7 Best Glute Exercises for a Bigger Booty in 2024

As a personal trainer for over a decade, I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had that have obsessed over their butt. 

We hardly ever see it, but that doesn’t stop us from obsessing over it. 

We worry it’s too flat, plump, or saggy. Yep, we’re living in a booty-fixated world. Amid all this focus on looks, however, many people miss a crucial point …

The muscles that make up your butt – the glutes – are your body’s largest and potentially strongest. A powerful set of glutes holds the key to overall bodily strength and functionality.

In this article, we’ll lay out the seven best glute exercises to boost your butt size and strength. 

Check out this glute workout or these workouts for different muscle groups if you want specific routines to follow. 

Butt Anatomy (Glute Muscles)

When discussing the buttocks, we are specifically referring to the gluteal muscles. The glutes make up one of the “biggest 5 muscles” in the body and are made up of three separate muscles:

• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medialis
• Gluteus minimus

Within this muscle group, the gluteus maximus, occupying the majority of the visible buttock area, takes center stage in our efforts to enhance and tone this region.

Its primary function involves hip joint extension, achieved by pulling the upper leg muscle, or femur downward and backward. This action is responsible for lifting the body from a seated position and propelling us forward during activities like walking or running.

Gluteus Maximus

The gluteus maximus performs hip extension through two primary methods: either by mobilizing the femur or by engaging the torso.

For example, when performing a stiff-legged deadlift, the primary mover is the torso, whereas, on a multi-hip machine, the upper body remains stationary while the lower body is in motion. Both variations are integral components of a comprehensive workout regimen aimed at developing a fuller and firmer butt.

In some exercises targeting the glutes, both the torso and femur are involved in the one movement. Squats are a prime example, where although the femur is the primary mover, the torso also plays a significant role.

This blend of movements should also find a place in your well-rounded glute-focused workout routine for optimal results.

Gluteus Medius and Minimus

For reference, here’s the glute medius and glute minimus:

The Gluteus Medius is responsible for hip abduction, which is raising your leg upward away from your other leg. Also, it helps you rotate your hips, so think about when you rotate your foot outward from your body.

Movements like machine abductions and side lying clams will work your gluteus medius. The Gluteus Minimus helps the medius muscle in the rotation of the hips.

Now, let’s get into some optimal glute exercises…

Why You Want To Work Your Glutes

A bigger, stronger butt not only looks good… it’s extremely functional. Here’s why.

Your glutes are a large muscle group and one of the major functions they serve is to support your upper body helping to keep you upright. But due to our sedentary lifestyles, most everyone has weak glutes.

And if your glutes are weak and underdeveloped, they can contribute to poor posture and lower back pain. So the best way to deal with that is to work them out often and make them stronger.

So exercises like the glute kickback, hip thrusts, the hip extension, and deadlifts can help you build a stronger set of butt muscles.

7 Best Glute Exercises

1. Glute Kickback

The glute kickback on a machine is the best exercise to isolate the gluteus maximus and medius.

As such, it should be central to any glute workout. There are a number of types of glute kickback machines found in gyms. However, they all follow the same idea of pushing a leg behind your body against resistance. 

The following description relates to the Cybex Glute Kickback machine.

1. Adjust the settings to your height, then select the appropriate weight from the pin-loaded weight stack.
2. Get into position by resting the non-working leg on the pad provided. Place the middle of your working foot on the padded bar. Grab the handles and lead on the chest pad.
3. Push the working leg back to bring it up as high as you can behind you.
4. Slowly return to the start position.

If you don’t have access to a machine, you can use bands. You can also follow the booty band workout.

2. Hip & Glute Machine Raise

There are also slight differences in the type of hip and glute machines you’ll encounter in gyms.

Once again, they all do basically the same thing: to allow you to move your glutes through a full range of motion. 

The following description is based on the Life Fitness hip and glute machine:

1. Adjust the central knob of the machine to a point that allows for complete leg extension; it should position your quad parallel to the floor in the start position.
2. Place your right leg over the pad and grab the handles for support.
3. Use your glutes to push your leg down and back. Keep going until you feel the full contraction.
4. Return to the start position under control.
5. Repeat for reps, then readjust the central pad for the opposite leg and repeat with that leg.

3. Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift

This movement works your hamstrings and glutes. As you descend, really try to focus on squeezing your glutes as you come back to the starting position.

1. Stand, holding a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your palms should be facing your body. Your feet should be slightly spread apart. 
2. High at the hips as you lower the dumbbells to the ground in the starting position. Keep your legs straight as you descend, allowing your butt to move back.
3. Exhale as you drive up to a standing position by pushing your heels into the floor. As you rise, drive the hips forward while maintaining a tightening of the shoulder blades. Squeeze your glutes tight in the top position. 

This is a slightly different exercise compared to Romanian deadlifts. It’s a common mistake to think these are the same. 

4. Jump Squat With Pause From Bottom

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands clasped in front of your chest. 
2. Hinge your hips to descend into a full squat. 
3. Pause in the bottom position for a two-count. 
4. Then, jump out of the squat so your feet come up off the floor. 

5. Glute Ham Raise

Most gyms will have a glute-ham raise machine. Adjust the footplate and lower leg pads to suit your height before getting into position to begin the exercise.  

1. Position yourself facedown on the machine to parallel the floor. Rest your thighs on the centrally located torso pad. Place your hands by your ears.
2. Press your thighs into the torso pad as you bring your torso up to a perpendicular position to the floor.
3. Lower under control and repeat.

6. Floor Hip Thrusts (Glute Bridges)

This movement is great for warming up your glutes before starting heavier movements.

1. Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent. Put your hands on the ground at your sides, palms down. 
2. Raise your hips into the air, keeping your heels and shoulders on the floor.
3. Pause in the top position, squeezing your glutes as you do so. 
4. Lower under control.

7. Hyperextensions (With a Glute Focus)

This movement is also called the low back extension, but when done correctly, you shouldn’t feel it in your lower back.

This variation is similar in effectiveness as a hip thrust, but more like a deadlift due to the way you load the movement.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Make sure the pad is just below your hip bone. This will allow you bend over at the hips and get a good stretch in your glutes.
2. Purposefully round your upper back because this will allow you to pull yourself back up with your glutes, instead of your hamstrings.
3. Slowly lower yourself down, folding your body over.
4. Then come back up and initiate the movement with your glutes. Think of how a glute bridge feels.
5. As you get to the top, think about squeezing your glutes as tightly as possible.
6. Repeat the movement as many times as you wish.

The Glute Building Workout

Ideally, you should work your glutes twice per week. Give yourself at least two days to recover between each session.

So, you could do your first glute session on Monday and the second on Thursday. You should perform a total of around ten sets, with a rep range of between six and twenty.

As a personal trainer, I encourage my clients to work their glutes and abs together. Here’s an effective glute and ab workout that you may want to check out. 

Here are two workouts using the seven exercises described above. Alternate between them from workout to workout.

Incorporating Cardio into Your Routine

To complement your journey to a beautifully toned butt, it’s essential to integrate cardio workouts into your program.

Dedicate a couple of sessions per week to cardiovascular exercises, ideally on the days when you’re not focusing on your glute workouts. The stair stepper is an excellent choice for home gym equipment, offering a highly effective workout.

Allocate 20-30 minutes for your cardio session, and during this time, the stair stepper will directly target your glutes while aiding in calorie burning for weight management.

To maximize your glute engagement, set the resistance level to a point where you can sense your glutes actively working, typically around the 10-minute mark.

Embracing Progressive Overload for Stronger, Shapelier Glutes

Achieving the glutes of your dreams goes beyond simply doing the same exercises repeatedly. One of the core principles of successful glute training is progressive overload. This concept involves:

• Consistently challenging your muscles with increased resistance or intensity over time.
• Pushing your limits.
• Demanding more from your body.

Here’s why progressive overload is crucial for building bigger and stronger glutes:

1. Stimulating Muscle Growth: Progressive overload is the catalyst for muscle growth. When you challenge your glutes with greater resistance, they adapt, becoming larger and stronger to handle the increased demand.

2. Avoiding Plateaus: Without progressive overload, your progress can stagnate. If you continue to lift the same weights or perform the same exercises without progression, your muscles won’t receive the necessary stimulus for growth.

3. Building Strength: It’s not just about aesthetics; stronger glutes contribute to enhanced athletic performance and functional strength. Whether you’re an athlete or simply want to improve your daily activities, progressive overload helps you develop functional power.

4. Sculpting Shape: Constantly challenging yourself ensures a well-rounded development of the glute muscles. It allows you to work on various aspects, such as gluteus maximus size, gluteus medius shape, and overall symmetry.

Practical Strategies for Progressive Overload

Increase the Weight: Progressively add more weight to your glute exercises. For example, if you’re comfortable lifting 50 pounds in a hip thrust, challenge yourself with 55 or 60 pounds over time.

Adjust Repetitions and Sets: Modify your workout variables by increasing the number of sets or repetitions. This added volume contributes to muscle stimulation. Variation: Incorporate different glute exercises and their variations into your routine to target your muscles from various angles and prevent adaptation.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on the mind-muscle connection during exercises. Concentrate on engaging your glutes fully with each repetition, ensuring they work to their maximum capacity.

Rest and Recovery: Adequate rest between workouts is essential for muscle recovery and growth. Aim for 48 hours of recovery before working the same muscle group again. Remember, progressive overload should be gradual and tailored to your fitness level. Pushing too hard or too quickly can lead to injury. Consistency is the key, so track your progress and be patient in your pursuit of bigger, stronger, and more shapely glutes. By challenging yourself and embracing progressive overload, you’ll unlock your glutes’ full potential and reach your fitness goals faster.

Balancing Your Overall Fitness

Focusing solely on training your glute muscles can lead to an undesirable imbalance in your overall muscular development and strength. Such an imbalance may increase the risk of injury over time.

We strongly recommend incorporating workouts for your upper body, including the chest, back, arms, and shoulders, on one designated day.

On another designated day, concentrate on your lower body, encompassing the quads, calves, glutes, and hamstrings, along with core exercises. Perform these full-body workouts once per week to ensure a well-rounded and balanced approach to your fitness routine.

The Importance of Nutrition

Achieving a bigger and more toned butt is not solely reliant on exercise; your nutrition also plays a crucial role. To support your bigger butt workout effectively, consider incorporating these essential foods into your regular diet:

• Sweet Potatoes
• Eggs
• Oatmeal
• Avocado
• Quinoa
• Lean Meats
• Nuts
• Beans
• Milk
• Greek Yogurt

These foods offer a well-rounded combination of proteins, healthy fats, and both fibrous and starchy carbohydrates. We recommend adhering to a balanced diet with a ratio of 40 percent healthy fats, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent carbohydrates. Additionally, it’s crucial to stay adequately hydrated by consuming around half a gallon of water daily.

You’ll also need to make sure that you’re in a caloric surplus and eating enough protein to make sure that you’re getting enough calories to get your glutes to grow.

Glute Exercises: The ‘Bottom’ Line

Crafting a bigger booty is a process that requires commitment and consistency. 

By consistently following the workout regimen outlined here, you’ll soon reap the rewards. 

Dedicate yourself to these exercises, performing them twice a week, allowing at least 48 hours of rest between sessions. 

Remember to prioritize your overall well-being by ensuring you get a restorative 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Complement your workout routine with a diet that aligns with our healthy food guidelines. Continue to push your boundaries, progressively intensifying your training, and your dedication will yield the bootylicious butt you’ve envisioned.

You can find a different booty workout here.