Growing your glutes, or any muscle for that matter, is absolutely attainable for anyone willing to put the work in! Try these 5 Glute focused exercises and see what feels right for you! Be sure to get a good warm up in to open up your hips and improve your overall mobility before beginning these exercises. Here are the secrets to a bigger butt in no time!
1. Barbell Hip Thrust
The barbell hip thrust is a game changer for building your glute muscle. To set up for this exercise, you will need a barbell, plates, a bench, and for safety, a barbell pad. I personally like to use the Olympic barbell pads as they are thinner than the typical pads and can allow me to better position myself underneath the bar. This is something to think about for those with thicker thighs in terms of comfort. I like to take my shoes off for this exercise as well because it allows me to really feel my heel pushing down into the ground. You can also purchase lifting shoes which are more flat to the ground.
I sit down with my traps resting on the bench and the barbell across my hips. My feet are flat on the ground and my knees are bent so when I lift up, they extend to a 90% angle. I tuck my chin, brace my core, tuck my pelvis in slightly, and then lift the bar up with my glutes.
You want to make sure to use a weight that is challenging but not so much that your form is compromised or that you can no longer feel the movement in your glutes. The last thing you want is to walk away with a sore lower back the next day.
2. Romanian Deadlift
Now this is my absolute favorite glute exercise as it took a while for me to master, but now feels so good to do with the proper form. I can really feel it in my glutes! To set this exercise up, all you need is a barbell and some plate weights. Place your feet about shoulder width apart and grab the barbell using both hands wherever it feels most natural to you. I like to reach directly in front of me with my arms as to not have my hands too wide or too narrow. You can choose to overhand grip, underhand grip, or mix the two like the picture above.
Now this is where it gets important as it can be really easy to injure yourself when deadlifting if your form is not correct and/or the weight is too heavy. To pick the bar up, bring the bar close to your body and bend your knees slightly while hinging at the hip. This should almost feel like you are closing a door with your booty!
Brace your core, straighten your back, and begin the lift, focusing on your mind to muscle connection with the glute. It is also important to keep your chest up and engage your traps to maintain a smooth and controlled motion. Remember time under tension is key! As you lower the bar each rep, only go to a range where you are feeling it in your glute and not your back, and then lift back up again!
3. Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian Split Squats are not known as the fan favorite, but they sure do make a difference. It may take some time to really get the hang of this movement as it relies a lot on stability and balance.
To set up, you will need some sort of object to rest your back foot on. I typically just use the bench as it is the most comfortable and stable option for me. For weights, you can use dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, or just plain old body weight will still do the trick! I like to use dumbbells as it is readily available and easier to drop the weight at the end of the set as opposed to a barbell.
There is a few different ways you can set up where you position your feet on this exercise. One way is to sit on your back foot while on the bench, straighten your working leg, plant your working foot, and then lift up to standing. At this point you can lunge down and pick the weights up from the floor and being your set. I like to have my working leg bend to a little less than 90 degrees, letting my knees go slightly in front of my toe and my hips at a slight hinge to target my glute. This exercise can seem daunting at first but the more you do it the better you will get!
4. Barbell Back Squat
Bringing it back to the basics with this barbell back squat. This is a compound movement meaning that it is challenging the whole body as well as working on stabilizing your core. To set this up, move the stoppers on the rack to a height that is suitable for you. Place the barbell on the stoppers and load the weight.
When approaching the barbell on the rack, set your feet shoulder width apart and position yourself under the bar. Move the bar to where it is rest on your traps comfortably. Then take a few steps back, brace your core, and press your heals into the ground, lowering your glute to the ground.
To make this more glute focused, hinge your hips slightly and move your knee slightly over your toe while bending the knee. The squat form may look slightly different based on your anatomy. For example, people with longer calves may not be able to hit as much depth as those with shorter calves as their center of gravity is slightly different. Be sure to always have a spotter just in case!
5. Glute Focused Back Extension
Glute Focused back extensions are great to implement after some of those heavier lifts to really grow that booty! While this is typically thought of to strengthen the lower back, it is also a great exercise to target the glutes, if done correctly. The trick to making this glute focused is to slightly round your back, tuck your chin, and brace your core.
This is another exercise where mind to muscle connection is important. I typically hold a plate when doing this exercise and I keep my range of motion minimal. At no point do I hyper extend my back on the upwards motion, instead I stop right before my body extends to straight.