The 10 Best Glute Exercises

The glutes are an important muscle group that plays a crucial role in many important functions of the body, as well as contributing to the stability and movement of the hips, pelvis, legs and lower body in general.

Strengthening the glutes not only has aesthetic benefits , but also has many other benefits such as preventing spinal problems and improving posture.

These muscles are also involved in a multitude of daily activities, so training them will help you prevent injuries, especially in the lower back and knees, and improve sports performance .

Exercises for glutes and legs with videos

There are many exercises that help strengthen this muscle group, but in this post you will find the 10 most effective exercises to exercise your glutes at the gym or at home:

Smith Machine Squats

Squats are a compound exercise that activates the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings . It is important to try to maintain good technique to avoid injuries by keeping your back straight, chest up and looking forward throughout the exercise.

In order for the exercise to give you the expected results, it is important that you follow this step by step:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. Descend by bending your knees and hips, as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping your knees aligned with your feet.
3. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as far as your flexibility allows.
4. Return to the starting position , pushing through your heels.

This exercise is ideal to do with the help of a Smith Machine since you will increase both the challenge and the comfort and safety of the exercise.

To add resistance to the squat you can always add material such as:

• Weights or Dumbbells : Hold weights or dumbbells in your hands while you perform the squats. This will increase resistance and work your glutes even more.
• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around your thighs to create lateral resistance and work your glutes more intensely.
• Barbell : If you are familiar with using barbells and have the ability, you can add weight to the Smith Machine bar.
• Kettlebell : Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of you to add resistance.

Romanian Deadlift

This exercise focuses on working the glutes and hamstrings more precisely than the conventional deadlift. Although it can be done with your own body weight without any type of material, it is always more advisable to add some weight , for example with a dumbbell :

1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart , bend your knees slightly and grab two dumbbells in your hands.
2. Lean forward from the hips, keeping your legs almost fully extended and your back straight, shoulders back, and chest lifted.
3. Lower your torso toward the floor while lowering the dumbbells below your knees.
4. Lower yourself until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings , keeping your back straight.
5. Return to the starting position by contracting your glutes and using your hamstrings to lift yourself up.

If you prefer, you can replace the dumbbells with other materials that you feel more comfortable with, such as:

• Bars and Plates : Hold a barbell with plates in front of you while performing the movement. This method adds resistance to your glutes and hamstrings.
• Hexagonal Bar : Some gyms have hexagonal bars that allow you to perform the Romanian Deadlift in a more ergonomic position.
• Kettlebells : Hold a kettlebell in each hand and perform the movement. Kettlebells provide additional variation and challenge due to their center of gravity.

Glute Bridge or Hip Thrusts on machine

The glute bridge, or Hip Thrusts, is a popular exercise that focuses on strengthening the glutes and lower body muscles . To perform Hip Thrusts efficiently, you can use the specific Hip Thrust machine or adapt a Smith machine to perform the exercise. The most important thing is to always contract the glutes in the upper part of the body.

1. Stand on the Hip Thrust machine with your hips and shoulders supported and adjust it according to your height and preferences.
2. If the machine has a bar, place it on your hips. You can add weight to the bar depending on your strength level and preference.
3. Make sure your feet are firmly on the floor and your knees are bent.
4. Push your hips up, extending your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
5. Squeeze your glutes in the top position and then lower your hips back to the floor.

If you don't have a specific machine to perform the exercise, you can perform a modified version of the Hip Thrusts using an elevated surface such as a bench or chair and adding resistance using a bar with discs on your lap, or with elastic bands around you. your thighs.

Lunges

With strides you can activate different parts of the gluteus and legs . These can be done forward, to the side or inversely and depending on this, one part or the other will be worked more.

1. Stand with your feet together.
2. Step forward with one leg, bending both knees until they both form 90-degree angles.
3. Make sure your front knee is in line with your ankle and your back knee is almost touching the ground.
4. Push with your front leg to return to the starting position.
5. Do it again with the other leg.

Make sure to maintain good posture with your back straight , knees aligned with your ankles to avoid injuries, and vary the direction of your strides to work the lower body more completely. Add resistance to exercise with:

• Dumbbells : Hold a dumbbell in each hand at the sides of your body to increase the intensity of the exercise.
• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around your legs, just above the knees, to increase lateral resistance and work your glutes more intensely.
• Cable or Pulley Machine : Use a cable machine with an ankle attachment to perform lunges with constant resistance throughout the movement.
• Kettlebells : Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest or in each hand at the sides of your body to add weight and challenge to the exercise.
• Bosu or Unstable Platform : Perform strides on an unstable surface such as a Bosu or a special platform to further work the stabilizing muscles and increase the difficulty.
• Step or Elevated Platform : Elevate one of your feet on a step or platform to increase the range of motion and focus more on the glutes.

Leg Press 

This exercise works the glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings , but if what we want is to focus the work especially on the glutes, it is essential:

1. Sit on the press machine of legs with the back and buttocks well supported on the backrest and seat.
2. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing slightly outward . This helps activate the glutes more during the movement.
3. Unlock the machine and lower the platform towards you by bending your knees. Try to go down enough so that your thighs are at least parallel to the floor . This will activate your gluteal muscles more compared to a shorter range of motion.
4. Push the platform up , extending your legs fully , concentrating force on your heels instead of your toes to activate your glutes more.
5. Lower the platform in a controlled manner without locking your knees at the end of the movement.

Side-Lying Leg Lift

This exercise specifically targets the gluteus medius and although it can be performed without any additional equipment, it is always more advisable to add some resistance or difficulty through some type of material.

1. Lie on your side on the floor with your body fully extended.
2. Rest your head on your lower arm and place your upper arm in front of you for balance.
3. Lift your top leg up, keeping your leg extended.
4. Raise your leg as far as is comfortable without compromising technique.
5. Lower your leg in a controlled manner.

Within this exercise you can add:

• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around your legs, just above the knees, to increase lateral resistance.
• Ankle Weights : Clip ankle weights around the ankle of the leg you are lifting to add extra weight and challenge.
• Cable or Pulley Machine : Use a cable machine with an ankle attachment to provide constant resistance during the movement.
• Weights or Dumbbells : Hold a weight or dumbbell at the ankle of the leg you are raising to increase resistance.

Single-Leg Deadlift

Similar to the conventional deadlift but keeping one leg in the air , this exercise will challenge your stability and help you activate your glutes intensely.

1. With your feet together , lift one leg off the ground and place your body weight on the other slightly bent leg.
2. Lean forward from the hips, keeping your back straight and torso parallel to the floor.
3. Extend your raised leg back and lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor.
4. Make sure to maintain a straight line from the head to the heel of the supporting leg.
5. Return to the starting position , contracting your glutes and using your supporting leg to lift yourself up.

Although the most common is to use a kettlebell, you can use a multitude of materials to increase the effectiveness of this exercise:

• Weights or Dumbbells : Hold a weight or dumbbell in the hand on the opposite side of the supporting leg.
• Barbell : If you are familiar with using barbells, you can hold a barbell in front of you or behind your back.
• Kettlebell : Hold a kettlebell in the hand on the opposite side of the supporting leg.
• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around the leg you are lifting to add lateral resistance.

Lying or Seated Leg Curls

There are two ways to perform leg curls on machines : either lying down or sitting.

Lying Leg Curl :

1. Lie face down on a mat or comfortable surface.
2. Place your hands under your head or at the sides of your body for stability.
3. Bend your knees and bring your heels towards your glutes .
4. Contract the muscles in your glutes and the back of your thighs as you lift your feet off the floor .
5. Raise your legs up as high as you can, keeping your upper body on the floor.
6. Lower your legs in a controlled manner without touching the ground and repeat.

Seated leg curl:

1. Sit on a bench or chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind you to support your torso.
3. Raise your legs off the ground , keeping your knees bent.
4. Bring your knees toward your chest and then extend your legs outward.

Whatever way you perform the curl, add some additional element to increase the difficulty of the exercise and therefore also the results:

• Ankle Weights : Attach ankle weights around your ankles to increase resistance.
• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around your ankles to add lateral resistance.
• Cable Machine : Use a cable machine with an ankle attachment to provide constant resistance.
• Dumbbells : Hold them between both feet while you perform the exercise.
• Leg curl machine: This machine will make your exercise easier and you will be able to increase both weight and safety.

Hip Extensions or Cable Back Kicks

If you don't have access to a cable machine, you can perform hip extensions or back kicks without any additional equipment .

1. Get on all fours on the floor, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips .
2. Keep your right leg bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Raise your right leg back , extending your hips and keeping your leg straight .
4. Contract your glutes in the top position and lower your leg in a controlled manner.
5. Do it again with the other leg.

But if you can access a cable machine , we definitely advise you to adjust the machine to the appropriate height, strap it to your ankle with the accessory, and begin the lifts .

In case you can't find any pulley but you do want to increase resistance and work, you can try some of this equipment:

• Ankle Weights : Clip ankle weights around the ankle of the leg you are lifting to add resistance.
• Resistance Band : Attach a resistance band around your ankles and the cable machine to add lateral resistance.

Step-Ups

This exercise works the glutes and legs and can be performed without the need for additional equipment:

1. Place a bench or sturdy platform in front of you.
2. Raise one leg and place it on the bench.
3. Push yourself up with your leg on the bench until your other leg is also resting on the surface.
4. Lower your starting leg back and repeat the movement.

As always, to intensify the exercise, you can use additional materials such as:

• Weights or Dumbbells : Hold weights or dumbbells in each hand to add resistance.
• Barbell : If you are familiar with using barbells, you can place a barbell on your shoulders to increase the load.
• Resistance Band : Place a resistance band around your legs to add lateral resistance and work your abductors.
• Kettlebell : Hold a kettlebell in front of you or to the sides to add resistance.