The 21 Best Butt Exercises Top Trainers Swear By for Their Lower-Body Workouts
Strong glute muscles are key to both strength training performance and injury prevention, which makes butt exercises a super important addition to your workout routine.
“Simply put, the glutes are the foundation of the whole body,” Holly Perkins, CSCS, tells SELF. When those muscles are weak—which can happen with too much sitting—it can cause the pelvis to shift forward, in both your workouts and your everyday movement.
“As your hips tilt forward due to lack of glute recruitment and engagement, your alignment can get thrown off in ways that you might not connect to your glutes,” she says. For example, this subtle misalignment can cause neck pain, rounded shoulders, knee issues, and even ankle tightness.
What’s more, your butt muscles also help transfer power from your lower body to your trunk, which can help you throughout your entire strength-training routine, Alicia Jamison, CPT, trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, told SELF previously. This can translate to more power and strength in your workouts.
There are tons of great butt exercises out there that work these all-important glute muscles in a variety of ways. But before we get into all the butt moves, it’s important to understand what we mean by your glutes first. Read on to find out more about those butt muscles!
What are your glute muscles, and how do you work them?
The glutes may seem like a solid block, but they’re actually comprised of three separate muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Similar to the core, these help stabilize the body, Perkins says.
Your glute muscles also have different functions. Your biggest glute muscle, the gluteus maximus, really fires during hip extension—say, in the upward phase of a deadlift. As Jamison told SELF previously, your gluteus maximus works most in moves that take place in the sagittal plane of motion, or the forward to backward movement you get with flexion and extension. So if you’re looking for butt workouts that primarily target the gluteus maximus, you’d want to include moves like the deadlift, squat, and glute bridge.
Your glutes medius and gluteus minimus are your smaller butt muscles that make up your “side butt,” and they’re known as your hip abductor muscles. These muscles work in the frontal plane of movement, or when you’re moving from side to side. A lateral lunge or a monster walk are two examples of butt exercises at home that really fire up your hip abductor muscles.
Your glute muscles help you with hip extension, abduction, and rotation, which is why it’s helpful to do a breadth of moves rather than focusing on just one particular kind of movement. It’s also important to work in unilateral moves, or one-sided exercises like step-ups or staggered-stance deadlifts, since they help isolate each side. This can help you detect if you have more weakness on one side versus the other so you can work to alleviate that imbalance.
One more important thing about glutes muscles: While proper form and focus are crucial in any workout, they’re particularly important when doing butt exercises. This is because when your focus drifts, there’s a tendency for stronger muscles like your quads to take over the work, Perkins says. Even worse, your lower back might try to take up the task, which can lead to strain.
“To really fire up those three muscles, you need to mentally engage your glutes and pay attention," Perkins says. You may also want to take some time to do a specific butt warm-up before you get into a dedicated butt workout. For instance, this glute activation circuit includes just four moves, but it’ll really make sure you get the right glute muscles firing.
What are the best butt muscles to include in your workout?
We touched base with a bunch of top trainers to get the intel on the best butt workouts they swear by for their lower-body workouts. These include everything from bodyweight butt exercises to butt exercises with weights, and from resistance band moves to barbell butt exercises—so yes, you can do these anywhere, whether you’re looking for an at-home butt workout or one at the gym. Check out some of their favorites so you can incorporate them into your next butt day too.
.gif)
Katie ThompsonGlute Bridge
“The biggest benefit of glute bridges is the way it isolates the glutes, but be sure to do them slowly and with focus so you’re not using momentum instead.” —Perkins
- Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. This is the starting position.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs and push through your heels to lift your hips a few inches off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold this position for a second, making sure to maintain tension in the band so your knees don’t collapse in.
- Slowly lower your hips to return to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonBarbell Hip Thrust
“These target both the upper and lower glutes simultaneously, and the load doesn’t travel through the spine axially. Because of this, someone who is relatively new to training can increase load pretty quickly.” —Jake Harcoff, CSCS, kinesiologist and trainer at AIM Athletic
- Sit on the floor with your back to a bench. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground, hip-distance apart. Rest your upper back on the edge of the bench and slowly lift or slide the bar over your legs and rest it in the crease of your hips. The plates (if you are using them) should be resting on the floor.
- Drive through your heels to lift your hips up toward the ceiling, keeping your upper back in place on the bench.
- Pause and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- In a slow and controlled motion, lower your butt back toward the ground. This is 1 rep.
.gif)
Reverse Lunge
“A comprehensive glute routine should entail movement in three force vectors: vertical, horizontal, and lateral, in order to effectively target all gluteal muscles. A reverse lunge gives you horizontal power, and shifts the center of gravity so the front leg and glutes have to work much harder to bring you back to a standing position.” —Dane Miklaus, CSCS, founder of WORK
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your hands together in front of your chest (as pictured) or rest them on your hips. This is the starting position.
- Lift your right foot and step back about 2 feet, landing on the ball of your foot and keeping your heel off the floor. Bend both knees until your left quad and right shin are approximately parallel to the floor. Your torso should lean slightly forward so your back is flat and not arched or rounded. Your left knee should be above your left foot and your butt and core should be engaged.
- Push through the heel of your left foot to return to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
- Do all your reps on one side, then repeat with the other leg. You can also alternate legs if you prefer.
Kelsey McClellanSingle-Leg Deadlift
“The balance required for this exercise forces you to do it slowly so the muscles are under tension for longer, creating more muscle recruitment. This is my favorite move for building strength in the glutes.” —Noam Tamir, CSCS, owner and founder of TS Fitness
- Stand with your feet together, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your legs. This is the starting position.
- Shift your weight to your right leg, and while keeping a slight bend in your right knee, raise your left leg straight behind your body, hinging at the hips to bring your torso parallel to the floor, and lower the weight toward the floor.
- Keep your back flat. At the bottom of the movement, your torso and left leg should be almost parallel to the floor, with the weight a few inches off the ground. (If your hamstrings are tight, you may not be able to lift your leg as high.)
- Keeping your core tight, push through your right heel to stand up straight and pull the weight back up to the starting position. Bring your left leg back down to meet your right, but try to keep the majority of weight in your right foot.
- Pause there and squeeze your butt. That’s 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonDonkey Kick
“This move that not only works your glutes, but also has benefits for your core, so you're providing support for your lower back and engaging numerous muscles.” —Crystal Widmann, CPT, and owner of Y2B Fit
- Start in an all-fours position, with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and core engaged.
- Kick your right foot up and toward the ceiling, engaging your glutes and using your hamstrings to pull your foot upward.
- Keep your core engaged, so you stay stable and don't tip to the left; and stop lifting before you arch your low back. Remember: This is a strength move, not a flexibility exercise.
- Do all of the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.
Katie ThompsonSquat to Standing Crunch
“These are great for your obliques, but they also fire up your glutes because they engage as a way to keep you stabilized and balanced. They also improve mobility in your hip flexors.” —Ashley Kelly, CPT, trainer, Olympic sprinter, and founder of AKTIV Fitness
- Start with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hands held in a prayer or fist at chest height.
- Do a squat by hinging at the hips, sending your hips back, and bending both knees until thighs are parallel to the floor.
- As you stand, lift your right knee and twist to tap it to your left elbow—a standing twisting crunch.
- Place your right foot back on the floor and immediately drop into another squat.
- Next time as you stand, bring your left knee up and tap it to your right elbow—doing a twisting crunch on the other side.
- Continue to repeat, alternating sides.
Katie ThompsonBulgarian Split Squat
“I like how the split position here isolates the glute, and is easier to keep an upright torso. This is also a good option for people with mobility or lower back issues. You can scale this up by holding dumbbells, a medicine ball, or a sandbag.” —Aaron Leventhal, CSCS, founder of Fit Studios
- Stand with your back to your bench. With your left foot on the floor a few feet in front of the bench, place the top of your right foot on the bench, shoelaces down.
- Place your hands behind your head and engage your core.
- Bend your knees to lower down into a split squat. Your left knee should ideally form a 90-degree angle so that your thigh is parallel to the ground, and your right knee is hovering above the floor. (Quick position check: your left foot should be stepped out far enough that you can do this without letting your left knee go past your left toes—if you can’t, hop your left foot out a bit farther away from the bench.)
- Driving through your left heel, stand back up to starting position.
Katie ThompsonStep-Up to Knee Raise
“Because this creates a temporary imbalance, it causes your glutes to engage to keep you stable and centered. You can hold a weight in each hand to increase intensity, but it's also a good option as a bodyweight exercise.” —Jasmine Marcus, DPT, CSCS, physical therapist and strength coach
- Stand hip-distance apart in front of a sturdy low box or step stool, or the bottom step of a staircase. Step your left foot onto the box, stool, or stair, making sure that the entire foot lands on the step.
- Drive your right knee up toward your chest.
- With control, return your right foot to the floor, then step your left foot to the floor to return to your starting position. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonGoblet Squat
“Any type of squat is helpful for engaging your glutes, but I’ve found the goblet squat to be ideal because you're firing up those muscles in a way that keeps you in alignment.” —Luke Jones, certified movement and mobility specialist at Hero Movement
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out, a weight in both hands in front of you so it hangs vertically.
- Engage your core and keep your chest lifted and back flat as you shift your weight into your heels, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower into a squat.
- Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonKickstand Deadlift
“Isolating the muscles of the glutes through a one-sided exercise like this one can be very effective, while helping you work on your balance and stability at the same time.” —Amanda Katz, CPT and group fitness instructor for Equinox.
- Stand with your feet together, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your legs. Step your right foot forward and keep it flat on the floor. This is the leg that’s working.
- Rise onto the ball of your left foot, using it sort of like a kickstand. This is the starting position.
- While keeping a slight bend in your knees, hinge at the hips to bring your torso about parallel to the floor, lowering the weight toward the floor. Keep your back flat. At the bottom of the movement, the weights should be a few inches off the ground. (If your hamstrings are tight, you might not be able to go down that far.)
- Keeping your core tight, push through your right foot to stand up straight and pull the weight back up to the starting position.
- Pause there and squeeze your butt. That’s 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonBanded Lateral Walk
“This really targets your medial glute (the centermost butt muscle) and should set that bad boy on fire.” —Bec Donlan, a trainer at Project by Equinox
- Place the band around your ankles or above your knees. Stand in a quarter-squat position (a shallow squat), with your feet about hip-width apart, and your hands at your chest or on your hips.
- Take a step to the right with your right foot, so that your feet are wider than hip width. Follow with your left foot so that your feet are hip-width apart again.
- Take three steps to the right, and then three back to the left. That’s 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonCurtsy Lunge
“This one really catches up to you. It’s a great bang-for-your-buck exercise, as it uses all parts of your glutes, abductors, and core as your body goes through the movement.” —Donlan
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips or hold them together in front of your chest. This is the starting position.
- Step your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee until it almost touches the floor. Your front knee should bend to about 90 degrees.
- Drive through your left heel to stand back up and return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side. This is 1 rep. Continue alternating.
Tory RustSide-Lying Leg Lift
“You can do it anywhere and can feel it immediately working in all the right places”—Lacey Stone, a Los Angeles–based trainer
- Lie on your left side, with your legs extended straight. Support your head with your left hand.
- Lift your top leg 45 degrees, then lower slowly. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonSkater Hop
This will target all three muscles that make up your glutes (maximus, medius, and minimus), as well as your quads and hamstrings. “I love this exercise because it gets your heart rate up and works your balance and coordination.”—Stone
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your right leg and jump to the right. Let your left leg straighten and follow.
- As you land on your right foot, swing your left foot behind you but keep it off the floor. Swing your left hand in front of your body as your right arm swings behind your back.
- Swing your left leg back to the left and jump, landing lightly on your left foot and allowing your right foot to swing behind you. Swing your right arm in front of your body as your left arm swings behind.
- Continue, alternating sides.
Katie ThompsonSumo Squat
“Rather than do a regular squat where your feet are hip-width apart, place your feet wide with toes pointing out to target your glutes in a different way and place more emphasis on the inner thigh muscles.” —Alex Silver-Fagan, CPT, yoga teacher and certified functional strength coach
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out. Hold a kettlebell by the handle with both hands at your chest. This is the starting position.
- Engage your core and keep your chest lifted and back flat as you shift your weight into your heels, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower into a squat. Keep your spine long and chest open.
- Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonRomanian Deadlift
“This exercise is amazing because it teaches us how to bend and lift things correctly while protecting our backs, focusing on the utilization of our glutes and hamstrings.” —Michelle Wong, CPT at Life Time in Johns Creek, Georgia.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs.
- Hinge at your hips, bending slightly at your knees. Push your butt way back and keep your back flat. Your torso should be almost parallel to the floor, and the weights should reach your shins.
- Keeping your core tight, push through your heels to stand up straight. Keep the weights close to your shins as you pull.
- Pause at the top and squeeze your butt. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonSide Plank Clamshell
“While much of how we train is about moving forward or backward, we can’t neglect that we have to move side to side and rotate as well. Clamshells build up the tiny glute muscles on the sides of our bodies that help with stabilization in forward and backward motion, but also in moving at different angles.” —Wong
- Prop your body up on your left arm, with your elbow stacked underneath your shoulder and your hand in front of your body.
- Stack your right leg and foot on top of your left, and bend your knees to form a 45-degree angle. Place your right hand on your hip. This is the starting position.
- Drive through your knees and left forearm to lift your hips off the ground. As you do, lift your right knee up toward the ceiling, keeping your feet touching. Use your glutes to initiate the movement, and squeeze them as you lift.
- Lower your right leg back to meet the left. At the same time, lower your hips back to starting position. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonSingle-Leg Glute Bridge
“When paired with good belly breathing, this exercise really works on your core stabilizers and getting your glutes to actually do some work. When we sit on them all day, they tend to turn off and become weaker.” —Wong
- Lie on the floor faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hands at your sides. Engage your core to press your low back against the floor.
- From this position, lift your left foot off the floor and extend your leg.
- Push off your right foot, engage your core, and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips and do a glute bridge.
- Slowly lower your hips back to the floor. That’s 1 rep.
- Do all of the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.
Katie ThompsonFire Hydrant
“Very similar to a clamshell, this is a great exercise not only for the glute muscles on the outside of the hip, but also for the core muscles so that they can work in concert together.” —Wong
- Start in an all-fours position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Lift your right leg to the side, keeping your knee bent, until your knee reaches hip height. Keep your core engaged so your body does not rotate open with your knee lifted.
- Lower to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete all your reps on one side. Switch sides each round.
Meiko ArquillosGlute Kickback
- Loop the band around your ankles and keep a soft bend in your knees. Put your hands on your hips. You can also stand in front of a wall to touch lightly for balance.
- With your glutes engaged, slowly extend one leg out behind you. Make sure you don’t arch your back. Carefully bring your leg back down. This is 1 rep.
Katie ThompsonKettlebell Swing
“This dynamic hinge movement really isolates the glute muscles at the apex of the swing and when done correctly can provide a very good glute workout.” —Wong
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, gripping the top of the kettlebell handle with both hands.
- Bend your knees slightly, then hinge forward at the hips to swing the kettlebell between your legs.
- Stand back up; use the momentum from your hips to swing the weight to chest height. The effort should come with your hips, not your upper body or arms. This is 1 rep.
Demoing the moves above are Gail Barranda Rivas (GIFs 1, 15, 18), a certified group fitness instructor, functional strength coach, Pilates and yoga instructor; Harlan Kellaway (GIF 2), a trans bodybuilder based in Queens; Crystal Williams (GIF 3), a group fitness instructor and trainer in New York City; Shauna Harrison (GIF 4), a Bay Area–based trainer, yogi, public health academic, advocate, and columnist for SELF; Heather Boddy (GIF 5), a group fitness instructor and creator of the Geeknasium workout program; Mirinda Carfrae (GIF 6), a three-time Ironman Triathlon world champion; Cookie Janee (GIFs 7, 16), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Nikki Pebbles (GIFs 8, 21), a special populations personal trainer in New York City; Rachel Denis (GIF 9), a powerlifter who competes with USA Powerlifting; Jeanette Eng (GIF 11), a NASM-certified personal trainer; Jowan Ortega (GIFs 12, 14), a personal trainer, sports performance coach, and partner at Form Fitness in Brooklyn; Krystal Salvent (GIF 13), NASM-certified personal trainer in New York City; Jessica Collazo (GIF 17), a fitness enthusiast with a background in boxing and bikini competitions; Francine Delgado-Lugo (GIF 19), cofounder of FORM Fitness Brooklyn; and Hejira Nitoto (GIF 20), a mom of six and a certified personal trainer.
Related:
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
