Top 10 Best Glute Exercises | Bum Workout | Village Gym (2024)

Are you ready to work on that booty? Work those glutes with effective bum exercises that will have your buns looking toned and perky in no time!

The glute muscles, or the buttocks, are some of the most powerful muscles in our bodies. By incorporating a dedicated bum workout routine into your training, you can strengthen and sculpt them to perfection. Strong glutes enhance your performance, improve your posture, and, of course, help you look good, too.

So, let’s get started on glute workouts and get those booties popping!

What are your glute muscles?

Glutes, or gluteal muscles, are the largest muscle group in your body. Your glutes are responsible for many movements, such as walking, running, squatting, and jumping.

Here’s a little about the three muscles comprising the buttocks.

  • The gluteus maximus, the largest and strongest muscle of the three, is responsible for extending and laterally rotating the hip to maintain correct posture and engage in climbing, jumping, and sprinting.

  • The gluteus medius is located on the outer part of the hip and plays a crucial role in stabilising the pelvis during locomotion. It also helps with abduction and rotation of the hip joint.

  • The gluteus minimus, the smallest and deepest of the gluteal muscles, helps to stabilise the pelvis when one leg is lifted, such as when walking up and down stairs.

Understanding the three glute muscles can help you develop a targeted glute workout plan that effectively engages all three muscles, leading to stronger, more shapely glutes.

Better yet, with Village Gym, we have state of the art equipment to help you accomplish your wildest booty dreams!

Best Glute Exercises For Bum Workouts

It’s time to work that booty!

  1. Warm up with a few glute activation exercises like glute bridges, clam shells, or cable kickbacks

  2. Select three to five exercises to include in your workout set

  3. Perform 10 -15 reps each and continue to the next move

  4. Rest for up to one minute after each set

  5. Repeat three more times for four rounds total

Top 10 Best Glute Exercises | Bum Workout | Village Gym (1)

Glute Bridge

This move targets and activates the glute muscles, increasing strength and definition in the buttocks.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your hips up off the ground, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

Single-Leg Glute Bridges

Once you’ve warmed up your glutes, take it to the next level by adding stress to one gluteus maximus at a time.

To perform this version, recreate the same movements as the glute bridge, but perform the exercise with one leg raised off the ground. You’ll feel the extra emphasis on the glutes.

Clam Shell

Not only is this exercise great for activating and warming up your glute muscles, but it also is one of the best gluteus medius exercises.

Lie on your side with your knees bent and feet together. Keeping your feet touching, lift your top knee as high as possible while maintaining a stable core. Lower it back down and repeat on each side.

Hip Thursts

Of all the glute isolation exercises, this move targets the glutes directly and delivers strong results. Add a barbell or hand weights on your hips to increase the intensity of this exercise.

With your upper back resting on a bench or elevated surface and your feet planted firmly on the ground, drive your hips up towards the ceiling. Then lower down slowly and repeat.

Squats

Squats are the gold standard for targeting the glutes. Use your body weight or add more resistance with hand weights, kettlebells, or a barbell across your shoulders.

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, lower yourself into a squat position, and push through your heels to stand back up.

Also, try these modifications

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Lunges

Great for working the glutes, quads, and hamstrings all at once, lunges help to shape and tone the entire lower body.

Stand with feet hip-width apart, step forward with one leg, bend both knees to lower into a lunge position, and keep the front knee directly over the ankle. Push back up to standing and repeat on the other leg.

Work different glute muscles with the following lunge movements.

  • Curtsy Lunges

  • Walking Lunges

  • Lateral Lunges

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Step Ups

This exercise packs a one-two punch of working the glutes and a stabilising challenge that engages the abdominal muscles.

Find a step, bench, or sturdy elevated platform. Step onto the surface with one foot, drive through your heel, and lift your body up onto the surface. Step back down and repeat with the other leg.

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Romanian Deadlifts

This is a lift where you can maximise your workout, especially if you want to gain a bigger, toned bum. Add weights and feel the burn.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hinge forward at the hips while keeping your back straight. Lift the weight, engaging your glutes as you stand up.

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Exercises Using Gym Machines for Glutes

Leg Press for Glutes

Use the leg press gym machine to work the entire lower body, particularly the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Adjust the resistance to challenge you and build muscle.

Sit on the leg press machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the footrest. Push the footrest away from your body and slowly return to the starting position, repeating for desired reps.

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Cable Kickbacks

Isolate the glutes with this exercise, allowing for a stronger contraction in the muscle and increased glute growth and definition.

Attach an ankle strap to a low-pulley cable machine and attach the strap to your ankle. Stand facing the machine and kick your leg backward, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement before lowering your leg.

Top Tips for a Bigger Bum

If you want to enhance the shape of your glutes and achieve your dream booty, follow these booty-building tips.

  1. Prioritise these three moves to grow your glutes: squats, hip thrusts, and Romanian deadlifts.

  2. Increase the weight and the number of repetitions per set.

  3. Hold the position longer, especially with weight-bearing glute exercises.

  4. Remember to activate your glutes pre-workout and do a glute stretch after your workout.

Find a Village Gym near you. Book a tour or buy a day pass and start smashing those fitness goals!

Top 10 Best Glute Exercises | Bum Workout | Village Gym (2024)

FAQs

What is the most effective exercise for glutes? ›

If you want to build stronger and more performance-driven glutes, I'd recommend the following for a well-rounded routine:
  • Barbell Hip Thrust.
  • Step Up.
  • Reverse Hyper.
  • Romanian Deadlift.
  • Curtsy Lunge.
  • Sprinter Position Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats.
  • Single-Leg Hip Thrust.
  • Dumbbell Frog Press.

What exercises activate the glutes the most? ›

In general, the step-up exercise and its variations present the highest levels of GMax activation (>100% of MVIC) followed by several loaded exercises and its variations, such as deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges, and squats, that presented a very high level of GMax activation (>60% of 1RM).

What works your glutes at the gym? ›

The best glute-sculpting exercises are lunges, squats, deadlifts, bridges, kicks, hip thrusts, and step-ups. Each of these exercises — whether done with or without dumbbells — will build muscle and strength in your glutes.

What builds glutes the fastest? ›

The squat tops every list of butt-sculpting exercises. It directly works the glutes. You can build bigger bottom muscles by adding hand-held weights. Form: Slowly lower the hips as if sitting way back in a chair, trying to keep your knees from moving forward toward toes; then return to standing.

What are the three main exercises for glutes? ›

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.

What is the secret to building glutes? ›

The secret is to target each of the glute muscles and progressively overload them with high intensity. This can be achieved within any range of reps, but you get the best muscle hypertrophy results from a rep range of six to twelve and with a heavy resistance.

How to build a bigger butt? ›

The gluteus maximus is most responsible for the size of your butt and can best be trained with compound movements. These include squats, deadlifts, and hip thrusts. Training the gluteus minimus and medius is excellent for mobility while also helping define your curves.

How do you hit every part of your glutes? ›

Here are some great exercises in terms of activation for each muscle part:
  1. Upper Glutes. Barbell Hip Thrust. Banded Hip Thrust. Banded Hip Extension. ...
  2. Lower Glutes. Deadlift. Single Leg Hip Thrust. ...
  3. Mid Glutes. Banded Hip Thrust. Barbell Hip Thrust.
  4. Side Glutes. Banded Donkey Kick. Banded Lateral Steps.
Feb 27, 2018

Are 3 exercises enough for glutes? ›

Within a single week (microcycle) of training, we recommend between 2 and 5 different glute exercises. For example, if you train glutes 3x a week, you can do a heavy deficit sumo pull on one day, a barbell hip thrust on the next day, and a lunge version on the last day for 3 total exercises in the week.

What are the 4 types of glute exercises? ›

"To grow the glutes, you'll want to ensure that you're training them with at least one exercise from each of the following four categories: thrust/bridge exercise; squat/lunge exercise; hinge/pull exercise; abduction movement," says Jeremy Ethier, kinesiologist, fitness trainer, and founder of Built with Science.

How to build glutes in 1 week? ›

Try doing squats, weighted lunges, donkey kicks, and glute bridges, which all target the muscles in your butt. Do 3 sets of 20 reps for each exercise, and do your butt workout every other day, at least 3 times throughout the week.

How long does it realistically take to grow glutes? ›

You may be lucky enough to notice small changes within 4-6 weeks with more noticeable changes arriving in months 3-6. For a full glute transformation, dedication for 1-2 years is required – but it's worth it!

How often should you go to the gym to grow glutes? ›

If you want the best results, aim to train your glutes 2-4 times a week, focus on heavy compound lifts with a few isolation exercises thrown into the mix, and ensure you get adequate nutrition. Most important of all is rest; the glutes aren't built in the gym – they're built when outside of the gym when we're resting.

Why is it hard to activate glutes? ›

The most commong reason is that most people sit for long periods of time. The glute muscles tend to stop firing due to a lack of oxygen and tightened hip flexors. This, in return, puts more strain on the lower back, hamstrings, and knees, that imbalanced and stiff feeling when you head out for a run.

How do I activate my glutes more than my hamstrings? ›

With your knee bent to 90 degrees, you have to recruit the gluteus maximus as the prime mover. Resist the desire to bend the knee more than 90 degrees to avoid activating the hamstrings. Begin with five bent knee lifts and one straight leg lift (as in the test, above). Repeat five times before every run.

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