:

• Set a barbell across your rear shoulders.
• Push your hips back to hinge forward until nearly parallel.
• With a flat back, drive your hips forward to return upright.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use a kettlebell or plate at arm’s length.
• Make it harder: Pause briefly in the bottom position.

11. Kettlebell Swing

Overview: The kettlebell swing is a dynamic exercise that powers up your glutes and hamstrings. Swinging a kettlebell from between your legs to shoulder height builds explosive hip strength.

How to do a Proper Kettlebell Swing (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core.

How to Do It:

• Hold a kettlebell by the handle with both hands.
• Hinge at the hips to swing the weight back between your legs.
• Drive through your heels to project the weight out in front.
• Allow it to swing back through your legs to repeat.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Use a lighter kettlebell weight. Limit the range of motion to Russian swings.

12. Curtsy Lunge

Overview: The curtsy lunge tones your quads and glutes while improving hip stability. By stepping one leg diagonally behind the other, you work your glutes from a different angle for a well-rounded look.

How To Do Curtsy Lunges The RIGHT Way (Video Credit: Mind Pump TV YouTube Channel)

Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hip adductors, core.

How to Do It:

• Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Step your left leg behind and across your right leg.
• Bend both knees lowering into a deep lateral lunge.
• Push through your front foot to return to the start position.

Modifications:

• Make it easier: Hold onto something stable for balance.
• Make it harder: Add weight by holding dumbbells at your sides.

Sample Glute Exercises

1. Glute Workout for Strength

Warm-Up: 5-10 mins incline treadmill, 2 sets of 15 banded side shuffles

Workout:

• Back Squat: 3 sets of 5 reps
• Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg

2. Glute Workout for Muscle Size (Hypertrophy)

Warm-Up: 2 sets of 10 air squats, 2 sets of 15-sec single-leg glute bridges per side

Workout:

• Sumo Deadlift: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Machine Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cable Glute Kickback: 3 sets of 15 reps per leg

3. Glute Workout for Endurance

Warm-Up: 2 sets of 10 reverse lunges per leg, 2 sets of 10 air squats

Workout:

• Tempo Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 15 reps (4 sec eccentric)
• Step-Up: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
• Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Stair Climbs: 10 minutes

Understanding Glute Muscle Anatomy

The anatomy of glutes muscles

The gluteal muscles consist of three interconnected powerhouses that together create your backside:

Gluteus Maximus

Of the glute muscles, this is the biggest and most superficial (i.e., nearest to the surface). Strong hip extension is its main purpose, propelling exercises like squats, jumps, and sprints. Additionally important for hip abduction—which involves extending your leg—and external rotation of the hip joint are the gluteus maximus muscles^[1].

Gluteus Medius

The upper outside hip region contains the medium-sized glute muscle. When performing single-leg motions, the gluteus medius^[2] is primarily responsible for supporting the pelvis and firmly abducting the hip. It also produces hip extension force in concert with the Maximus.

Gluteus Minimus

This is the smallest of the three gluteal muscles, as its name implies. Despite its small size, the minimus^[3] is nonetheless involved in thigh internal rotation and hip abduction. It also helps to power hip extension through the other glutes.

Benefits of Training the Glutes Exercises

Elite athletes to casual fitness-seekers can profoundly benefit from focused glute training. Here’s why developing these muscular caboose commanders is so advantageous:

Better Athletic Performance

The glutes are the main engines that extend the hip powerfully during explosive movements like sprinting, jumping, and lifting weights. A 2020 study by Environ Res Public Health^[4]
says, Having conditioned, powerful glute muscles allows you to run faster, jump higher, and move bigger loads in the gym.

Injury Prevention

In addition to producing force, the glutes play a vital role in stabilizing the pelvis and knee joints during movements. Weak glutes ^[5] force other muscles to compensate, increasing injury risk. Dedicated glute training reinforces ideal movement patterns that protect the lower back and knees.

Improved Aesthetics

Let’s face it – a round, toned backside is a desirable aesthetic goal for many. Exercises that strengthen the glutes also shape them into an uplifted, firm appearance by growing muscle and reducing fat levels in the region. Strong glutes quite literally give you a “butt lift” without going under the knife!