Brenda Peralta is a Certified Diabetes Educator, and Sports Nutritionist with a Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Dietetics. With over 9 years of experience helping people reach their sports and nutrition goals, Brenda is also a Better Me Health Coach.
In the world of health and fitness, we often focus on toned abs and chiseled arms. But what about the lower body? We’re talking about your booty, the powerhouse of your body, and a vital muscle group that deserves and demands attention.
Whether you’re aiming to get perkier glutes, increase your athletic performance, or simply improve your overall strength, it’s essential to search for targeted exercises for glutes. However, with countless workouts claiming to be the best, it can be challenging to know which ones are truly going to deliver the results.
Here, we’ll go through the most effective exercises, the science behind glute training, the role of good form, and how you can integrate these movements into the best glute workout at home or at the gym.
There’s not only one most effective glute workout. In reality, the best glute workout is a combination of different exercises as there are different muscles in the glutes. So before we jump into the best glute workout, it’s important to understand the glute muscles and the best workouts.
The glutes, or gluteus muscles, are a group of three major muscles that are located in your buttocks. Here, you find the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus (1).
These muscles contribute to the power and stability of the lower body and also play an important role in posture, athletics, and daily activities, such as walking up and down the stairs or standing up from a chair.
This is why neglecting your glutes can lead to imbalances and even injuries to your body. However, including the best glute workout for muscle mass can help you improve strength, endurance, and muscle tone.
To ensure you hit every part of your glutes, here’s a summary of the Best Glutes Exercises.
This is one of the best glute workouts you can do with your body weight, a barbell, or even resistance bands. Here’s how to perform a hip thrust effectively:
This is the perfect exercise to target the gluteus maximus and is a great option for glute hypertrophy (muscle growth).
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If you’ve trained your glutes before, you’ve probably heard of Bulgarian split squats. They are single-leg exercises that require balance and stability while effectively engaging all the glute muscles.
Here are some tips on how to perform this exercise effectively:
This is one of the best glute activation exercises.
This is a beginner-friendly exercise that provides great glute activation while also engaging the core. Here’s how to perform this exercise correctly:
This can be a great exercise to learn how to properly engage your glutes, which is essential for more advanced movements.
Deadlifts are a combination of movements that primarily target the hamstrings and lower back, but they also heavily engage the glutes. Here’s how to perform a deadlift with good form:
Step-ups can effectively target the glutes and quadriceps. Here’s how to perform step-ups safely:
It’s important to remember that there are countless other effective glute exercises you can include in your routine. Squats and lunges can also be a great part of an effective glute workout routine. If you’re unsure what the best workout based on your goals and needs is, make sure you speak with a professional to get a personalized routine.
To understand how to build glute muscles faster, we must consider the science behind it. The glutes are composed of different muscle fibers (fast-twitch and slow-twitch). As a consequence, they respond well to a variety of training intensities and volumes.
High-intensity exercises such as squats and deadlifts can stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers, while slower, controlled movements such as glute bridges can enhance endurance or your muscle fibers.
Therefore, balancing all the workouts can help promote glute growth.
You should keep in mind that building muscle takes time and patience. In addition, you also need to be in a caloric surplus, which means you need to eat more calories than the body needs (2).
Read more: Thigh Workout Guide: 7 Effective Exercises for Building Leg Strength
Remember that the glutes include three muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. How can you target all three muscles at once during your routine? Here’s a breakdown of how to target each muscle.
To work on the gluteus maximus, focus on exercises such as squats, hip thrusts, deadlifts, and lunges. To effectively stimulate this muscle, it’s important to challenge the muscles with heavy weights or resistance bands. You need to aim for lower repetition ranges with heavier weights to promote growth.
Include movements that involve moving the legs away from the midline of the body. This includes workouts such as lateral leg raises, clamshells, and side-lying hip abduction. Perform these exercises with controlled movements and lighter weights to help activate and strengthen this muscle group.
As the gluteus minimus plays an important role in stabilizing the pelvis and hip joints, you must include exercises that challenge balance and stability. Great workouts include single-leg exercises and balance drills.
Now you know the importance of glute workouts, it’s time to learn how to integrate them into your weekly training plan.
If you prefer to work out at home, there are plenty of ways to target your glutes without full gym equipment.
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As with any other health or fitness goal, it’s important to track your progress to make sure you’re on the right path, and this will help you stay motivated. Here are some ways to help you track your progress:
You may have noticed that the scale has not been included as part of tracking your progress. While the scale can be an indicator of progress, it doesn’t tell you exactly where you’re losing or gaining weight.
In addition, it’s important to remember that for muscle growth, you may end up gaining weight, which for some women may be a bit scary. This is why it’s recommended that you focus on other indicators of progress, such as the ones mentioned above.
Read more: Your Flat Tummy Workouts Just Got Better With This Guide
Here’s one of the best glute workouts for men and women. It can easily be done at home with minimal equipment.
Remember to warm up before you start your workout and cool down afterward with some light stretching. Adjust the number of sets and repetitions based on your fitness level, and feel free to add any additional equipment such as weight or resistance bands if you have them available.
Check out our other articles to add different routines to your glutes workouts: Butt Lift Workout and Squats Workout Plan
Yes, squeezing the glutes during exercises can enhance muscle activation and help you develop a better mind-muscle connection. As a result, this can lead to better muscle growth over time. However, simply squeezing your glutes without proper resistance training won’t lead to a bigger booty.
Yes, as with any other muscle group, the glutes can grow during rest and recovery periods rather than during exercise. Rest days allow muscles to repair and rebuild, which leads to growth and strength. However, you should keep in mind that you need proper nutrition and sleep for optimal muscle growth.
Yes, squats can increase the size and strength of your glutes, which results in a bigger booty. Consistent squatting with proper form and progressive overload can lead to muscle growth and a bigger booty over time.
The time it takes to build glutes can vary depending on several factors, such as genetics, training intensity, consistency, and nutrition. With a well-structured routine, you’ll see results within 4-8 weeks. However, significant growth may take months or even years. Patience, dedication, and a balanced approach are essential for optimal results.
When you focus on glute training, you’re sculpting a more prominent booty and also improving your overall health and fitness. Strong glutes contribute to better athletic performance, improved posture, and help with day-to-day activities.
So, it’s time to give your glutes the attention they deserve. Include these exercises and our small workout routine to get the results you desire.
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