10 Best Glutes Exercises to Shape Up Your Booty at Home

For some people, a super-toned butt is as important as a well-sculpted six-pack. That’s why it’s no wonder some gym rats think that skipping a glute day is a mortal sin.

But with the series of lockdowns being imposed here and there, shaping up your glutes in the gym seems to be impossible. Good thing there are a ton of glutes exercises that you can do at home. These routines are easy to follow and don’t require heavy equipment to accomplish.

Before we go straight to the meat of this article, you must understand why it’s crucial to build your buttocks in the first place.

Yes, shapely butts look gorgeous. But believe us when we say that the benefits of glute workouts go beyond aesthetics.

Butt first, what are glutes?

The glutes (also called butt, bum, and booty) are a group of muscles that all work together to mobilize our hips and thighs. These muscles allow us to walk, sit, stand, jump, or even climb.

Those three muscles are:

Gluteus maximus

This is the muscle that’s responsible for the hip extension when you’re walking. It also allows your leg to swing for more movement.

Gluteus medius

This muscle helps keep your balance and is responsible for moving your leg away from your body.

Gluteus minimus

It’s the smallest among the three, but it also helps with movements like walking and leg rotation.

These butt muscles, together with your hamstrings, calves, and back are collectively called the “posterior chain.” This muscle group can generate more power than any other muscle group in the body.

Why build and strengthen your glutes?

A strong butt has got your back, literally

Believe it or not, firm and toned up glutes, combined with a strong core, can protect your lower back. This is crucial especially for gym goers like you who are suckers for squats and deadlifts.

Deadlifts and other heavy routines are too much to handle for your lower back. That’s where your glutes come in, you need to strengthen them so they can take some of the load.

Keep in mind that this group of muscles – the glutes, the core, and the lower back always work together. So, it’s better if you work on routines that engage all three of them, instead of working on one muscle at a time.

With strong glutes, your hips won’t lie

Butt strength and hip mobility are another inseparable pair. If you have strong glutes, it means that you have a well-functioning hip system.

The hip flexors (or the front side of the hip), the hip extensors (your gluteus maximus is one of them), and the psoas muscle (which extends from your ribs down to your thighs) all work together like a well-oiled machine so you can walk, run, jump, squat, or lunge in an incredibly flexible way.

To keep this whole muscle group functioning properly regular squats and sumo squats will be some of your go-to exercises.

Strong booty means healthy knees

Well-built glutes are a great reinforcement not only for your hips but also for your knees. Glutes support your ACL and VMO and keep your knees in the right position so you can safely perform movements. With a weak butt, the reinforcement also weakens, putting you at risk for knee injuries.

These are only some of the benefits that you will get if you build your glutes. Proper butt workouts will not only shape up your bottom into gorgeous, or should we say “bootyful”, peaches, but will also strengthen other parts of your body.

But enough chit chat. Game face on because it’s time to get to work!

10 Best glutes exercises you can do from the comfort of your home

Let’s kick it off with the easy ones.

Walking Lunges

Equipment:

• A pair of weights like dumbbells, tumblers, or water bottles

How to do it:

1. Stand straight with your feet together.
2. Then grab your dumbbells and hold them at shoulder height, with your elbows bent in front.
3. Step your right foot, then bend your knees (a lunge, basically) until both of your legs form an angle of 90 degrees. You want to put your weight into heel. Pause for a second.
4. Without moving your right leg, move your left foot forward, in the same movement.
5. That’s a rep! Do 15 then onto the next one.

Step-ups

Equipment:

• A bench, or stair, or any raised and stable platform

How to do it:

1. Face the bench, put your hands on your waist, feet under your hips.
2. Step your right foot onto the bench.
3. Then, keeping your chest and shoulders back, so you’re standing up straight, push your body up with your right leg.
4. Once your right leg is straight and your left foot is elevated, pause briefly, then lower yourself back to the starting position.
5. Swap legs and do the same thing – which then equals a rep!
6. Do 15 reps on both left and right sides, then onto the next one.

Weighted Good Morning

Equipment:

• A pair of weights

How to do it:

1. Stand with your two feet apart, shoulder width.
2. Hold the two weights and place them behind your shoulders, resting on your shoulder blades.
3. Keep holding onto them with bent arms.
4. Then slowly bend your upper body forward, as if you’re taking a bow.
5. But keep your torso straight and your knees slightly bent.
6. Do this until your upper body is parallel to the floor.
7. Hold the position for a few seconds before returning to start.
8. Do 15 reps.

Isometric Squats

Equipment:

• Nothing!

How to do it:

1. Stand with your two feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Relax your hands on both sides
3. Then push your hips back and bend your knees until you’re in a squat position.
4. As you do this, bring your hands up then clasp them in front of your chest.
5. Hold your position for 30 seconds and that’s one rep.
6. Do 15 reps.

Now let’s kick it up a notch.

Glute Bridge March

Equipment:

• Workout mat

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back then put your hands on the side, flat on the floor.
2. Bend your knees while maintaining your feet also flat on the floor.
3. Engage your core, then raise your hips until your body forms a diagonal 45 degree line, from the upper body to your knees.
4. Lift your right knee. Then pause for a few seconds, then lower it.
5. Lift the other knee. Pause. Then lower it.
6. That’s one rep. Perform this routine for 15 reps.

Stability Ball Bridge

Equipment:

• Workout mat
• Stability ball

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back, then put your arms on the sides.
2. Bend your legs up to a 90-degree angle.
3. Put your feet on the stability ball. Keep your shins parallel to the floor.
4. Lift your hips off the ground. Push your feet against the ball and your back and arms against the floor to pull this off.
5. One lift of a hip is one rep. Do 15.

Figurehead

Equipment:

• Workout mat

How to do it:

1. Lie on the floor face down and relax your arms at your sides.
2. Slowly raise your torso or your upper body.
3. Simultaneously, lift your legs so that only your hips touch the floor.
4. Hold the position for as long as you can.
5. Then slowly return to your starting position.

Pretty easy, aren’t they? Let’s level it up even more!

Staggered Stance Deadlift

Equipment:

• Kettlebell

How to do it:

1. Start on your left leg, with your right foot moved back very slightly.
2. Lift your right heel. Also, slightly.
3. Push your hips back as you lower your upper body to a 45-degree angle.
4. Reach for the kettlebell on the floor, in front of you. And as you do this, lift your left arm sideward.
5. Lift the kettle ball then put it down.
6. Repeat.

Read here for more stability ball exercises.

Deadlift to Squat Clean

Equipment:

• Kettlebell

How to do it:

1. For your starting position, push your hips back, then slightly bend your knees, and lean your upper body forward.
2. Reach for the kettlebell on the floor with two hands.
3. Push your hips forward as you lift the weights close to your chin.
4. Then bend your knees down and perform a squat.
5. Make sure to keep the kettlebell close to your chin as you squat and return to a standing position.
6. That’s one rep. Repeat.

Reverse Table-up

Equipment:

• Workout mat

How to do it:

1. Sit on the floor, with both of your knees bent and both of your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your palms on the floor, just under your shoulders.
3. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.
4. Push your heels against the floor as you lift your hips.
5. Your hips and upper body should form a straight line parallel to the floor.
6. Your body should form a table, then hold it for a few seconds.
7. Go back to your starting position then do it again.

Tips and Tricks

These are only some of the best glutes exercises that we’re sure you can pull off at home! Keep in mind, however, that following or memorizing these steps is only half the battle.

To properly build your glutes, you’ll need more than just a bag of routines. Below are more tips to tricks to achieve those firm glutes!

• Consistency is the key. Shaping up your booty is not a one-time affair. You have to be consistent in performing these glute workouts. We recommend that you dedicate two non-consecutive glute days per week for better results!
• Allow your body to rest and recover. Don’t forget to take it easy! Overtraining will only compromise the results that you’re trying to achieve.
• Gradually increase your reps. As you perform these routines consistently, you’ll eventually get used to the difficulty of the workouts. And you will have to increase your reps to match your current performance.
• Lastly, shake up your diet. Toning up those glutes is basically shedding some fats and building some muscles in the process. To perfectly achieve that you need a strict diet to supplement your butt workouts.

Try this combination:

• 40% protein
• 30% fat
• 30% carbs

Where to get those glutes toned up?

To be honest, you don’t need to go to a gym for your glute day. As shown in our examples, you’ll probably need just a workout mat and some weights. So if you have some space at home, it’ll probably do!

But if you’re feeling a little extra, or you feel that home workouts are not for you, or you just want to step outside after several weeks of being locked down, well, gym it is!

If you live in or near any of these locations – Bentleigh, Cheltenham, Clayton, East Brighton, Huntingdale, or Ormond, come visit us here at RecXpress! Our six fitness centres are open 24/7, so come by anytime you want!

For just $11 a week, you can get access to all our equipment and amenities. And the price is not even the best thing about our service.

We offer gym memberships with no lock-in contracts. Try our service for a week, then it’s up to you if you’ll extend it or not. No strings attached. You can stop and come back anytime.

Although, we’d love to see and be part of your progress. But as we’ve said, it’s your call!